My kids are growing up

Last updated on: October 9, 2016 at 6:08 pm by Jane the Actuary

My kids are growing up 2016-10-09T18:08:27-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is it.

My boys are packing up the Playmobil in the basement playroom.

Sure, we’ve had prior rounds of sorting through toys before, to get rid of the most babyish items, but this is the real deal. They’re demoting the playmobil upstairs to the attic, to await the hands of grandchildren. Also various toy cars, trucks, fire engines, and all manner of other toys, and the play food and play kitchen and play workbench will either meet their fate there or in a bag of donations to the thrift store, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the stuffed animal bin. And the combine! And the barn, which was itself bought at a thrift store when the new version was turned into an electronic “learning toy” monstrosity. It came without the animals, and we ended up with a batch of animals bought separately, but the kids tended to put the Wild Animal set (elephant, giraffe, etc.) in the barn instead. And the Red and Blue Wiggle, which will likely end up at the thrift store, and even then, I’m not sure — do kids still watch and listen to the Wiggles? Wikipedia says that with the exception of Anthony the Blue Wiggle, it’s an entirely new group.

About all that’s staying is Lego and board games.

Of course, the Legos still do get played with quite a bit, by my youngest, anyway. Here’s his latest creation, copied after the Stone Army in Ninjago, as represented by the Stone Army minifigure.

stone army #1

stone army #2

And what’s going to replace the toys? The Playstation video game console.

We’ve also discussed packing up the picture books that still sit on the shelves in the living room; sure, again, here, we’ve had rounds of weeding out, but there’s still Forklifts, that we read over and over, and then he was happy to see actual forklifts at Aldi, and Country Crossing, as well as Henry and Mudge books, and Babar books, and countless books about trains and construction machinery.

So, in principle, I think it’s great that my kids are growing up. I know full well that I’ll have new worries, like college admission, then college success, then success after college, but at the same time — well, is it crazy that I’m already planning on a River Cruise after the kids have left home and looking forward to travelling off-season?

And yet, my youngest, my 9 year old, is definitely still my little boy. I still tuck him in most nights, and he still says, “Good night, I love you, have a good day in the morning, and have a good night,” his ritual for years now. He hangs out with me when the older boys are on their Scout outings, and I encourage him to develop his drawing skills (though it’s admittedly been a while since we sat down to draw together), and he’s now in the “intermediate” Monart class (just started last week, so I can’t show you a picture he’s completed yet other than the step-by-step drawings of the Basic class). And on the way to lunch today, he and my 13 year old debated the merits of the two protagonists of the Fablehaven series, the latest in the children’s series books that he’s consuming, after Harry Potter and the Rick Riordan sets — which he currently takes with him whenever there might be some downtime, even if it’s a car ride.

But my middle son, in 8th grade, is starting to worry about high school, and my oldest, a junior — well, he just got his first piece of mail from a college yesterday.

And me? No hot flashes yet, but that could start at any time.

Uncategorized

family

Previous Post

October 9, 2016

What happens to Trumpism?

Next Post

October 10, 2016 Debate #2: please make it stop!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw the Lord high and lifted up, with the train of his robe filling the temple?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Daniel Isaiah Ezekiel Jeremiah