Lynda Loveland: How I knew they grew!

I still don’t really trust the kids to apply their own sunscreen. I’m always afraid they’re going to miss important spots and be fried at the end of a long pool day.

So this year, on the first day the pool opened, I grabbed a bottle of SPF 45 and went to slathering it on. I started on my eight-year-old daughter. No problems.

Moved on to my 10-year-old son. I covered his face all the way down to his waist, then I got to his legs. WHERE did all this hair come from?  It wasn’t there last year!  What in the world?

OK, I thought to myself, not a big deal, move on to your 12-year-old because they’re flipping out about getting to the pool. So I get a big dollop of sunscreen in my hands and my daughter positions herself in front of me, anxiously waiting. I look at her. Her back is to me and then I just stop. This isn’t happening!  WHERE did these curves come from?  She’s very much the tomboy and always had a very um, non-curvy body.

Now looking at her, I realize she’s no longer stick straight like her eight-year-old sister. She has hips!  And her waist cuts in!  This can’t be happening already!

I should have been clued in by the fact that I could no longer sunscreen them while sitting on the sofa. They were too tall. I knew they were all getting bigger because they needed bigger clothes and shoes. But to see it like this, kinda threw me for a loop. It was an eye opener for sure.

Reminder #490 to be mindful and enjoy every moment with your kids. (Or at least give it a good try. J)

Lynda is the mom of three and morning news anchor and reporter for WRAL and Fox 50. Find her on Facebook.