Friday, July 10, 2009

Unexpected Milestone

You know those milestones you mark off as your babies become toddlers and then small children?  The first smile.  The first tooth.  The first step. First day of school.  The first lost tooth.  

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:

Rebecca said...

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.

Irene said...

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.

shrink on the couch said...

Yes! I absolutely know the feeling. Such a mix of loss and pride.

Anna Whiston-Donaldson said...

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.

Mary Alice said...

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.

Louise said...

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.

flutter said...

Oh, man!

anymommy said...

Ah, my heart. I'm barely handling leaving the 4Ts for little kid clothes.

Larue said...

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.

JCK said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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!!!!

Suzie said...

Ahhh I think I would cry

bernthis said...

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

Kimberly said...

What an awesome post. The baby years go by so fast, but this gives me hope that there are great things at every age.

the mama bird diaries said...

This is the hardest part of parenthood. Knowing they grow up.

La'Tonya Richardson said...

When we realize our babies are growing up, it does make us feel a little something!

Diane J. said...

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).