Day 312

Yesterday's water park adventure continued into today, after the boys all came back to their hotel rooms somewhere between 2 and 2:30 this morning... But by 8:30, the 11-year old was dressed and ready to start a new day.

Thank God the hotel had a Starbucks...

As three o'clock in the afternoon rolled into sight, I had endured more than my share of humid, chlorine-filled air in the waterpark. We packed up all our gear (why does it always seem like you have twice as much junk to take home than what you brought?!) and coerced our boys out of the water with the promise of stopping somewhere on the way home to eat.

I had three 11-year old boys in my Honda on the way to Appleby's, and I couldn't decide if I was horrified or entertained by them...they had some of those universally annoying prizes that are found at every video arcade- whoopie cushions, light-up thingys, and magnets that make clacking sounds when you put them together. They also carried on quite the conversation amongst themselves, obviously oblivious to the parent in the vehicle...at one point I had to interrupt and ask "Why in the world do you even know what that means?!"

"We are in sixth grade, Mrs. Little", the one pre-teen who had made the comment said.

"Yeah. We're men now", agreed the other.

Well, men with whoopie cushions at least.

After cheeseburgers, quesadillas, wings, and ribs for all, we rolled our full bellies and bodies back out to our cars for the last leg home. The air had gotten chilly, so the heater came on in the car. Within ten minutes, both boys were knocked out cold, lulled by a full belly and a warm car to la-la land.

As I looked over at my 11-year old, I had a flashback to the years when I would look behind me in the car to see him sleeping in his car seat. Where has the time gone to? Gone are the chubby cheeks and fingers of childhood, to be replaced with cheekbones, an actual jawline, and the beginning of masculine hands. 

So tonight's picture represents a parent's flashback to their child's younger years. I had made several comments during our trip to other parents about how nice it was to finally have all three children grown up enough to at least not need me to follow them around at the swimming pool anymore. We talked about this, of course, with mixed drinks and beer in our hands as we watched the plethera of other parents with toddlers and small children in the wave pool. I have done my time, happily holding on to children in the pool and riding water slides til everyone's fingers are pruny. And although the majority of me is glad to be past that stage, there are moments that I am hit tremendously by how fast time really does go by. So go play with your kid. Because before you know it, they won't be a kid anymore.