Lunchboxes can tell a mom a lot...

I was shopping with the kiddles the other day when I decided to go ahead and buy both of them lunchboxes for the upcoming school year. I hadn't really thought about what types they would want; I just naturally assumed that D, my six year old princess would want, well, a Princess lunchbox. Or Barbie. Or Hello Kitty. I was wrong. My sweet little angel, who is SUCH a girly-girl, walked right over to one and it was as if she heard angels singing Hallelujah. She picked up the High School Musical one, turned to me, and in a dramatic moment that would make the Academy members proud, announced with clarity and determination, "THIS, MOTHER, is the ONE!!!!!!!"

Really? High School Musical? Really? You don't want the sparkly one with the princesses, or the shiny Barbie...

MOM. THIS IS IT.

Ummm...ok...well, now A, what kind of lunchbox would you like? Certain my three year old would choose Little Einsteins for his beloved peanut-butter-and-strawberry-jelly-sandwiches- cut-into-four-squares-lunches, I picked up the L.E. one and handed it to him, only for him to tell me, "No, Mama, I want the Piwates one".

Pirates of the Caribbean. Yipes. He's never even SEEN the movie! How could he want the lunchbox? Nononononono. He's not growing up that quickly. Offer the Diego one. NOW.

How about the Diego one sweetie? You like this one, huh? Look, it's got a cool compass with it!

Mama. No. I want the Piwates one with the red and black and the piwate like in Disney World. Pwweease, Mama. Pwweease.

We came home that day with two lunchboxes: one High School Musical, one Piwates of the Caribbean. I was excited for them, melancholy for me. Where had they gone, these little babies of mine? They're only six and three! How can this be happening? I made dinner and got over it, and myself. Well, I sort of got over it. I went into tuck them into bed that night and while I watched them sleep, I noticed something about each of them: D had lined up her favorite doll beside her in the bed and was clutching her tightly while she slept; A was snuggled under his baby blanket (yes, he still sleeps with it) hugging his precious stuffed kitty. Sure they're growing up, and definitely a lot quicker than I like. I can't help but think while I watch them sleep, she'll always have her doll, he'll always love his blankie and his kitty. I'll watch them grow, but I'll always see glimpses of those tiny little babies I held and rocked to sleep every night. No matter how big they get, they'll always, truly be my babies.