They Don’t Yet Realize That They Already Measure Up

dylan+measuring+jason+1997

1997


“Let’s go! Back to back!”
is something we hear all the time in our house. It started sometime within the last two years (post-Bar Mitzvah), when the older boy started sprouting up.

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2005

First he bypassed the height of Aunt Julie, and for a nephew, that was a big thrill. (For an aunt, not so much, she joked.) An inch or two later, he was starting to see Jim and me eye-to-eye, and it was all over from that point.

“I’m taller than you are.”

“No, you’re not. You have shoes on and I’m barefoot.”

“Fine. I’ll take off my shoes! Let’s go! Back to back!”

And that’s how the conversations always begin. He stands back to back with one of us (Jim and I are the same height, about 5 feet 7 inches, maybe 5 feet 7-1/2 inches on a tall-feeling day: ha ha) and then somebody else judges the height competition. We always won, of course, but stressed that it really doesn’t matter how tall you are (spoken like two parents whose kids are destined to be taller!) but what KIND of person you are.

Of course, for them it’s all about the height. The younger boy started sprouting up about a year ago, and now the older one has a third competitor. What if he grows even taller than his older brother? Will that destroy the natural order and rules of older versus younger siblings? Probably not. It will, however, make it a little easier for the younger one to defend himself in their (rare) physical scuffles, I suppose.

About six months ago I had to take the fifteen-year-old in to the doctor, and they measured his height at 5 feet 8 inches. Not a surprise to me, and yes, I let him have his little ten minutes (it felt longer) of bragging. Is it necessary to brag about something you didn’t actually accomplish, but just happened to “do”? Darn right, if you’re a teenager. Teenagers, for those of you who haven’t experienced your own (or others’) yet, will brag about anything they get a chance to. But I, being a nice mom, let him have the “win”.

“Great. You’re taller than me. Now what?”

“Um…I don’t know. I don’t know!”

“Exactly. And now you’re going to have to pay for your own jeans, because you are clearly on the verge of needing new ones.” (OF COURSE I WAS KIDDING. If I let him pay for them, then I don’t get to jokingly complain that if he would stop growing, I could save some money.)

That “Now what?” shut him up about it…until we recently went to a restaurant that has a height chart near the door (Why?) and it turns out that he is now almost 5 feet 9 inches. The younger one is a good 5 feet 7 inches.

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February 2008:
The younger one has sprouted since this photo was taken.

Now that they have both surpassed me in height (okay, the younger one is the same height but for all intensive purposes, since he is only 13 it’s pretty safe to say that he will surpass me…probably by dinnertime), I am looking forward to looking up to them for a change. I am proud of the young men my boys have become and although they are still works-in-progress, to me they really do stand out heads and shoulders above the rest.

17 Comments

  • Melissa

    What a lovely tribute to your boys!! They shine because of good parenting…and good tall genes! 😉

  • Taj

    Your love for your boys leaps off of the page! As Melissa said, your great parenting is evident and wonderful.

    Reading this made me realize exactly what I’ll be going through. My 7 year old is 6 inches shy of 5 feet. I stand 5 foot 4 (5’4 1/2″ on a tall day…lol) and she already mentions that she’ll be taller than me by the time she’s 9.

    I’ll remember to stay away from restaurants with height charts. 😉

  • KathyLikesPink

    What handsome young men!

    Darling Daughter and I go through the same thing. I am 5’8″and she is less than an inc away from looking me square in the eye. Sometimes it’s disconcerting to see this tall person, whose voice is deepening. Adulthood is right around the corner. She’s ready for it – I don’t know if I am.

  • me & them

    It was the opposite in our house until recently. I was the height I am now (5ft10) when I was thirteen, and I was always wishing I was shorter – right until the time I realized I had long legs, and what a power that gives me! (joking, of course).

    I’m finally even with mum, but am still considered the shortest in my family. I never wanted to be taller than everybody else at school, but now that’s over… I wouldn’t mind another inch or two 🙂

    They look so handsome in the last photo!

