Mini me

My kids rock

I'm trying

I've been holding you for so long that I don't have any idea how to let you go.
Not even a little. My instinct is to hold you tight and close forever.
The day will be here all too soon that I have to let you go and do your thing.
I'm doing my best to let you learn the lessons you have to learn, but I need you to be patient and
to understand that it's not easy to let go of the first most awesome thing in the world.
You are my baby. My first born.
You are more important to me than me.

Hurricanes

I was checking my facebook and mentioned that a friend of mine appears to be experiencing hurricane force winds out on Block Island. My 10 year old then asked if Katrina or Andrew was the worse storm in terms of total destruction.
I love having smart, curious kids.

They just keep growing.

That's my oldest son, Chandler, holding the guitar. He has 3 guitars, but this Gibson SG is his favorite. I took this picture one night last summer while hanging out and talking with him in his room. I'm trying to remember what he looked like then. If you have kids, you know what I'm talking about.
They're born these awesome little beings. Sometimes they come into this world early or late, tiny or chubby. Chandler arrived 2 weeks early and average-sized. When women tell you, "You'll forget all about the pain after you see the baby", they're lying. Big time. I remember all the pain. All 26 hours of it. I remember how he scared the crap out of us because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and the monitor would stop picking up his heartbeat with every contraction. But once he finally arrived, I was pretty sure I had just given birth to the cutest baby in the whole world. I know I had a million plans for him, but for the life of me I can't remember what they were. All of those plans were wiped out when I finally saw his face.
I look at this kid now, a man in the making, and feel a mixture of pride and anxiety. I'm so proud of the teenager he's turning into. Like any teen, he makes questionable decisions, mouths off and sulks. On the whole, though, he's a pretty amazing kid to me. He's a pretty darn good guitar player and is mostly self-taught. He's considerate of others as long as they're not his little brother. He conforms just enough to make him feel comfortable, but has managed to find his own groove and place in his group of buddies. He's smart, too, but he tries to hide that from everyone. No joke, parent teacher conferences for this kid are a breeze and consist mainly of the teachers telling me how smart and quiet he is.
My tiny little baby is now 5'7", 130-ish pounds and his tiny little voice is changing. His hair is almost as long as mine and he straightens it because he can't stand the way it curls up at the ends. He doesn't need me to wash his little face, teach him to walk or get him a glass for milk anymore. I guide him the best I can and listen to his thoughts and music at every opportunity he gives me.