Hey neighbor

 Well we hit another parenting milestone. We've launchd our first kid!!!  Levi has officially moved out of the house and (wait for it) moved allllllll the way into our RV that is parked in the back driveway (go ahead and insert your jokes now) but it's a huge step up from a van down by the river.

 The idea came about after some compromising. He turned 18 one month into his senior year of high school. His adolescent brain really focused on the part about being 18, which to him meant he was now an adult, while our parental brains focused more on the "you are still in high school" part.  All that to say he has been itching for some freedom for a while and honestly, rightfully so. Our family age tends to trend young since we have so many in elementary school still. At 9:00 pm he's ready to start a movie in the living room with friends and we are more like, "Bro, 9:00 pm is when we finally got most of the people in this house in bed. It's called Mommy and Daddy time.....not chaperone and feed teenagers time." Obviously, by Mommy and Daddy time I mean watching old sitcoms in bed together. 

  Anyhoo, in an attempt to be parents who listen to our kids feelings and junk (over rated) we floated the idea to him that after basketball season was over he could move out to the trailer and experience living on his own. Our agreement was he had to be making good grades and had to pay us rent, including a deposit for the last months rent up front like they do in the real world. In exchange, he wouldn't have to ask permission for anything and we would even take him off Life 360. His eyes lit up!! 

 So far he is thriving and I am doing so-so. He slowly moved out over the course of a week so there was never really a goodbye closure moment where we dropped him off somewhere and I hugged him too tight and cried all the way home. Cory and I did make a big Wal-mart run with him to stock his pantry. It was hysterical and cliche. I kept adding chicken and vegetables to the cart while Levi kept adding M&M's and ramen. If you think I didn't buy him an air fryer as a house warming gift, then you don't know me at all! We also bought him his own towels and some laundry soap because the rule is he has to go to the laundry mat, which after 3 plus weeks on his own, I assume he has done by now. But, who really knows? Not me! If his car is gone and he's not at work or school, I have no idea where he is. Which is maybe the weirdest part about it all. To calm any panic attacks I keep telling myself that in August when he goes off to college I won't know where he is either. It helps a little. 

 Even though he is only 20 feet from our back deck we typically only see him every 3 days or so. I find myself turning into the typical mom who tries to lure him back to me by dangling free food in front of him. "Hey we are going out to eat tonight if you want to come. Our treat!" or I'll text him an innocent "I made cookies and have a bunch leftover on the kitchen counter if you want to come get some...[and while you are here let me cradle you, smell your head, and plaster you with kisses.]" That last part I don't really text, it's just implied, which he probably knows and likely explains his inconsistent responses. ;)  

 When we do see him, it's fun to hear him beam with pride talking about his new water filter purchase or listen to him bemoan his "real world problems" like rent and bills.  And every time he comes in the house he greats us with "hey neighbor" and loves to joke that it must be nice having a home with a foundation. Granted that's a valid complaint because he shares his property line with our basketball goal and his brothers often miss rebounds that the side of the RV catches. 

 Gosh, it's just such a weird thing raising a kid isn't it? Right when you figure out how to parent an infant they turn into a toddler. Then right when you figure out toddlers (no one really figures out toddlers) they leave you for Pre-k and on and on it goes. Lest you think we are nailing this gig we aren't. I've already apologized twice for overstepping. And I've confessed to him that it's hard to know what is helpful and what is too parent-y. Like how I know that when Cory brought him gas because he ran out while trying to make the fumes stretch till payday is definitely helpful, but when I remind him of his dentist appt that I've already reminded him about once, yet I can still see his car in the driveway, and I know it's time for him to be leaving, and I also know they will charge a fee for missing a visit...a fee that he can't afford if he is already struggling with gas money...is that considered helpful or nagging/stalking? That last example with the crazy mother was a hypothetical situation, of course. 

 But it reminds me of a scene from Modern Family when the type A mother, Claire, is getting advice from her dad about launching her teen. He reminds her that her daughter's life is her own and she can't control it. Too which Claire replies, "I know, but I could do such a good job with her life if she would let me." Ha!

 All we can really do now is remind ourselves of what we've tried to instill in Levi, "We will always be here for you, but this is your life. Your decisions are your own. Your consequences are your own. You will do things because you want to do them or don't want to do them, not based on wether or not you will get in trouble with Mom and Dad. Your relationships, your money, your body, your faith, your grades, your nutrition, your curfew...it's all on you now. You have to decide what kind of human you want to be and go be it. And also, we believe in you, son. You've got this." 

 Whew. One launched- only seven more to go!