In a blink of an eye

My good friend, Amy at The 4th Frog Blog wrote a blog post yesterday about how quickly her kids are growing and I thought I'd totally steal her idea and write about my experience.

When we moved here to Pottstown, PA in 1989, Gina was just 5 years old and Tim was all of 1 1/2 years old. Dani wasn't even a twinkle in her father's eye. Gina had just started Kindergarten the week after we moved here. I remember thinking, "Oh my God! I'll be 54 when Timmy gets out of college!! That's ancient!" The following March I got pregnant again (SURPRISE!!!) It felt like I was never going to get these kids grown and on their own!

Now here it is, 21 years later. Gina has been out of college (she has her degree in theater) and living on her own for 4 years now. She's even a homeowner! She has a great guy, a good job, her own radio show and does voice-overs for local commercials at the radio station. Tim will be graduating in May (business marketing and economics), and going out on his own (there's a small possibility that he might move home for a bit, but so far I haven't heard anything) I think he's looking in Philadelphia and New York for a job. Hopefully he'll get with a company that will pay for him to go to grad school. Dani is finishing up her freshman year of college and is reconsidering quitting and will probably stay in college.

I'm telling you, those 21 years have flown by so quickly! The kids were in their grade school for 16 years total (Catholic school goes from Kindergarten to 8th grade) and they were at the high school for 11 years. I sure don't miss those tuition payments!! You know your kids have been in a certain school for too long when all the teachers start calling you by your first name!

But it really does seem like yesterday that I was putting Gina on the school bus for the first time and I was trying so hard (and failing) not to cry. As far as I know, she wasn't one bit scared! Then taking her to her first job (I think I filled up that day too), teaching her how to drive, taking her to college (Oh I cried and cried that day!!!)

It didn't really get any easier as I did the same milestones with the other 2 kids. I cried when I put them on the bus for the first time, when I dropped them off for their first day of work, as I taught them how to drive and dropped them off at their respective colleges. Tim's first job, he worked with me at Fridays. I remember telling him, "when we're at work, I'm not your mom. If you screw up, you're on your own." He did fine. :)

Tim was funny when I took him to college. We unloaded the car, set up his room, bought his books. Then I asked him if he wanted to get something to eat nearby. He said, "No, Mom. I want you to leave. I'm going to make some friends." I was really surprised!!! "Well, will you at least walk me to my car?" And without one backward look, my son entered the world of adults and college and will graduate in less than 2 months Summa Cum Laude!

When I took Dani to school, I really tried not to cry, but I failed. When I was getting ready to leave, I started to fill up with tears. She ruffled my hair like I was a little kid (she's 5 inches taller than me) and said, "Oh Mom! You're so silly!" And sent me off to be on my own for the first time in 29 years! Like her sister, Dani is pursuing a degree in theater. Her grades are excellent (3.82 GPA at mid-term) and if this keeps up, she'll also graduate Summa Cum Laude!

Funny, just writing this, I filled up a few times, remembering. I'm such a softie.