My babies are growing up! I realize that they’re in their twenties now and I should have noticed this fact long ago, but in my eyes, they’re still my babies. They’re still these sweet little towheaded boys searching for adventure. I love this picture!! I just want to pick them up and squeeze them.

They’re just so sweet and innocent and so pure. I tried to keep as much of that in them as long as I could. Probably too long. I just adored their sweet, positive outlook on life untarnished by the evils of adults with their prejudice and war and skanky girlfriends (Ooops - that just slipped in there), and I wanted to protect them as long as I could. But despite my best efforts, they grew taller, more opinionated, more independent, more bullheaded, and blind to the evil lures of the opposite sex. I’m not saying that ALL girls are bad. Remember, I am a girl . . . but I was never bad. Not me. Pure sweetness is all I’m sayin’. My boys, however, have both gotten ahold of some doozies.

I won’t go into details out of respect for my boys’ privacy. . . and also because they would murder me eight times. . . each. It’s just that I was having a conversation with my youngest last night. He’s recently split up with his girlfriend of five years. It wasn’t easy on him and it still isn’t. But he called me last night all excited because of some solid decisions that he’s made that demonstrates that he’s moving forward. . . like a big boy. He just sounded so “together” and so . . . mature. It just smacked me with pride. My little boy is putting on his big boy pants and taking big boy steps out in the big bad world. He’s learning that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. That his days of kool-aid and teddy bears are over. His mother can’t kiss the booboos and make them go away. As much as I wanted to take his pain and disappointment away, he just had to learn to deal on his own.

They broke up 2 1/2 months ago. Now she wants to come back. He thought that’s what he wanted too. But during this time apart, when “absence makes the heart grow fonder” is usually the case, it wasn’t so much this time. During her absence, my boy grew up and realized that he was happier on his own. That there ARE other girls out there. Nice girls. Who won’t treat him like dirt. Who will realize what a gentle soul he has. . . . and what pretty babies they’ll make.

Look at this face. Isn’t it precious? I just want to squeeze him.

But seriously, I think it was THIS photo, this time, this day, that I knew my baby was turning into a little man. He was so serious here, so determined, so committed, and so dang adorable. All the parents just lapped him up. But he had my heart.

I so love my little boy. And I’m so proud of the man he’s becoming.