Growing Up

My baby boy, Matthew Ryan, will be 15 years old next month.
15!!

I cannot even believe it, and as people like to remind me, by the time Rich gets home from Iraq, he will be nearly 16. Nearly a man.
There are two things that cross my mind when I think of his age, the first is that I cannot believe it- the days that he would crawl up on my lap to watch Barney, or kneel with me so we could say bedtime prayers just don't seem so long ago. Kisses and hugs, dirty hands and fascinating bugs. Sigh, it really was just yesterday wasn't it?
The second thing I think of is that I cannot believe he old I must be to have a child in his mid teens. I was a fairly young mom (21) and that is the excuse I use when people ask me my kids' age.

To be fair, ALL 3 of my kids are growing up. Meg will be 14 in a few months and then Hannah, my real "baby" will soon be 11.

I am going to my corner to whimper a bit...