"I should take a mental picture.... click..."

My daughters had friends over last night.  I love when I hear the laughter and noise they produce. I am not saying that sarcastically, I really do.  Being young and carefree is such a short time in our lives. Before we know it we are paying rent and mortgages and being sure to turn lights off as we walk out of a room to save 25 cents worth of electricity.  Stress comes with the responsibilities and demands. A teenagers job is to be good, help out and get good grades. If they just do that then life with me is peachy keen.  All of my kids have followed those rules. They are great kids. I think I'll keep um.  I don't mind closing my door in my bedroom because the video game being played creates yells from jump scares.  I don't mind going to the grocery store and being sure we always have chips, salsa and junk food for them.  It makes me happy to see them enjoying life. It makes my heart smile to hear the laughs. No matter how many they invite over,  all of them are welcome.

One kiddo is grown and lives an hour away working a great job and is playing the grown up role pretty damn well.  The other two are finishing up high school.  With in the next 3 years, my house will be silent. No loud laughter at 2 am, no cups of pepsi, popcorn bowls and water bottles to clean up.  No multiple closets to raid and swap clothes and shoes.  The thought and image of this makes me very sad.  I am a mom. I have been one since the minute I became what the country considers an adult.  I have been a mom soon after high school.  My life shifted gears so fast. Doing for him was my only focus. It was all I thought about.  Then I married and had the ladybugs.  I always worried how I would be as a mom of teenagers. I will admit, life with the first teenager had its rather shitty moments.  I was happy to get past those. He was our trial balloon. He's a great young man now, so I guess I didn't fuck him up to bad. I actually really enjoy them. I have enjoyed every stage each has gone through.  They are so funny and so loving. My cup runneth over.