So our oldest (of nine) just turned 16 and is getting his license soon, and our youngest is about to turn five..

Wait…What?!…When?!

When did we go from six kids in car seats to six kids who need deodorant? (You may observe I didn’t say ‘wear’.)

When did you go from needing me to hold your hand across the parking lot and into the grocery store, to you heading down the road behind the wheel of a two thousand pound automobile at 50 miles an hour by yourself? (Shouldn’t I come with you?)

I just taught you to tie your shoes, how is it you are standing here trying in vain to explain Rubix cube algorithms to me? (I just pretend to get it, and I love that you want me to understand.)

How did we get from you wanting to be carried, to you heading off to work with your dad to pack bags of mortar and loads of bricks?

How are you in the kitchen making scrambled eggs and bacon for your dad? (The six year old) Get back in the high chair and I’ll play peek a boo and patty cake in between feeding you bites of applesauce and squash.

When did you stop saying ‘Dut da doe..daint do!’ and start reciting the 50 states song?

When did you start caring about clothes and shoes and the brands on them, you were just running around in a diaper with a year round tan line and getting comments and laughs from the mail lady.

How did we get from me protecting you from all things, to you telling me; "‘Mom I can’t even tell you the things they say in the back of the bus, it’s so bad.’ Thank you my darling daughter for thinking you must protect me from the wicked things of this earth. Gulp.

When did you stop singing ‘Skidamarinki dinki dink i love you...’ and start standing shoulder to shoulder with me in the kitchen?

How is it that you no longer need me to lift you up to the sink to wash your hands?

When did stop playing baby dolls and start babysitting real babies?

Wait…shouldn’t there be five little girls around here somewhere that need their hair combed and braided? What do you mean you did it all by yourself?

How are there not four little ones, give or take, coming into our room at night with all the various earaches, and nightmares and bedwets, or just to tell me they have to go potty. (cuz I need to know this at 4 am)

Where is that little newborn cry saying come feed me?

And that little voice gently hollering from the crib in the next room every morning ‘Mom…come get me!’

How did we go from one box of mac n cheese being sufficient for the whole family to a five box pack barely being enough?

When did you guys outgrow the kiddy pool? And start ditching me at the lake to go where I can’t even see you to swing off the rope swing and into deep waters?

Doesn’t anybody need a nap? Or a rockabye? Or a thumb? Or a blankie?

When did your feet begin to reach past your toddler quilt?

When did your clothes start to fall off the toddler hangers?

When did you start fitting into my shoes?

How did we get here? Where was I?

Sometimes I was on the couch with you all piled around and reading book after book for some peace and quiet, sometimes I was hiding with my coffee on the other side of the shed for some peace and quiet, sometimes I was at the kitchen stove with you all gathered around trying to help and making more spills than gravy, sometimes I was a mess of tears on the bedroom floor, not knowing how to be mom to so many little people.

My favorite times, I had ignored the laundry and dishes and vacuuming and dirty windows and muddy porch and taken you all to the park and pushed you in the swings higher and higher and you laughed and shrieked with glee, and I got goosebumps of happiness.

Can we do that again sometime?

We got from there to here one day at a time.

And we will get from here to there the same way.

Well… at least we still have one kid who cannot button his shirt straight. Get over here you precious tiny child and let me do that for you.