My youngest turned one last week. One!

12 months.

52 weeks.

365 days.

8,760 hours.

535,600 minutes.

31,536,000 seconds.

There are several ways to say it – none of them easy.

Don’t get me wrong. I truly love watching my children grow and learn, but birthdays are hard. With each one, they grow a little more independent… and need me a little less. Every birthday – a reminder – they are one year closer to leaving my nest.

My three are young, and that gives me solace…

 but they won’t always be. “Empty Nesters” keep reminding me of that! They say to me, “Enjoy them while they are little. You will miss this.” Trust me – I know how right they are. Look at how fast one year has gone!

I blinked!

17 blinks from now he will be graduating from high school!

17 blinks from now, his big brother will be 22.

His sister? 20!

Ouch. My heart.

17 blinks from now, this house will be quiet…

And clean.

I like “clean.”

I guess I will focus on that… and I will hold him during nap time…

for as long as he will let me.