This morning Blythe wanted to ride her bike to school--fine--but she wanted to do it without Kent. Adamantly she declared, "Dad, I don't need you to ride to school with me. Almost-seven-year-olds are big enough to ride their bikes to school without a parent, especially when school is so close." Reluctantly, Kent gave in. He helped her get her bike out of the shed and her helmet on, and then joined me on the porch to watch her (and her almost-nine-year-old brother) bike off on her own.
You probably can't tell from the picture, but Blythe is absolutely delighted to be setting off on her own. She was glowing and grinning and cheerfully hailed us as she rode by. She's a big girl, and she knows it. What she doesn't realize and what Kent was quick to point out, was that although she, at almost-seven-years-old, doesn't need a parent to ride with her, he still needs to ride with her. He was terribly crushed that he was on the porch and not going with her.
At the beginning of the year I told the kids I wasn't going to come meet them at the end of school anymore. They needed to walk home together. After the first day, Blythe complained and said she wanted me to keep coming. Here we are, nine months later, and I'm unneeded/unwanted as well. And while we should be as delighted as they are, it is hard seeing them grow up so fast.
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