The "Age"....

My baby is growing up.

The other day Joe took over Craig's "The Age Dispatch" paper route. Craig has a "real" job and that is the criteria you need for giving up the paper route. At this house, until that day comes, the paper route is just about your only income. Trust me....you need the money!

Joe really balked at becoming the sole delivery person, but realized that he would also be the sole recipient of the proceeds. I gave him about a week to wrap his head around it, and he came up with many reasons why it was totally unreasonable for me to expect him to be able to hold up under the weight of Craig's half of the route. 12 extra papers (just the way the route is divided, fewer papers, longer distance).

I know.

He was relentless. I held my ground. I'm a stone.

He came home from school with a look of resolution on his face. I tried not to greet him...much. I was deeply engrossed in writing a post for my blog...go figure. I certainly wasn't up for another pail full of grief. He counted the papers, made himself a routine cup of "cavity-inducing-super-with-cream-AND-CoolWhip-triple-hot-chocolate", and set out on this almost epic journey.

He returned, out of breath, after 15 minutes. He'd sprinted almost the whole way.

I told him how impressed I was with his first solo mission. He beamed. I think there are only visions of dollar signs dancing in that boy's head.

They say that the apple does not fall far from the tree....but at this age he's still attached to the branch, past the blossom stage and just beginning to put on flesh.

Craig on the other hand will point out just how much flesh he's put on and is at the stage where he is straining to break free from the branch. Some days this is not a comfortable process. There is still a lot of ripening that needs to take place, but not all greenhorns appreciate it when you point that out. Funny how lately Craig seeks Ray out for counsel.

Funny...I always think of Ray as the tree, and have never thought of myself that way with this illustration. I'm always the long haired maiden, that you see strolling along the water's edge with the lovely long white gown and long wavy tresses, bare feet and a chain of daisies around her head....think "The Lady of Shalott" without the angst.