He reminds me every day. Every. Single. Day.

Next month, I will be the proud parent of an even prouder teenage son.  While I am not sure of where the past 13 years have gone, I am sure that it really has been 13 years since I gave birth. Thirteen years ago I entered the world of being Mommy. And I have enjoyed it…immensely.

But now, says the boy, he cannot call me Mommy anymore. Once he hits the teen years. Teenagers don’t call their mom Mommy, he says. So every day he will say, “Mommy, I am getting this all out now, but your name is about to be shortened to Mom.”

Blank stare and side eye rolled both up in one.

His sisters think it’s silly. They say they will call me Mommy forever. He told them they won’t.

So this month, I am enjoying being called Mommy. Because I have been warned that it will soon end. By a teenage boy who’s favorite snack is Dino nuggets. I’m not sure if the Dino nugget fascination will stop at 13. And I dare not ask. Because there’s some things you just don’t ask a 13-year-old. It kind of puts them on the defensive you know?

I am looking forward to the teen years, I think. I appreciate seeing the kids grow into real people. Not just little people, but real people. And I do like the fact that he is becoming more independent, but still needs to spend time with me regularly,

Let’s have cheers for my transition status from Mommy to Mom. I’m choosing to think of it as a promotion of sorts.

Tell me….is there anything I should know about the teens years? Friends don’t let friends enter this realm alone.