Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

It's been a little while since we've had the kids at our house, and it amazes me in the two or three weeks in between quality time with them how much they change. Not in really big ways, but the small ones. The ones that make me glow inside.

Spike gets more and more rambunctious every day. This kids energy level is through the roof! It's really true what they say, youth is wasted on the young. LOL! His little quirks amuse me to no end. I'm not sure how he accomplishes it, but no matter where he starts out when we put in a movie to watch, he always ends up right in front of all of us - blocking the television. The cutest part is that he never realizes that he's doing it.

Like all of our kids, he's really got a heart of gold, as well. When our kids reach fifth grade, they go on a school trip to Washington D.C. When Buffy went, she asked Daddy Chandler to go with her. Last year it was Angel's turn and he asked me a long. Last week Spike asked Mommy Shirley if he had to go on the trip. When she said he didn't have to, but why wouldn't he, he replied that he didn't want to choose one parent over the other three.

Is that sweet or what! I really hope he gets over that feeling before he reaches fifth grade, though, because it is such a great opportunity. How do you convince your child that none of the parents are going to be upset with whomever he chooses. Personally, I'm hoping he chooses Laverne or Shirley. Neither of them have had the fun experience of a ten hour bus ride with a pack of fifth graders. And that's something everyone should get a chance to experience once in their life.

I picked Angel up after his play rehearsal tonight. Met Mom Shirley at the halfway point and drove him back to the house. Angel, at 11, is in that awkward stage... for me, not him. He's still a kid at heart, but when you get him to open up and talk, he sounds more mature every day - until he lets one rip in the car and then giggles uncontrollably. He's at the age that I find the hardest to understand or perhaps to relate to. He's not yet old enough to get the "blue" humor that I can toss at the two older girls, but he's too old for a lot of the silly nonsense that still makes Spike laugh.

Buffy, our soon to be 14 year old daughter has done the most changing recently. Most of it good, some of it not so much. Not in a bad way, just in the teenage girl way that all parents deal with. At the same time, though, she is at the age where she is catching the more subtle jokes. She's relaxed a lot when it comes to my teasing (something I'm notorious in doing to all my children, but teenagers are really the MOST fun to do it to). But the best thing with Buffy is when we spend our alone time after everyone has gone to bed, she's opening up to me more. Opening up on how she's feeling, what's making her happy in her life. Granted, if she doesn't get enough sleep she can be a bear in the mornings, but our "special time" at night is worth it.

There is one sad point to all these changes, though. Our oldest daughter, Willow, will be 17 soon. We all know what that's like. Wanting to be with your friends, or worse... boyfriend. She's very social and active and that really is great. But we don't see her as much now. She's busy on the weekends with afterschool activities and dates. Can't blame her, I was the same way at that age. Chandler and I agreed a long time ago that as the kids got older we never wanted to force them to stay with us if they wanted to be with their friends and do the things that older teens want to do.

We just didn't realize that the kids getting "older" would happen so fast. But we can't complain about it, right? I mean that's life - it's constantly changing. *sigh*