Gowing up - Growing old

Yesterday the swingset came down. No one has really played on it since we moved into this house in Dec '00. Kirsten received the kit as a birthday gift from Mark's friend Paul and his wife Janet. We set it up in the tiny yard at our first house and Kirsten played on it a lot. By the time we moved, and moved it with us, Kirsten had outgrown it. Sean has sensory integration dysfunction and was never keen on it. So we've been moving it around the yard for the past eight years; pushing it farther and farther towards the hedgerow. Every once in a while the little boy next door comes over with his dad and plays on it. We've resisted disassembling it for the past two summers, anticipating that perhaps Rachel and Jake would play on it. Rachel and Jake came this summer, but never made it past the pool. Fall arrived and Mark started talking about taking it down. Tuesday was the day. Both kids grumbled a bit, but in the end don't seem to miss it. I don't miss it either - no one used it, it was looking worse for wear out there, and it was a pain to mow around. I do, however, miss what it symbolized - that I had small children living and playing here. My oldest is preparing to apply to colleges. I'm excited for what lies ahead, but sad to see that part of my life done. Perhaps as winter sets in, time will slow down just a smidge for me and I'll be able to ease myself into being the parent of an adult.