Here's one I wasn't expecting. Buying my eleven year old son his first pair of men's size shoes. I know. I am totally freaking out.
I took him shoe shopping this morning. He loves running and has been walking a mile or two every day with his dad and brother and needed new shoes.
I grabbed the seven's in the boy's section but they were to small. I know it sounds crazy, but the whole thing was a little surreal. We went to the men's section, grabbed a pair of eights and tried them on.
They fit.
Really I got a little lump in my throat. I think I started talking to him differently right there. My baby. In man shoes. It's not right.
Except that it is. It is right. He is growing up. And I like it. I like seeing his sense of humor develop and seeing him observe and figure things out. I like having conversations that are closer to adult conversations then kid conversations. I even like when he rolls his eyes at me when I try to joke around with him.
And the fact that he picked out a stuffed animal on the way out of the store? Yeah, I liked that too.
17 comments:
Very sweet. I can totally see why that would be sureal. That will happen to me one day and I'm sure I will have the same reaction you did.
That's a real big milestone, though. He now fits in men's shoes! No doubt he will want to be treated differently, with a certain amount of manly respect. He's probably going to get fussy about his clothes too and consider nor shaving his upper lip. You're in all sorts of trouble now.
Yes! I absolutely know the feeling. Such a mix of loss and pride.
Wow! I can't believe how fast they grow. Of course in our house, it's figuratively, not literally. My 10 yr old son? Kids' size 1.5 shoes. Yikes.
Oh, I remember that happening to me too. It was so weird....and phd in yogurtry put the emotion well..loss and pride all wrapped up in one.
This is sweet, mostly. I don't love all of these milestones, but I really do like the more adult conversations! Today in swimming lessons they taught my 7-year-old how to do the freestyle stroke and breathing. I'm positive she could beat me in a race from the first time she tried. I think I felt sort of the same way.
Oh, man!
Ah, my heart. I'm barely handling leaving the 4Ts for little kid clothes.
The first time I bought my daughter a 32C cup bra was a defining moment for me. Although I can still fit my bra cups on my head like hats, the child is well on her way there. Poor thing.
Oh...The stuffed animal got me. And the shoes. OK, the whole story. It IS these small moments that make you catch your breath and realize that they are growing up.
Holy crap! Man shoes?
My little guy came home from camp with a little thing of deodorant he bought for himself--what's next? Shaving? Driving? Worker's permit? GAH!!!!
Ahhh I think I would cry
Phew, saved by the stuffed animal. When I took out the baby car seat and put in the booster two weeks ago, my eyes totally filled with tears
What an awesome post. The baby years go by so fast, but this gives me hope that there are great things at every age.
This is the hardest part of parenthood. Knowing they grow up.
When we realize our babies are growing up, it does make us feel a little something!
I just found your blog and I loved this post. It's hard buying when our kids step up into the men catagory. My 15-yr.-old surpassed his father's foot size last year (sigh).
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