You know you're a Grown-Up when...

When I was in high school, newly frocked with a drivers license, I would find myself driving down the road in amazement. I would breathe deeply, taking in the world around me in utter amazement - I, most certainly, was grown up. I was driving!

Throughout the years little things would unknowingly find themselves benchmarks in my life as I now and then re-defined myself a grown up once again. Placing my hands on the face of the man I love and realizing I was in a white dress and just said, "I do," that was a very comfortable, much anticipated, marked moment. The day I found 2 carseats in the back of my car with little humans that were in fact mine...well that was the biggest most breathtaking (if not a little panic inducing) moment to date. (As though it happened all at once and unexpectedly, right? I know, I know, completely ridiculous. Except that I'm sure all of my mommy friends know exactly what I'm talking about.) This morning I noted another moment...

I am in the kitchen 3 days prior to Thanksgiving, just having completed the labeling of which dishes will contain which tasty treats at Thanksgiving that we will be hosting, 2 minutes ago I got the boys settled with a mostly educational but still entertaining task, 5 minutes ago I was wrapping up time-outs with a meaningful parental lecture on why we do not use our bodies to hurt others, 10 minutes ago I was cleaning up breakfast dishes and in the background of my head I am planning to interview for a (temporary) teaching position I really want and...I actually feel like I have everything under control. This is my house, my family, wow. Now, I am a grown up.