This morning over a bowl of Cheerios, 6-year-old Mr. Pancakes told me he didn’t want to grow up, and the interesting thing is that I had just been thinking the very same thing about him.

I don’t want him to grow up. 2 of my boys have already “grown up.”

The little blue Bird in this photograph is eleven years old now, and my oldest boy is 16 and driving his own car. They keep getting up in the morning having grown that much older.

I really need to stop putting these boys to bed.

I know we are supposed to enjoy each phase of their boyhood and just be present in the moments we are given, but when your last baby is rounding the corner towards “grown-up-hood,” it’s easier said than done.

What happens when he stops thinking it’s cool to have his mama pack his lunch? Or when he stops wanting to plant giant-sized smooches right smack on my lips? Or when he stops slipping love notes under my bedroom door on Saturday mornings.

What if stops thinking I’m “the best mama he’s ever had?”

I’d better make sure that never happens. And the only way I know how to do that is to BE the best mama he’s ever had. The best mama to ALL my boys. (And my girls, too!)

Yesterday, one of my friends shared this blog post about raising men on her Facebook and I fell in love with it at the very first sentence. It really is brilliant. The author gives some excellent guidelines to being the best mama to your  boys you can be. Check it out if you have a minute. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by,

Arlee, Small Potatoes