Pete's butt

Macy, Pete and I ran to the drug store for St Patrick’s Day decorations and something happened that I have not yet had to deal with. As we were walking in… a girl, maybe 13 or 14 was walking out of the store. As she passed by, she turned to look at Pete’s butt! She smirked and gave this approving glance that I would not have associated with my boy’s tush! I was not sure what to do about the fact that my little boy was being ogled! Pete was totally oblivious to the whole thing…. But I could not get it out of my head. This older woman (Pete is only 11!!) was checking him out!

As we walked through the store, Pete decided to hold my hand. (We are a hand holding family, although Pete does not often do this in public places) This was no big deal, I hold hands all the time. I teach kindergarten, the kids there love to hold hands with grown ups as they walk in the halls. It is a perk to being the line leader in a lot of classes. Pepper and I often hold hands in the car… it is just something we’ve always done. Plus since we have lots of kids, when they were younger, it was always a good policy to hold hands as a form of accounting for their safety… as we crossed the street, walked in a crowded place, that sort of thing.

I had not really remembered holding Pete’s hand in awhile and while doing so here in the store I suddenly realized how big he has gotten. As we walked down the greeting card aisle I realized it was like holding a man’s hand, not a child’s. I glanced down at our hands to make sure it really was Pete I was holding onto. He had just come from swimming and had used his “Man soap” in the shower… so the whole scene felt strange. Where has the time gone? With last weekend’s time change we lost an hour… yet it feels like years just sailed by!

I am so proud of how all our kids are turning out. When I look at old photographs of the kids I can see little glimmers of their older, more mature faces… even back in their infant photo’s. I see what wonderful people they are turning out to be. I am not fooling myself, I know we still have some rough patches to get over. Pete isn’t even a teenager yet… so I am sure there will be tough days ahead. But looking at Pete and all of our kids now I see the children they were and the adults they will be and I realize I am lucky this St. Patrick’s Day… very lucky indeed. ☺