Deb Walker has always been my number one fan. She has cheered me (and my silly stories) on for decades. Recently she shared a post of mine from 2017 titled "The Blog Lives On" with a comment that simply said, "still a fan". This caused other friends to respond with joy that the blog had been revived. Unfortunately, the blog hadn't been revived, even though I've often thought I should start posting again. Here's my problem: The Ducklings grew up. And when I say "grew up"... I mean reaching heights in the 6'0" - 6'6" range. The boys are big, y'all. And I am very, very small next to them. But that's a story for another post.
So, since the boys are men now, how do I tell their stories
without seriously invading their privacy? This presents me with a
brand-new reality in which to navigate. Being a mom without "littles"
is just…. different. So, until I have grandchildren, who will provide me
with pages and pages of wonderful content, I just have no
direction.
But this got me thinking... there ARE still stories to
tell. And gosh-darn-it... I plan to tell them. My grown-up people simply
cannot kill my sense of humor. I press on.
So, let's get this thing rolling again. First an
update since my last post:
Matthew: (aka Huey) graduated high school in
2023. He is 6'6" and currently pursuing a career with the Secret
Service. He fears my blog will somehow interfere with his background
investigation. Yes dear, the SS is really interested in how you
were sued by your brother for skipping out on a bill, and about
the day you discovered how to game the system so you could ditch kindergarten and
hang with the school nurse. Clearly you have a criminal mind!
Matthew nearly killed me one day with these words "Mom, I'm buying a motorcycle". Five words that strike instant fear into a mommy heart. This mama held her breath for two years. And prayed... A LOT! I am happy to report the Lord had His hand on my son until Matthew decided, on his own, to sell his bike. So, as of last month, I can breathe again. Thank you Lord!
Daniel: (aka Dewey) graduated high school, Magna Cum Laude, in 2024. So proud! Daniel, who goes by "Dan" now, (except he'll always be "Daniel" to me) is 6'0" and currently in his junior year at a university here in Texas, studying computer science. Yes, AI is giving him a bit of anxiety about his future job prospects, but we hold out hope that AI will create more jobs that is takes in the long run. He is also minoring in Psychology to hedge his bets a little. Daniel is currently going through a "I just want to have long hair before I go bald" phase. I suppose he's convinced that the balding-fairy is coming for him. So, Daniel now has a beautiful head of curly locks that would make any woman jealous. He's living his best life and running Door Dash between classes. Props for finding a way to earn a buck in a highly competitive, college town job market. The day he negotiated a fair wage I knew he'd be scrappy enough to work through any issue life threw in his face.
Andrew: (aka Louie) graduated high school in 2025. Andrew is 6'4" and is also attending a Texas University (a different college though because having two at the same school would be way too easy for the parental units... but what-ev!) Andrew is in his sophomore year and is studying Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensics. His ultimate goal is the FBI.
Cheeto Guy gave up the Cheeto life during his senior year
in high school. Sadly, we never got to see his Cheeto Prom attire. Tragic! I suspect a sweet girl had something
to do with that. Enter Cali; the most wonderful girlfriend a mom could ever dream up for her son. I love her like my own and will be destroyed if they
break up. FOR REAL. Plus, she got him to ditch the Cheeto way,
which earned her a special place in my heart. She has my back and I am
forever in her debt.
So that brings y'all up to date since I last
posted. I'm not sure where we go from here. Will I tell stories
from decades past? Or will we just focus on recipes, books, and quilts? At
this point I'm not too sure, but anything is on the table. What I do know is
that I kind of miss writing, and I'm ready to think about the sequel to "Laughing All the Way to Kindergarten".
So... here we go. A new direction for this mom.
I'm learning to navigate life without all the chaos kids
bring. Wanna join me for the ride?
