For the Love of these Tall, Handsome Strangers

My darlings at the Georgia Aquarium--
ages 1, 4, and 7.

 Who are these tall handsome strangers eating all of the food in the house?  They are no longer the babies I remember.  No longer do they cling to my leg or follow me around the house.  No one cries when I announce that I'm leaving for work.  No one wants to go with me to the grocery store and ride in the car shaped buggy.

I look like a shorty next to my boys now.

John Robert (far left) with some swim team pals.

Instead, they have grown into even more fascinating people than I'd ever imagined. 


John Robert has become a calm, confident seventeen year old who works as a lifeguard, and pays not only for his car expenses, but also for the costs of his many exams-- A.P., SAT, ACT.  He has one more year with us before college. He teaches me something new almost every day-- linking me to interesting podcasts, and simply sharing his observations about people and the world.

Thrilled that his egg carrying device
was successful; even from three stories.

Spencer has become quite the academic.  Always a history buff, he has expanded his areas of interest into subjects that used to overwhelm him.  It is a joy to observe his perseverance.  Two of his teachers wrote recommendations for his high school application.  Their words made me tear up.  They clearly recognized not just his intelligence, but also his big heart.

He has tackled algebra and high school physics with vigor.  But he is also funny and sensitive.  As he grows more confident in his abilities, his smile appears more often.  I was thrilled to read one of his writing pieces recently.  His writing skills are amazing.  It is true what he told me when he was five: "Momma, there is a home in my head for words."  

Denver in Orlando with his new hat.

And Denver, well... he is his Daddy's Mini Me.  Intelligent and sociable, he is always in the middle of every activity and conversation.  Interestingly, this drive to be a part of everything has resulted in pleasant surprises.  He joined Spencer and me this week at the National Archives for a four hour lecture on World War One.  He took notes just like Spencer, and declared the whole event "fun."  He works hard in his LEAD classes, learning about medieval European history, human anatomy, and dissecting animals in vertebrate anatomy.  He is completely dedicated to his swim team, and looks forward to every practice.  For him, it's all about being part of the group and doing what they do.  This makes it super fun to take him everywhere, as he will immediately introduce himself and begin chatting with people of all ages.  SO different from me.

Denver with a large group of our friends at a restaurant last night.

As the days, months, years, and decades fly by, I sometimes cannot believe that this girl who never planned to own a house, marry, or have children, has become a middle aged woman who cannot imagine being without my home with my husband and these boys.