Where have the years gone?

It seems like yesterday they were all just babies. Newborns. It's like I blinked and suddenly they are older kids and young adults.

Ashley is 13 now and becoming more and more "womanly". I have noticed she has some of the character traits I have that are perhaps less desirable. The child is SO sarcastic. She's mouthy, but is learning (verrry slowly) exactly who she can and can't be mouthy with. She's discovering that perhaps it's not wise to smart off to your mother(who is even more sarcastic and mouthy). I swear, both of us are not going to survive her teen-hood(is that a word?). I call my own Mother up often and apologize for ever having been a teenager. Her Daddy has to play referee often.

Jacob is soooo quiet. He's finally maturing, but I still worry about him. He's a loner. Which isn't a horrible thing. But he doesn't really have very good social skills. He's 11 now, and only has 1 or 2 friends at school. One good thing is he is beginning to get interested in doing things in the children's program at our church. That will give him an outlet and allow him to be around other kids his age in a somewhat structured setting. I have one of the kind of nerdy odd kids. I love him to death just the way he is. He's always been this way, but he gets teased a lot about it. He holds a lot of it in. I think that a lot of it has had to do with undiagnosed ADHD that has slowed his social/emotional maturity a little. But he's becoming a man. He had an argument with one of his friends at school. His friend got all puffed up(like little boys do when they are going to fight) and was in Jake's face yelling at him. My son(even though he was furious), rather than fight, chose to walk away.

Madi is gonna be a challenge. She's sneaky. You can tell by the way she asks to do things- the way she words the question- that's she's very calculating. She definitely knows how to manipulate. I have to admit, I've fallen for it a few times. But I'm wising up now. The tears aren't working. She's trying whining now- which is a pet peeve of mine. I ignore her when she whines, so she's learning not to. She wants to be like her sister(much to Ashley's dismay LOL).

I know they are still my babies in my heart, but they have grown so much. They don't need me like they did when they were really little. I think the thing that makes me feel the best is that all 3 will still hug me and tell me they love me in front of their friends at school. Jake and Madi still hold my hand at school even. At home we still snuggle on the couch sometimes when we watch tv. I know that eventually that will change, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can!