My baby has started high school. He used to fit in romper suits and play with saucepans and suck on a dummy and now he sets his alarm for 6.30am every morning and gets up - unprompted - to start his busy day.
The lunches are already made, he doesn't eat much brekkie because he's not that hungry in the morning so he takes a few extra things for the bus. I had to teach him how to tie a tie. We're not there yet, but we're close. Often I look at Max and cry from love, especially when he was a baby but also especially lately when suddenly all of us in life seem so fragile.
He plays handball with his mates at lunch, they sell coke at the canteen, and his favourite subject is of course science. He's naturally inquisitive.
I ask him what the current crop of girls are like.
"Ahhh, dunno mum I'm not interested in girls at the moment."
I told him I *bet* they're interested in him and we both laughed.
And I remembered how tiny he was as a baby, how I'd stand at his door during daytime naps waiting for him to wake up because I missed him.
