It's just "that" age...

I am around children of all ages every day. From age 2 to age 15, they are an active part of my life every day, and it is amazing how different kids of every age are. Obviously, we all know that 2-year-olds are crazy, but really, if you ask me, children of all ages are insane--especially when the hormones kick in.

Clearly, 2-year-olds are crazy. Enough said.

8-year-olds live in a dream world; anything is real, and nothing is real. Anything is real because they really believe that anything can happen and anything they can imagine can exist. And nothing is real because the real world means absolutely nothing to them; school is just something they do because they are supposed to, and life is just an cycle of school/chores/play, school/chores/play.

The other day I forgot my siblings' piano books and dance bags when I picked them up from school, so my mom dropped them off in the neighbors' driveway so that I could pick them up quickly and then speed off to piano lessons. I pulled the car up to the bags so that Rebekah's door was perfectly lined up with them. Rebekah is 8. I told her to hurry, get out, and put the bags in the car. She jumped out of the car and proceeded to run all the way around the car, intending to wind up by the bags. Precisely where she started. I was absolutely flabbergasted. I mean, I was just stunned. That child does not live in the real world.

9. Boys are different from girls, but nonetheless they are insane. They must have the attention of the whole room at all times, and theywill stop at no lengths to acquire it. Not only that, but they have virtually no shame. They will not hesitate to regale you with tales of their privates.

10-12 year olds are also out of their minds. Your typical 11- or 12-year-old is a hormonal wreck. And when I say wreck I mean WRECK. One minute they are snotty, literally the next minute they are a pure joy, and a minute later they are moping in a corner. Insane.

I'm not even going to touch the teenage years because we all know what those are like. If you think about it, it is truly a miracle that anyone ever makes it through childhood and becomes a complete human. It is an absolute miracle.