A few days ago a had a dream where VikingLad and Vikingprincess were 10 and 11, and in my dream I remarked on how big they were getting.

Then I woke up.

VikingLad is 16. A day ago, he bought his first car, and he is in the process of finding a job.

(Where the fuck has the time gone???)

VikingPrincess is 17. In less than a month, she will turn 18. And the thing is, I just got used to parenting her! And now it's a moot point! Wait, I want a do-over! I'm totally better prepared now than 5 years ago when she waltzed into my life as a grieving 13 year old. She was so sweet and mature for her age, and, although I had known her since she was 6, we hadn't had a parent-child relationship until that point. So I had to learn on the fly.


hmmmm......


And that's pretty much the story of my life for the past 5ish years.

(VikingPrincess as a cute little kid. It was taken yesterday, right? Right?)

(Suddenly she's a teenager!)

(And now she's a graduate? WTF?)

I'd never been to a public high school graduation. I was home schooled, so my graduation was at a church and I designed the brochures and sang a song that I hoped wasn't too sappy. (I was all about avoiding the "cheesy and lame" stuff in those days.) I gave a funny speech that I can't remember now, but I got more than a few chuckles, so I counted it a success. I graduated with a serious boy genius from the same church, who gave a slightly more nostalgic speech.

Now here I am, the sappy parent repeating the ol' cliche, "where has the time gone?" Because it may be a cliche, but it's true. Time passes far faster for adults than for children. (My current theory on perception of time has to do with heart rate and discomfort... the more uncomfortable you are, the slower time passes, and the faster your heart beats, the slower time passes. So children experience time differently because their heart rates are faster and they are in perpetual discomfort. It's a totally scientific theory and not something I just made up on my own one day while running on the treadmill. Because running on the treadmill for 5 minutes feels like a fucking hour.)

Anyhoo, this is how I looked in my senior year of high school:

(Nothing cheesy and lame, just some good ol' asskicking.)

And this is how I look now:

(Waaah! Why do kids have to grow up?)

The small town public school graduation was very "cheesy and lame." The speakers talked about how they wanted to be a valedictorian their whole life and how we can all learn lessons from high school drama movies.

Of course VikingPrincess was the best part, but I'm biased. After that, she hung out with her friends and took pictures for a long time. VikingDad and I went to the car, because the crowd of emotional people was giving us heebie jeebies. After that, we got ice cream.

Her grad party was pretty fun. There were Gator rides for the kids and plenty of people to talk to.

(This is a gator, for you city folk.)

I made VikingPrincess a "college survival kit."

(Everything a college student could want. Fuzzy pajamas, slippers, chocolate, vitamins, school supplies, and some gift cards not pictured here.)

I also made her a photo album. Right now she's working at a camp, so I don't see her as much as I'd like. But I know she's a wonderful, responsible young woman who will be able to do anything she puts her mind to.

(I love you!)