“How did we go from Pokémon cards to girlfriends ?”

That was the question my mother had for me the last time she was here.  It was the day after Valentine’s Day . My oldest is 10 and in the 4th grade.  He was asked how his day was ans told us better than he’s friends who apparently “got dumped” by his girlfriend . He then informed us that he didn’t need to worry about that because his girlfriend liked him too much.

Over the past month he went from playfully denying liking her, to liking her, to now having her as a girlfriend . I knew this day was coming.  My son has always been a goofy fun loving kid.  Just last year he was trying to have interventions on his friends  that had already started liking girls. I met my husband in the 7th grade when I was only 12 and a half so I’ve always been aware this day would come and think about it a little more seriously than others.

While I’m not suggesting that he’s going to grow up and marry his 4th grade girlfriend , I know how real this probably seems to him.

It’s another reminder of how fast he’s growing up .  I really couldn’t tell you where the last ten years of my life have gone.  Having such a large gap between him and his younger siblings really made me look at things differently ,  because I have living proof of how fast time goes by.

I know this is just one of many moments to come. While I’m not sure that I’m ready to be hearing these things,  I’m glad he’s saying them.  I won’t tell him he’s too young, or that he shouldn’t have a girlfriend .  I want him to keep talking ,  so I need to show respect and listen ,  as hard as that may be.

I already miss those pokémon cards. Finding them all over the house really wasn’t so bad afterall.