"That's MY mom!"

One of the most wonderful things about the ages of my kids is that they have always been in such different places in their lives that there's never been a dull moment.

Amy was in Junior High when Jonathan was born, so I've had a teenager in the house for at least the last thirteen years except for thirty-three days in 2006 when Adam had turned twenty about a month before Lucy turned thirteen, but who's counting?  ;-)

Just to put it into some perspective, Jonathan started Kindergarten the same year that Amy started college. (I know. Just chew on that for a while....)

No matter their ages, or what they're doing in their lives, there remains one constant:

They all want their Mom.

Last week, Jonathan (12 years old) was at camp. He's home now and has been following me around like a puppy, hugging me randomly every hour or so, telling me how much he loves me and missed me. (I know. Soooo indescribably sweet!)

Lucy is going to be 15 next week (which means I'm planning a quinceañera party for her, but that's not important right now), and she's making me read the Twilight books, which explains how I found myself in the throes of an Edward vs. Jacob debate with the purple-haired girl at Borders last week. (I was all about Jacob, but that's not important right now either. =D)

Adam (22) works until midnight most nights. If I am up (which I usually am), he gets all chatty and wants to tell me the minutia of his day. I'm flattered that he wants to talk, it's just that it's not much of a dialog because I am limited to a few primary vowel sounds at that hour.

Amy Kikita who is 25, was bitten by a mean and ugly spider last week and had to go to the doctor. "Mo-o-ommm! You've got to come with me!" Which is how I ended up sitting by myself in the waiting room for almost an hour, because of course, they wouldn't let me in the exam room with her. Good thing I had a Twilight series book with me. ;-)

Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. I think that I am just amazed that they all still want to be with me  and still want me involved in their lives and to a certain point feel like they need me.

It just reminds me of when they were very little and they used to *fight* by saying:
"That's my Mom!"
"No, that's my Mom!"

I always thought it was so cute and I was always so flattered.

I still am. ;-)

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."