This morning I heard my oldest son, T.J.B. say, "Well. Today is my last day to be 10." And I felt my heart clutch just a little. I know my job as his mother is to Raise Him Right and Set Him Free. However, mixed in with the Pride at the person he's growin' up to be comes the Wish that I cold stop time and hold him back, in this moment, just a little longer. Everything is going too fast. The day, the week, the month, the year. How is it nearly Easter already?! Wasn't it just Christmas?! Life is a blur of motion, moments and memories that move at Warp Speed most days. Here is a memory from one of the calmer, quieter moments in my house.

All week T.J.B. has been asking me to Make Bacon as a compliment to the Fried Egg Sandwich he's taken to having each day. Sometimes two. He is a Growing Boy after all. He's officially Taller Than His Mama too. My parents stood us Back To Back Barefoot a month or so ago and verified that fact. Of course, this is where I add that I'm a few inches under five foot tall. I always tell the children who say, "I'm almost as big as you" that, "I'm not a very good Measuring Stick". They still love being Taller Than A Grown Up. Whatever. I don't claim to be very Grown Up myself most days.

This morning, after his, "Last Day To Be 10" comment, I quietly put six strips of bacon on my handy microwaveable bacon tray and set the timer for six minutes. A minute per slice and it comes out, "just right". Then I started frying his egg and put the toast in the toaster. However, before the microwave timer buzzed, T.J.B. started saying, "Nocab! Nocab! You know what THAT is, Mom?" Of course I do, "Bacon backwards, right?!" Then I added a, "You Drive Me Crazy!" for good measure. He grinned at me. His eyes twinkled. And my heart clutched just a little more. His last day to be 10. So I gave him three slices of bacon, I mean nocab, instead of the usual two. Since my just returning home from work hubby said, "No Thank You" to my offer of bacon, I enjoyed eatin' three slices too. It was Extra Good Bacon today. Even if I do say so myself.

© 2011 Janean Baird, Turquoise Tangles