Town Crier

Dear Little Brother ,

I'm about to sound like a shameless mom here but you are adorable. Your raspy voice, slight lisp, rs that sound like ws, and ls that sound like ys you charm nearly everyone you meet. You have taken to making loud proclamations of obvious facts, for example, "mama! There is ranch! "Or "The camper is hooked up to our truck!"  you repeat it until you are certain you know everyone in the vicinity has heard. You are sort of a modern day town crier. This morning we are breakfast at the State Game Lodge. As we were leaving you delivered a proclamation to an unexpected lady. You said "We are going back to our campsite!" While I have an uncanny nack  to imitate nearly any accent I cannot master yours it's just too amazing. The unsuspecting lady looked down and said, "that sounds like so much fun!" You continued to repeat the proclamation to the hostess and the clerk at the gift shop. The lady turned to me with tears in her eyes and said, "what a delightful child." I must've given her a strange look because she then responded with, "Sorry! My baby boy is 23 and getting married next door today and your son was so adorable he just took me back in time." Suddenly we were both in tears. I so much enjoy my time with you and your little perspective on life. Today though, after visiting with that very nice lady I'm going to be videoing you a whole bunch more. This summer is going to be all about going through life at the speed of Benny. I'm going to laugh a lot and love every minute of it!

Love, 

Mama 

Twenty Years Post High School

Dear Baby Waider + Little Brother Too, 

This morning started much like other mornings. The alarm went off probably 100 times. I kept hitting snooze and finally negotiated with myself that if I opened my eyes I could cruise Facebook for a few minutes before I got up and get ready for work. Much to my astonishment it was bought to my attention that today, this very day twenty years ago I graduated from high school. I spent most of the weekend attending graduation parties and going to actual graduation. Oddly enough my mind never went back to my own graduation. Probably because so much time has past since that moment. Obviously much of today it has been on my mind. I went from thinking that I've accomplished a great deal in the past twenty years to feeling like maybe I should have done more... At the end of the day, seriously, it is the end of the day, I've realized a few points about this momentous passage of time. 

First,I don't really remember much about graduating from high school. I know that I ALMOST didn't graduate with honors and I don't remember the exact scenario. I did end up getting to wear my honors cords and got a brand new outfit from American Eagle, which was a really big deal. Despite the fact that I wore a gown over it I remember exactly what I was wearing right down to my brand spanking new (and beautiful might I add) Doc Martin sandals! I also vaguely remember a feeling that the best was probably already past in my life. I couldn't have been more wrong. Except about my Doc Martins. They were the best. (Thanks mom and dad!) 

I've always prided myself for loving and making the best out of whatever stage of life I am in. Expect middle school. That's just awful. That being said, if I could tell my 18 year old self anything it would be that the best is yet to come. It just keeps getting better. I really can't say I would change a thing. 

Just to give you a little perspective the year I graduated your dad was 17. I wouldn't meet him for seven and a half years after graduation. Grandma and Grandpa Halter were 40 and 41. Super Aunt Becky was six years younger than I am now as was Uncle Joe I believe. Auntie Katie was in seventh grade and Uncle Kelly was 16. Lauryn was 4, your age, Baby Waider, and Brook wasn't even born yet. I had THREE grandparents who were alive. A lot can change in 20 years.

The past couple of years I've gone to graduation on my own due to napping kids and everyone having conflicting schedules. It's an amazing opportunity to people watch. A mother of a graduate is impossible to miss. They look frazzled, sad, happy, relieved, and lost all at exactly the same time. You can almost tell that they are aching for that moment when their child delivers the flower and a hug, yet dreading it at the same time. It's like at any given moment they could yell at you or burst into tears. One mom sitting in front of me really stood out. This morning I really connected with that mom when I discovered I've been out of high school for 20 years. I was equal parts excited and proud of making it this far in one piece and equal parts shocked about how in the world I even got here. I'm guessing while sitting at your own child's graduation you are equal parts proud that they made it through school, but also wondering how in the world they are walking across the stage when they were just in your arms. I've said it before, time is a funny thing. The days can be so slow, but those years are fast. In a short 14 and 16 years I'll be a teary-eyed extremely proud mom in the crowd and before you know it you will be 38 years old and wondering where in the world time has gone and how in the world you have been out of anywhere for 20 years. Let alone something that you left when you were 18 years old. 

Savor every moment in your life because it goes by. FAST!

Love, 

Mom