My kids are growing up

I have had many realizations recently that the kids are growing up, but it's not really that sad.  It's rather a beautiful thing seeing them come into their own, find confidence and shine.

Yesterday morning I got up early to go on my last 20 mile run (yeah, it's taper time!).  We had gone over the instructions several times, but I still felt a little nervous leaving before anyone was awake with all that they needed to do.  Isaac had to get up on time, get himself breakfast, take all the stuff we got ready the night before and walk to his friend's house to be picked up for an all day merit badge jamboree.  (He was on time and finished 4!!)  There was a 2 hour block between when Isaac left and when I expected to be home.  The girls decided they didn't want me to have a babysitter come over, they would just get some breakfast and watch one movie.  When I walked in I found them happily playing a game they made up because they couldn't get the TV to turn on.  They had eaten, put away their dishes, got their soccer clothes on with soccer ribbons in their hair.  They even had their water bottle filled for the game and waiting in the fridge.  Wow.  I was so impressed.  And then they went on to play a very excellent game.  Our team lost, but the passing and teamwork was the best of the season.

The girls are both doing so well in school.  Makenna was a reluctant scholar when she was younger, happily doing the minimum.  But this past year. she has been rapidly making up and surpassing herself.  She is not so easily intimidated or quick to give up.  She is enjoying reading more (I love to catch her reading on her own for fun!) and is feeling quite pleased about starting 4th grade math and multiplying 2 sets of 2 or more digits.  Even writing, which used to elicit groans and mighty bouts of whining, is actually sometimes "fun." She is helpful around the house.  It's fun to listen to her chat with her friends on the was to and from dance.  She went to the school last week with her dance friends to support another friend performing in the talent show.  I love to see her have fun with fashion.  And she is such a good helper with younger kids at church and friends' houses.

Jess's moments are harder to pinpoint.  She loves piano and is screaming through her school lessons.  She will be finished with 2nd grade math and Language Arts by the time we move (if we don't loose too many days in moving).  So I will be ordering 1/2 second grade subjects and 1/2 third for her next year.  At least she is finally being challenged.  She had tagged along with Makenna so much that she got a big head start. Today she just looked awfully grown up to me.  She has been trying to grow her hair out long enough for french braids, which we managed today.  She also was tall enough to wear the coveted dress of Makenna's.  She felt so very grown-up leaving for church.

Isaac's leaps and bounds in maturity are a little easier to pinpoint, but happening so fast it takes my breath away, sometimes.  He got contacts.  I don't know if I officially mentioned that yet or not.  He's had them for a full month now.  He adjusted faster than I did.  The optometrist got a kick out of him.  After one of our back and forth conversations in front of her, she asked how old he was.  After he answered, she said 12 going on 21.

So since he has turned 12 he has enjoyed youth firesides, combined activities, scout campouts (well, those weren't too enjoyable, more. . . memorable), being able to go do baptisms--he really loved that--and now he is to be one of the youth speakers next week.  He has been taking on so many of Matt's jobs in the past couple of weeks.  He is really trying to help out as the man of the house.  But he is so awfully busy.  He has football two nights a week for 2 hours.  Scouts every week.  A challenging school schedule to try to fit in around 12 hours of rehearsal.  And of course there is piano (he's so much better than I ever was) and chores.  The play is where I see the biggest changes.  It is a challenge enough to understand Shakespeare, let alone memorize it and perform it well enough for others to understand.  And he is doing so well.  I look at all he is doing and am amazed.  He is twice the 12 year old I ever was.  The girls saw about an hour of rehearsal last week and they are really looking forward to seeing it. I am so grateful we get to host some visitors so they can see it too.

Ahh, those are my kids and I love them. 

*Behind the kids, there are the piles of boxes, chairs and dressers ready to be hauled away Thursday.