Keeping Track of Your Military Child's Height

By Sarah Smiley

I noticed that my middle son, Owen, 6, has grown quite a bit in the past few months when I watched him playing skee ball at a local restaurant/gaming center. He was leaning over to pick up a ball, and the hems of his jeans -- jeans that I had just bought for him in September -- rose up about 4 inches above his socks. Once he was standing upright again, his hems returned to their usual spot 2 inches above his socks, a situation that I guess I had grown used to and therefore did not "see" anymore. He looked skinny and tall -- like the stalk of a sunflower -- with a disproportionately large head.

"Wow, Owen has really grown lately," I said to my husband.

"When was the last time you measured him?" my husband asked.

I couldn't remember, but I knew that I hadn't measured any of our three children since moving into our new home in August.

When we got home from the restaurant, I found my yardstick, grabbed a pencil, and took the boys into their room to find a spot to mark their height. With the boys being as old as eight and as young as two, you would think that I already have a place set up to mark their heights. Don't all parents have a wall in the pantry that is marked up like a ruler itself with the heights of children throughout the years? Maybe civilian parents. But not ones in the military who are moving every 2 years.

I marked Owen's height on the back of his closet door.

"How much have I grown since last time?" Owen asked.

I regretted to tell him that I don't know. His last measurement was probably already painted over by the new owners of our old house in Florida.

For a moment I felt cheated. Why can't I grow old in a house that has my children's measurements up and down a wall? Why must we always make a house a home, and then sell it to someone else? Why can't we just be settled?

I know, I'm preaching to the choir.

Eventually I got myself back together that night. I realized that instead of feeling sorry for myself, I need to get creative. Why not measure my kids on something that can be moved with us? An armoire? A bookcase?

Or maybe I'll just take that closet door with us when we move.

Ha! I feel a bit like I've beaten the system.