Maybe I need a puppy or something

I’m not really sure if it’s a good thing or not, but I have somehow raised very independent and self supporting children. Amanda has been flying solo since she was five! When we lived in Texas she would pack her own little bag, pick out a sweet little dress and I would load her on the plane to visit my mom in California. AT FIVE!!!

At five all my children walked themselves to kindergarten and at seven they were all doing their own laundry—or at least capable of doing it.

At five, my son became a Cub Scout; he is almost an Eagle Scout now, which is the highest rank you can achieve in scouting.

At five Megan started competitive soccer.

Then there is Christie, being the youngest has made her physically strong and mentally sassy. She’s quick witted and a complete daredevil. She has also been asked (and sponsored) to rock-climb competitively.

How did this happen?

I’m not exactly sure I am happy about this. Of course, as a parent, I am proud of their independence, confidence and successes…

But where does that leave me?

I’m not needed to cook for them anymore. I’m not really needed for homework help or for cleaning up after them. I’m not needed for bandaging scraped knees or for wiping runny noses; they just wipe their noses on their sleeves and fix their cuts and scrapes with duct tape.

I feel completely un-needed. It stinks.

If I was to do this all over, I think I would have kept them dependent on me a little longer, because truthfully...I’d give anything to wipe away a salty tear or kiss a scraped up knee.

My fourteen year old son is sick today, and I’m taking advantage of his fever induced weakness.

He actually let me put a cool cloth on his forehead and asked me to make him some soup…

Maybe I’ll have him breathe all over the girls, so I can baby them as well —at least for a day or two...