Did I blink and miss it?

Sometimes I look at my kids and wonder just when it all happened, the being independent, the growing taller than me, the leaving home. I recall so vividly, my days spent wondering what a luxury going to the grocery store alone might be. I tried it once at 6am, yeah once was enough, over rated. But to be able to hop in and out of a car without checking for buckled seat belts or missing shoes, to carry a nice handbag instead of a wipe-able duffle chock full of everything, those were things I only dreamed about and now they are my reality. While I'm pretty stoked about having a nice bag, all the other stuff seems like my distant past and I miss those days already. As I dropped my babies off at school for a new year, I insisted on the first day photos.

They roll their eyes but already appreciate the memories they have in their scrapbooks that quickly become such a long time ago. Asha seems like she'll be my buddy forever but I am pretty sure every Mum of a tween will tell me, my days are numbered. I love that she clutches her school supply list all day, everyday until we have every last thing on it. A new pencil case and freshly sharpened pencils was one of my favorite things to get when I was her age. School uniform doesn't get you excited for clothes but shoes, well this girls got a little bit of a thing....I'm leaving at that, lest ye judge.

Ronan on the other hand, couldn't care less about school supplies because every pen or pencil he has, would need to be carried and we all know that any kind of physical exertion is unnecessary when you are 13. He did however, go back to school with a smile on his face and a good attitude. Even when I took shots like this driving along in the car.

I told him I needed a picture when he got out of the car on his way in and he said "no Mum!" but I persuaded him with "if you don't look back at me, I'm jumping out of this car with my bedhead and sweats and yelling your name whilst waving I love you's...." he agreed.

I love that my last 2 kids have unique names, If I had yelled Jordan out of my car , at least 15 boys and 3 girls would've looked at me.True Story. So there I was, all alone in the silence, full of free time but as I slowly pulled away, I snapped another shot and wondered for a second what it might feel like when my last baby drives away from my house to be with their new forever family.......

Then I turned the radio on, started singing loudly and got busy with my day.