Thursday, February 21, 2008

Quadruple Whammy


Oh, I am SO not ready for this. He turned fourteen today and I was gently reminded that it's only eight more months until he is eligible to take driver's education. I was making chocolate chip pancakes at the time and trying to decide which plastic plate should be his - the Ronald McDonald soccer player or the Cat in the Hat mini-plate? Swallowed a huge lump in my throat and chose the Cat in the Hat. After breakfast and before the mad dash to the car for a ride to school, I proof read the rough draft of an English paper that was due today. He'd chosen the common theme of kids growing up too fast from the books 'Across Five Aprils' and 'Soldier's Heart.' He wrote, "Kids want to be adults because they get to do more things and then they forget about following their own dreams." Aww.

Baked a cake today. Chocolate with chocolate frosting and color flaming candles - per his request. Met them at my school and worked on homework in the library before a meeting I needed to attend. I was going over Science vocabulary with his sister when he nonchalantly handed me a large yellow envelope. High School registration forms. HIGH SCHOOL! It's looming just slightly over the horizon. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked through the catalog as he went on excitedly about which electives he was thinking about taking....and watched him fill out the sports interest form with round, still childish script. Sigh.

We went out to dinner at a restaurant he'd chosen. His sister had an announcement and there was a scuffle of feet under the table. She glanced at him in consternation and then silently sat back in her seat. It took a few wiggles and jabs but we were finally told that he'd asked a girl to dance at the school Valentine celebration last week. The girl had told his sister about it yesterday. A very proud and giggly girl told her about in the hall between classes. She even knows her name.....which I told her to keep a secret. She is a sister after all and I know he'll tell me some day soon. Instant flashback. Black slacks, slate gray shirt AND....behold all wonders....a silver TIE! I would have been giggling too. He was one handsome dude that night.

Then it hit me. Fourteen? Driver's Ed? High School? Girls?

Quadruple whammy.

I am SO not ready for this. Sigh.

2 comments:

zoloft mom said...

Wow. They grow up quickly, don't they? Sigh. I know I won't be ready when mine start doing all that big dude stuff either.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Jan said...

Your son is so cute. I love his baby picture, and his current picture is adorable. He still looks like a little boy to me. You're not losing your baby yet! :))