Sunday Scribblings - Big

Sunday Scribblings is a blog that gives I've blogging prompts once a week.  It's usually just one word or one phrase and you can take it wherever you want to go with it.  I've been wanting to start this up for awhile because I can always use prompts to help me figure out what to write.  I'm hoping to keep this up on a weekly basis.  (Which reminds me, I need to catch up with BlogDare as well.  Look for that coming soon as well.)

Anyway, today's prompt is Big.

The first thought that comes to my mind when I read the word "Big" is my boys.  Every day, they seem to be getting bigger, getting older.  They surprise me with the things they learn and the joy they bring me.

When I look at Teddy, I realize what a young man he's getting to be.  He's 5, but sometimes he makes me think that he's older than that.  Gone is the little boy look in his face and in his words.  Instead, I see the shadow of both myself and my husband in the curves of his face.  5 had always seemed so young to me.  But with him as the newest 5 year old in my life, it seems so old.  He reads at a 2nd or 3rd grade level.  He uses words that most 5 year olds don't know.  He tries to help with his younger brother, wanting to take on more responsibilities.  He even told me the other day, when Pete was giving me a hard time in the library, "Mommy, you go look at books.  I'll argue with Peter."  He's ready for kindergarten, but I'm not sure if I am.  I wish he wasn't getting big so quickly.

Peter is 2 1/2 and every day it seems like he learns something new.  He never used to talk much, but now he's having a language explosion.  New words come out of his mouth daily.  He mimics his brother or his father or myself.  He's started telling knock knock jokes.  He does things to be funny.  He's learning how to dress himself.  He can drink without needing a sippy cup.  He has definite likes and dislikes.  He's moving from toddler to little boy quicker than I can keep up with.

He's so different from Teddy at that age.  They both have a great sense of humor, but Pete's so much more physical than Teddy.  He'll throw himself down to do silly things, slide down a couple stairs face first... various things to make us laugh.  He always seems to smile.  Teddy was always happy as well, but it was... different.  Pete isn't as interested in reading or computer time or TV.  Teddy always has been.  Pete does love to color and do crafts.  Teddy's never had much interest in that.  Pete runs at life full tilt.  Teddy's always been a bit more cautious.

Being a mom means that I watch my boys grow bigger every day.  As often as I'm proud of the boys they are becoming, there are just as many times as I wish I could arrest them at this age, keep them as my babies rather than watch them get bigger.  But that's not the way that life works.  And at least I can watch them get bigger.  I'm always grateful for that.