<p>His voter’s registration card and Selective Service registration acknowledgement both came in the mail today, coincidently. Weird, eh?</p>
<p>I have so many mixed emotions about this milestone . . . how proud I am of him, how mature and how young he is at the same time, realizing he’s going off to college in less than a year, how soon it’ll be just my husband and me at home (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) with our little Yorkies. </p>
<p>I just turned 46, but feeling quite old at this moment! :-)</p>
<p>Has anyone else’s youngest recently crossed that threshhold?</p>
<p>Well, my youngest, my senior D turned 17 on Tuesday and it dawned on me that she will be away at college for her 18th birthday. I’m sad already.</p>
<p>Last year, H, S & I and I went up to Boston and surprised our D at college for her 21st. She was totally shocked but so VERY happy. She told us it was the best birthday she had ever had.</p>
Not yet for us. My youngest son is 8, and we’re still in the stage of shopping for <em>really</em> cool and scary Halloween costumes! And, he still has those full, babyish cheeks, you know? The kind that disappear in the darkness of one night, never to be seen again, except in photographs. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>At any rate, I can imagine how you feel. I’d like to congratulate you on a job well done as a mother, and to offer you these {{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}} as you watch your precious youngest child ready himself to soar into a beautiful and bright future. He will never stop needing you, nor you him.</p>
<p>How lucky you are to have such a young one. Halloween at eight is so much fun - for both parents and child. Enjoy yourselves!! </p>
<p>Christa (my D), Brandon and I are pretty close-knit, as I was a single mom for 14 years (The children have a disinterested dad who has essentially ignored them. Thank God for their stepfather!). </p>
<p>Anyway, they have both turned out so great - both have earned merit scholarships to their high school, Christa won a 4-year Dean’s Scholarship to college, and Brandon is a National Merit SF and captain of his varsity football team this year. And neither have been in any kind of trouble - knock on wood.</p>
<p>Already planning it, just waiting to find out where we’ll be going! And since I am “officially” old (50), she’s the only thing making me feel young! With the eldest graduating from college this spring, and my D graduating from HS (and with another in the middle), it feels like I must be old…but it’s been a wonderful journey so far and I’m really looking forward to the next stage.</p>
<p>None of us is old here! Hope I didn’t give the impression that we were. I was only FEELING that way because the day-to-day mothering role will be over in 10 months or so. </p>
<p>60 is the new 40 . . . or something like that, right? <em>smiles</em></p>
<p>And runnersmom, congratulations on both of your children graduating this spring. You must be VERY proud!</p>
<p>Mine is turning eighteen in a few weeks and is already off at his freshman year in college…yup I do feel old. It has been a weird fall and I think it has hit me much harder than my DH…I already know I am going to be down on his actual bday…no chance I can be there with him.</p>
<p>He is in Boston at Northeastern, I’m in So. Cal. He is having a great time and I’m sure has plans for his 18 that do not include his mother, which is how it should be…</p>
<p>My youngest also turned 18 just three weeks ago. She is a sophomore in college. It is hard for me to have her away on her birthday. I still baked her cake and decorated it and mailed it! </p>
<p>NJres says you ain’t old 'til you hit 50, and well, I have 2 1/2 months to go then! Nah, that’s not old. </p>
<p>I guess both my kids are officially “adults” now. Ha!</p>
Thanks! We all love Halloween around here! My oldest son is a college sophomore, but we still have five left at home (17, 15, 13, 11, and 8), so never a dull moment! I guess I’m really dreading my little guy growing any older. For some odd reason, I’ve indulged nearly every plea for the $2.00 plastic skeletons and the plastic chainsaws <em>lol</em>. After this many kids, I know he won’t be asking for these things for very much longer…</p>
<p>
YOU ARE AMAZING. Wow! Way to go…you’ve raised some most remarkable kiddos, and you were on your own for THAT long? What a marvelous tribute to motherhood!</p>
<p>Hope Brandon’s day was <em>MOST</em> special and that his coming year is filled with health, happiness, and a passel of “dreams come true.”</p>
<p>I’ve got two freshmen – one in high school and one in college. </p>
<p>But the high schooler is 15, and going to France for a year abroad next year when he will be 16. And coming back at 17 with two more years of high school to go. </p>
<p>That instant empty nest is looming. I wasn’t thinking of it being quite so soon.</p>
<p>Oh, my gosh, ebeeeee . . . D is at NEU as well (senior). She loves Boston. It’s a great college town and your S is surely having the time of his life - but don’t doubt for a minute that he misses home as well. </p>
<p>It IS hard to have them away for such special events as their milestone birthdays. And they find it hard, though at 18, they most likely won’t admit it!</p>
<p>“My youngest also turned 18 just three weeks ago. She is a sophomore in college. It is hard for me to have her away on her birthday. I still baked her cake and decorated it and mailed it!” </p>
<p>Soozievt, that’s wonderful! You KNOW she appreciated that special touch of home!</p>
<p>Brandon’s Mom - You are not old! (otherwise I would be too!) </p>
<p>My oldest turned 21 in February while at college. We have a tradition in our family that you get 21 presents when you turn 21 so I mailed her 21 individually wrapped things, including one special gift. I put them in bunches and told her what order to open things like a morning bunch that included some bathroom stuff, an afternoon bunch that included snacks that were Pennsylvania oriented like tasty cakes and Hershey candy, etc. She celebrated with her friends and of course we called to sing to her, but it sure would have been nice if we could have been there too. She doesn’t drink, so no shots!</p>
And, he still has those full, babyish cheeks, you know? The kind that disappear in the darkness of one night, never to be seen again, except in photographs. <em>sigh</em></p>
Nah, that’s not old. </p>