During our trip to Disney, I had a lot of time for uninterrupted thought while standing in line for various attractions, and I realized that DH and I are roughly halfway through our parenting journey. Luke is 12.5 (actually a little more) and we have about 12.5 more years until Nathan graduates from high school. I know we won't stop feeling like parents when he graduates, but by that time, the biggest part of our jobs as mom and dad will be done. I told this to DH and he said "12.5 years seems like a long time ago", and it does seem like a long time since Luke was born. I have a feeling that the next 12.5 years will go a lot faster!

I have struggled a lot with the end of having babies and preschoolers and toddlers. They are a LOT of work, but for me, those years were really rewarding. The school age years, for me anyway, not so much. Lots of driving here and there and laundry and making sure homework gets done, but no more first moments or watching the kids discover the world.....I guess they still are, but in a much different way. Anyway, I have recently realized that what I want isn't to go back.....I think it would kill me (literally! ) to be schlepping a baby/toddler around to all the boys' activities. I am just recognizing (and mourning) the loss of those years that seemed (at the time) like they would go on forever. I am trying to embrace this stage of life, too.....can't say I am quite there yet, but saying goodbye to the previous stage is probably a good first step.[/QUOTE]