How they grow!

I was musing last night after our trip to the park at how much and how fast the kids all change. Rob is on the cusp of the teen years now and you can tell he isn't all that comfortable in his skin so to speak. He vascilates between wanting to recapture the times of childhood and feeling "too cool" to even be near me. I remember going through that myself, I am waiting patiently for him to come out the other side of this changing time and realize that we can still be close and loving and he can still be "cool."

I watch KC running at the park, chattering with friends new and old and marvel at the fact that this confident, exuberant young boy was once a frail, helpless baby, then a very shy and reticent young toddler. KC was slow to speak and loved nothing more than cuddling and being carried for a long time. He still is the most tactile of my kids, craving skin on skin contact much more than any other. But he also has this strong sense of being able to do for himself and wanting to do for himself. He happily engages other children in conversation and enjoys knowing I am nearby but not necessarily involved in what he is doing.

Elisabeth just a year ago was such a different little person. For one thing, she is much happier now. The first 6 to 9 months of her life were hard. She, like KC was born drug dependent. However in her case the exposure was much more prolonged and I think her withdrawals left her feeling uncomfortable much more than his did. She had to learn to like being cuddled and held and though she is still the lightest sleeper of all my children she does at least usually sleep through the night now. She loves to move and to climb and run. Her words are beginning to be more clear and more often used. She has developed a friendship with 2 two year olds at the park and looks forward to playing with Andreas and/or Thomas each evening. She has learned to love singing and her tubby time.

I wonder what changes will come for all of them. Some I can anticipate. Rob's voice is starting to change for instance. Some will be unexpected. I hope I remember to notice them all and not take them for granted because our children are only children for such a short time.