  • me & them

    It was the opposite in our house until recently. I was the height I am now (5ft10) when I was thirteen, and I was always wishing I was shorter – right until the time I realized I had long legs, and what a power that gives me! (joking, of course).

    I’m finally even with mum, but am still considered the shortest in my family. I never wanted to be taller than everybody else at school, but now that’s over… I wouldn’t mind another inch or two 🙂

    They look so handsome in the last photo!

  • me & them

    It was the opposite in our house until recently. I was the height I am now (5ft10) when I was thirteen, and I was always wishing I was shorter – right until the time I realized I had long legs, and what a power that gives me! (joking, of course).

    I’m finally even with mum, but am still considered the shortest in my family. I never wanted to be taller than everybody else at school, but now that’s over… I wouldn’t mind another inch or two 🙂

    They look so handsome in the last photo!

  • Jules

    That is so true. They grow up so fast….. and so big. I noticed no mention of shoe size. My 12 year old has feet larger than his dad, at this point! Eep!

  • Melisa

    Melissa: Thanks! 🙂

    Taj: It was a Steak n’ Shake! Why would they have a height chart? I can’t figure that one out.

    Kathy: I hear ya; definitely a weird feeling to look your “baby” in the eye.

    Katie: Wow, you’re the shorty? They grow ’em tall Down Under, I guess! LOL

    Jules: The older one wears a size 12 shoe!!! (bigger than his dad by a couple of sizes) I told him that pretty soon he’ll just have to wear the boxes.

  • Mom24

    They have the height card in case of robberies…it helps people estimate the height of the person. Cheery, huh? You should be proud of them, they seem like wonderful boys. Keep up the good parenting!

  • Momo Fali

    Aw! Tell them to quit growing already!

    I’m not ready to stop holding my kids on my lap, but my nine year old is getting pretty heavy!

  • Tara R.

    I feel ya! I posted about this same thing recently. Both of my kids are going to be taller than me, it’s amazing that they grew up so quickly. You got a couple of fine looking young men.

  • Andie

    I wonder if these were the thoughts that were running through my mom’s head when I surpassed her at age 13. LOL

  • Crazed Mom

    Mine, being slightly older than yours are 5’11″(17) and 5’9″(19yo). It still delights my 17yo to be tallest in house.

    JaniceNW~new blog

  • Michelle

    That’s so sweet, and they look so happy in the different pictures! I’m really not looking forward to the wee ones outgrowing me, although I suppose they’re bound to. Mister Man talks all the time about how he going to be bigger than Uncle Andy (6’6). I’ll be going through a lot of clothes, but you know all about that, don’t you!

  • Melisa

    Stacey: I had to read that three times before I figured out you were talking about the restaurant and not my kids…I was so confused! It does make sense (it’s a downer though!), and is interesting. Thanks for teaching me something today! 🙂

    Momo: You may have a year or two left of that…Sometimes I can still grab the 13-y.o., (the 15 y.o.? FORGET IT) but it’s pretty awkward with his long, stringbean legs. LOL

    Tara: Hey! Thanks for stopping in. Yeah, it’s a weird, weird thing when the kid(s) you used to put in one of those little carseats can now reach something on the top shelf!

    Andie: I would say YES. 🙂

    Janice: I am STUNNED at your latest development with your blog. I have to absorb that for a little bit. I’m glad you’re still out there, though!

    Michelle: The best advice I can give you is to start storing your pennies! 🙂

  • Mom24

    I guess I need to work on my communication skills, n’ect pa? I’ll try french! Have a great weekend.

  • Huckdoll

    Aww, they’re handsome young men, that’s for sure.

    I remember my little brother used to fit under the freezer door and my mom could open and close it without worry. Then one day she bonked him the head and from that point on he grew like a weed.

    BTW, you guys are a gorgeous family and what a smokin’ hot mama you are!