8 Years Old and Growing Up

Somewhere, somehow, 8 years has passed since our 5lb, 6-week preemie surprised us with his arrival. He's at that stage now which is the perfect balance of still wanting to snuggle in at night and give kisses and hugs before school, but just old enough that his friends are becoming a very important staple in his day, fashion is top of mind, and he's even spoken of a "girlfriend" (although she doesn't know!) This week, it was clear... he's getting bigger, he's growing up, and oh-my-goodness there are definitely some things that I need to be more prepared for.

It all started when he needed the nut cup last weekend. With dad gone for a short time, I talked the neighbor into taking his boy and Cade on a field trip. Off to Dick's they went (no pun intended) and home he came with compression shorts and nut cup insert. He was so bashful about it, that it was precious. He asked me to wash the shorts and have them ready for the game tonight. Sure, I can do that. Well, I can, but then I wasn't sure how to put it all back together. I tried hard to ensure I was doing it right, like any champ-of-a-mom would.

I inserted the V-shaped nut cup upside down, assuming that the bigger portion would cover the bottom of his [ah-hem] stuff. The poor kid. He stood in the laundry room, wiggling his little butt, and trying to make it comfortable, before asking me if I maybe put it in upside down. Bless his heart. I nearly took a picture of the thing at that point, and emailed Jarin in China for help, but then I was determined. I can do this, I thought. I flipped that sucker around, and reinserted it into the shorts, and ta-da! Comfort!

He ran out the door tonight, with a nut-cup and new glove. And he even tried playing catcher for the first time, just like his daddy did back in the day.

It could be worse.

What a fun week we had with Jarin being home. Him and I had a full week home together each day, which allowed him to complete a little honey-do list, but he also got to be hands-on with a lot of the weekly activities. Cade's 1st Communion was a big celebration, a quick field trip with Alayna's class, lots of snuggle time for Paisley, neighborhood baseball games, 2 touchdowns in flag football, and gymnastics and dance competitions were fit in. The two of us even had an afternoon date to the winery and outlet mall!

After taking this awesome picture of us saying our goodbyes again at the airport on Saturday, Jar departed through the security gates.

We hung on for a while, waiting to make sure he made his way, and then the littlest peanut (who doesn't look so thrilled in the picture above) started wandering around with the "where's dada" shrug. I think it's safe to say that she fell in love this last week. :)

As we walked to the car that afternoon, I had trouble holding it back again. A sweet elderly couple witnessed it, and stopped me, "is he in the military ma'am?" "No," I replied, as I held Paisley a little closer in my arms, hiding my tears behind her. They continued asking questions with the utmost empathy, including how long has he been gone, when will you see him next, how long will this go on for? And then they summarized it.... "but with a family, it doesn't make it any easier, does it?" I grasped a little tighter to Cade and Layna's hands. No, it didn't.

In that moment, I was overwhelmed with the idea of going more than a month again without seeing him in person...thinking through all that he may miss -- school performances, end of school year parties, Cade's birthday, family gatherings and more.

It wasn't until late Saturday night that I truly appreciated the initial question that couple had asked me. We really are so fortunate. I know he's safe, and not physically on a battleground. I know what he's doing each day, and where he is staying. And I know exactly how to reach him whenever the kids want to say hi. So, more than anything, it made me appreciate what our military families go through.

God bless all of the families who put themselves out there every day, to stand up for our freedom, and risk being away from their spouses and children to do it. I'm not sure how you have the courage and selflessness to do such a humble act, but know that we are grateful for it. And I promise never to take for granted the time that we have together, nor will I complain (as much) about the time we are apart.