For weeks now, I've been in a constant state of awe at how quickly my boy is growing. It still surprises me how these spurts come on. He's almost as tall as me, weighs only six pounds less than me, and wears shoes I could swim in.
He's a big boy, but he's also still my baby.
He's 'getting' things. Subtle things. Life's nuances.
He's insightful. More thoughtful. More aware.
He's becoming a dude. A guy. You know?
And I run into this guy throughout the day and think:
Hey, he's a pretty cool dude.
The other day, Dude got to go hang out in a coffee shop by himself
and drink a cappuccino while I was getting a massage.
He was feeling mighty cool.
Sometimes Cool Dude gets overtaken by Kid,
such is the see-saw of tweenhood,
and I find myself having more patience for Kid than ever before,
because I know he's not here for much longer.
The thought of Lu's childhood ever coming to an end
brings about all kinds of emotions.
One very strong one is the gratitude I feel for being able to homeschool.
We started homeschooling in 2011, when Lu was eight.
In
the beginning, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being lost in a
sea of possibilities as far as options and styles, now it's just our
life. This is what we do. We read together, learn together, exercise
together, eat together, take care of the house together...
We do it our
way. All of it.
AND I get to BE with my boy as he turns into a guy
who will one day turn into a man.
Homeschool rocks.
Awesome. I love this post. My 11 year old see-saws between seeming so grown and independent, and being like playful, bouncy kid. It helps ease the transition, I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes to this: "We read together, learn together, exercise together, eat together, take care of the house together...
We do it our way. All of it." It seems so simple, and yet it's an incredible gift to be able to do this. I cherish that in our lives as well. :)
Beautiful post, and beautiful Dude!
ReplyDeleteWatching my 14 year old grow almost feels like a religion to me. I am in such awe of the human being he is becoming...and in such shock at the rapidity of change to his face and body. His feet and legs are so loooong!
Thanks for the gorgeous words and images.