Growing up...

Alex is finishing up his last year at Crystal Hill Magnet. Fifth grade is the end of the line. Russ and I were working on his ad to be featured in the back of the yearbook. I was sorting through old pictures and taking a stroll down memory lane. I marveled at how skinny I used to be, how our house had been updated, how Russ had more hair...and how my baby boy had turned into a tweenager. I know we are supposed to celebrate our kids growing and becoming more independent and I do...really, I do. But at the same time, it is KILLING ME! I miss that sweet little baby that changed our life in every conceivable way...all for the better. I miss morning strolls around Lake Willastein and the days of goldfish and cheerios. I miss him going to school with me. I miss his pleas to watch "Melmo" just one more time. It all goes so unbelievably fast. I can remember my parents saying this and rolling my eyes. Childhood can seem like an eternity when you are going through it, but as a parent it goes at lightening speed...and it feels like it's gaining momentum. He's ten...eight more years and I'll be helping him with college applications. Give me strength!

So, after arranging all the pictures into an acceptable layout, we had to think of "what to say." How do you put everything that's filling your heart into one short phrase? We threw out a number of options. My personal favorite was "watching you grow up so quickly makes me want to throw up in my mouth." That definitely captured the trademark Galbraith family sarcasm and the churning in my stomach. However, we were afraid the sentiment would get lost in translation. In the end we simply decided to go with "we are proud of you." And, we are. It's not humanly possible to be more proud of a child than we are of you, Alex. You have been our greatest blessing (one of the two) and we are the lucky ones that get to be your parents. Watch out Maumelle Middle School...Alex Galbraith is coming your way!