Dreams of Heights

Among the six nephews and niece in the family, all but Sweet Baby is taller than me now.  Kevin always says "Well, that's not much of a feat" because I'm only 5'3".  But I've found it's a fun way to connect with the kids when I see them.  They're proud to have grown and for someone to notice and I get a hug out of it.

C1 the Eldest is six foot one at 17 years old.  He's always been a tall, lanky kid but we're starting to see the man he is becoming.  C2 is five feet, seven.  He's always been on the smaller side and I'm not sure how much taller he is going to get. (he's sixteen, so there is definitely time)

The triplets heights have been all over the place: once one of the boys is taller, then it's the other boy, or it's their sister.  Right now both boys are taller than me - not to imply that it will change, just that they both have grown recently.

However, girl little has just reached five foot three. Like her older brother, she grows more slowly than her siblings.  She's thirteen and a half and in that weird puberty state that we all just shuddered in remembrance upon reading that sentence.

So, this is where they blew my mind a little bit.  They just have such interesting ways of looking at things.  I know, I know, everyone thinks that about their kids.

Girl Little asked me if five foot, three was a good height to stop growing.

I....um....well...I...

"Okay, first: interesting question. Second: you're still going to grow. Third: I think a person just gets used to their height."

 I've always been on the small side and it's never bothered me. I mean, once in a while it is frustrating but I've never longed to be tall. I wanted to encourage acceptance either way.

I asked C1 how tall he wanted to be. Curiously, he said six foot two AND A HALF. I asked why and he said he just liked the number. I suspect that it's that his dad is six foot, two.

C2 said he didn't care in that noncommittal teenaged boy kind of way.  I think he doesn't mind but doesn't want to be the shortest in the family. Girl little said she hoped she grow more. I guessed that they would each be as tall as their mom who is five foot, ten.

It's endlessly fascinating to watch and listen to how they perceive and manage their world.  As a kid I never worried about something like this. I'm happy that their concerns and wonderings are about something so simple.