The Wonder Years...

"Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day your'e gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back... with wonder"
-Kevin, The Wonder Years

As a mother, every single phase your children go through is special in it's own right.

But, right now, this very day, this very moment, the boys are off riding bikes, going house to house, gathering boys along the way. They will be back shortly for a water break and then, they will be off again. This age, 9 and 10, are by far the very best.

The walls of this home remain their favorite place, they still fight over who gets momma for bedtime, a band-aid is still best applied by me, but they have also grown into boyhood independence. Girls are on the horizon, but still not quite on their radar. They are outside most of the day, in and out, friends popping by throughout the day, them asking when check-in time is... they are smack dab in the middle of little boy and teenager... these years where their cares are few and far between, the only freedom they need is their bike... these days full of wonder have proven to be the best yet...