In the Blink of an Eye

So today, in approximately four hours, as of 12:02pm, I will be the mother of a freshman and a junior in high school.   In HIGH SCHOOL!  I am not exactly sure how this happened.

I do remember giving birth to two adorable babies.  I can picture playpens and bouncy seats and car seats and doorway swings, and lots and lots of Legos.

I recall two little cuties running around in the sprinklers (probably naked) in our backyard for several summers, painting on the easel Dave made for them, chalking up the back patio--and themselves!

I have vivid memories of walking the kids to school each and every morning for seven years, and I believe I walked them home for a good many years as well, until at some point the walk home turned instead into me waiting anxiously on the front porch, watching them walk home, waiting (hoping) to hear the stories of the day.

I remember lots of names of friends who came and went (Mack, Trevor, Abby, Barrett) as well as those who stuck around for the long haul (Rebecca, Christopher, Jessica).

Somewhere in there I can picture school elections, carpools, swim meets, band concerts, cross-country meets, carpools, summer homework, birthday parties, carpools, and summer nights spent at "the court".

Somehow, driving lessons crept up on us.  And tryouts for the JV cheer squad.

And just two nights ago I found myself at a college preparatory meeting with Steven.  That's where things start to get a little fuzzy for me.  How did I get THERE?  And the next morning, as I was sitting at Olivia's eighth grade promotion, the principal kept referring to "The Class of 2015".  I felt like Pavlov's dogs.  Every time he said "the class of 2015", my eyes welled up.  Every single time.  There was nothing I could do to stop it.

There IS nothing I can do to stop it, I guess.  I will admit I have tried.  And failed.  Telling your daughter you think the tankinis are cuter than the bikinis does not stop her from being a teenager and buying the bikini.  Telling your son that Facebook will just suck up hours of his life will not stop him from making giddy little sounds with a giant smile on his face as he opens his Facebook  page one hour after making it and finds he now has fifty friends.

In the blink of an eye, my kids grew up.  I know I was there.  I remember it all clearly, so many moments, big and small.  But right now it all just feels like a blur.  I was never very good at physics (there's a whole blog entry just waiting to be written on that subject), but right now, just when I want time to stand still, time seems instead to be accelerating at a ridiculous pace.  I'm having a hard time keeping up.

Right now Steven is at school enjoying a "Calculus Breakfast Final", and Olivia is still asleep upstairs.  I just looked at the clock.  I still have a little over three hours until I officially am the mother of an upperclassman and a freshman.  I think I may just go watch my daughter sleep for a few minutes...