Enjoy It While It Lasts

   My baby girl turned 15 this past week. This means she's now old enough to get her permit to drive. She's almost old enough to get a job. She's old enough to date. She's growing up....way too fast.
   This one is my mini me. I apologize to my mother because I'm now raising me. I'm getting payback for all the things I did as a kid. She's hard headed, bratty, whiney and wears her feelings on her shoulder. But she's also kind hearted, smart, a great friend and beautiful inside and out. She has celebrated her birthday month by being asked to her first high school homecoming dance, playing volleyball, cheering in pep squad at football games and spent her actual birthday at church. Who could ask for more?
   This is the first year she chose not to have a birthday party. I was relieved because it meant I didn't have to plan anything but I was also sad. I mean she's my baby. Am I done having birthday parties for my kids? Are my years as the party mom over? I've said before that I would look forward to the day that they are grown. But as that time is drawing closer, I'm beginning to think I won't be as ok with it as I thought.
   So instead of a party she chose to have a "dinner" with 15 of her friends at a local restaurant. The hubs and I sat at a table in the other room but close enough to keep an eye on them. Afterwards 2 of her best friends came home with us. They played 1D and 5SOS as loud as they could in the car, singing at the top of their lungs. Laughing and joking with us and with each other the whole way home. They giggled and talked about everyone and everything thing. As I laughed and listened, I realized that sadly, these days would soon be coming to an end. The days of a house full of wild and crazy girls making noise and singing along with their favorite bands, painting each other's nails, doing each other's hair and makeup...these days will be over before I know it. So I soaked up every minute of it while it's here.
   For 20 plus years now I've had these moments. We've had as many as 15-20 giggling little girls stay the night at one time. From one daughter to the next, we've passed through these stages. With the older girls I've had the moments of realizing that I had hit the last of firsts with them and each one made me sad but I knew I still had my baby left to go through it with. Now as she's hitting the last of the firsts...I'm getting really sad. She started her first day of high school this year and soon she will attend her first formal high school dance. If I'm not careful I will blink and she will be attending her senior prom. But until then I've decided to cherish the time I have left with the 2 still at home and enjoy the last firsts I have with each of them as they go through high school. And then we will move on to the firsts of adulthood. First real job, first college graduation, marriage, babies...it will all be here before I know it. So mommas hold your babies close because you'll blink and they will be a freshman in high school and won't think they need you anymore. Although I'm here to admit, I'm 41 years old and I still need my momma every day of my life.