My Nod to a New Season

Although we are in the dead of a temperature-record-breaking summer,
there is a new season going on in our house.

As schedules have clashed and meshed
over and over again,
there is no fall-out.
No scrambling around to fill the gaps.

I don't have to worry about
whose at home to watch the "babies"
anymore.
Each of the kids are fine to be alone
for several hours
if need be.

Take yesterday for example:
Diana went with me to the Denver temple
which is an hour away from our house.
The Caboose stayed to help tend the kids that Diana
nannies for at their home,
with a couple of other girls from Church,
and made plans for someone else to bring her home.
She actually had dinner with one of the girls' family.
It was so nice to just drive away knowing she'd be fine
once they dropped her off at home,
until Dad got home from work.

 Joseph, who worked alongside me all day
while I was staging a home,
was fine to be left alone for the rest of the afternoon
until Dad came home and they went out to dinner,
then came home and mowed the yard,
puttered around the garage and in general
took care of things while I was gone.

Dara is still off to Girls' Camp,
and yes, it's fully supervised by adults,
but I haven't had a moment's worth of worry
for her well-being and safety.

And the others are grown-ups and have been for some time now.
David Scott will be 29 next month--
I worry about him in different ways, ya know?
Not whether he has food to eat or clean underwear.

Anyway, this new Season I'm in is awesome.
I read blogs where moms are still scraping cheerios off the floor,
changing messy diapers,
hauling kidling accessories around,
and I feel
relief.
Done.

That is not my life anymore.
I still have 6 more years of schooling left--
1 more year of 6th grade,
2 years of middle school
and 4 years of high school left.
I know that adds up to 7
but it's really just 6 more years of school.

Yesterday morning,
The Caboose came out of her room,
fully dressed for the day,
wearing mascara and lip gloss
proclaiming that middle school was going to be great
now that she can wear a little make-up.
I remember feeling that way
when I was finally allowed to wear make-up.
Honestly, though I was allowed to,
I never really got into it.
Took too much time, ya know?
I still don't wear much.
But she's happy and excited to be growing up.

Remember when Joseph got into wearing "Axe" products
last year?
His daily showers washed away all traces of
stinky boy smell.
Yeah.
It's Thursday today,
n' as far as I know
he hasn't showered since Sunday.
"It's Summer, Mom. Noone showers in the Summer."
Ugh.
Really? Where does he get these ideas?
He is now the tallest kid at home,
passing all of his sisters up,
at 5'7 1/2" tall.
I have half an inch on him today.
Given that he is growing like a kudzu vine,
I won't be surprised if he passes me up by noon time today.
He'll be 13 in November.
He wears Size 12 in mens shoes.
I'm reasonably hopeful that once school starts in
two and half weeks (ACK!)
and there's girls in his daily life whom he isn't related to,
that his hygiene habits will kick in again.
There is good and bad on both sides of that.
Having the reputation of "pig pen" isn't good.
But having the attention of girls isn't much better.
Ahhh the smell of a new hormonal season
is just around the corner.

I loved being a new mommy,
and wax nostalgic when I see new babies,
like at the Chiropractor's office yesterday--
a new mommy with a 10 day old babe in her arms--
totally warmed my heart,
and I laugh when Dani shares the hi-jinx of her boys
in Texas...
Two year old Garrett put a dinosaur costume on 11 month old Isaac
when Dani wasn't looking
and she snapped a smiley-faced Isaac picture n' shared it on Facebook.
I love those fun moments.
Ahh the blessing of being a Gramza, ya know?

Anyway,
the point is
Life takes turns and goes around corners
you don't expect it to.
The seasons change faster than you think they can
and before you know it,
instead of buying diapers and wipes for the one millionth time,
you're buying Bonne Bell lip gloss and mascara,
Axe shampoo and body wash.

So perhaps you think you'll never miss the Baby Aisle,
and you might not,
but just the other day,
when I was shopping alone,
I walked down that aisle of Johnson and Johnson's baby lotion,
Beechnut Bananas,
LUVS newborn diapers,
and Gerbers hard biscuits,
reminiscing about my earlier seasons in life
and smiled at the memories.