When I wake up tomorrow morning, I will be the mother of a 16 year old boy.  This isn’t the first child in my house to turn 16.  It is, instead, my last.  Yes, my baby turns 16 tomorrow.  “Big” birthdays like this tend to make me reflective.  So bear with this sentimental mom as she waxes a bit nostalgic.

Children have made me so much more aware of the fact that life is full of phases. They’ve also made me aware of how quickly time passes.  The first day of school, the first “teen” birthday, first dates, first dances, entering middle school, entering high school . . . these events and so many more give us pause and make us reflect on the rapid passing of time.  With each of my kids, these events have had an impact on me and my awareness of just how quickly the days are running away.  But I am still a little surprised by how intensely I am impacted by the “lasts” – the last 16th birthday, the last “first day of high school”, the last . . . you get the idea.

My baby turns 16 tomorrow and my oldest turns 21 in August.  Talk about two biggies close together!  My oldest has been out of high school 3 years now and my second born starts her sophomore year of college in the fall.  Child number 3 is a High School Senior this year – with all of the “extra” activity such an important year brings – and the youngest will be a Sophomore in High School.

When I read over the previous paragraph, I think to myself ‘How on earth did that happen? Just yesterday, I was bringing my youngest home from the hospital, right?’ I blinked and my four children five and under now range from 16 – 21.  One more blink and my husband and I will be the only two living in our house. So I will cherish every silly moment with my kids, every goofball conversation we have, every random outburst of singing that occurs, every argument over who the best superhero is . . . all of the craziness that is a part of our family.  I will cherish the insanity of graduation festivities this year, knowing I only have to deal with it once more before I’m done with it forever.

And you’ll understand, won’t you, if I try not to blink!