As we sat at lunch, I noticed that my girls were the oldest ones in the playplace. Their fruit and nuggets sat untouched as they watched with me, the unruly three-year-olds running wild on red and blue plastic and climbing on foam-wrapped columns. They were short, all of them. Why are all these kids so short?
Behind me, two moms (my age, right?) were talking about diapers and potty training and two- year-old stuff while their younger kids sat in booster seats and dropped fries on the floor.
And then there were my twins, sitting quietly, eating neatly, lost in their grown-up girl thoughts.
My days of meeting other moms at Chick-fil-a in the middle of the day with all our kids? Those days are numbered. Kindergarten looms heavy on the other side of summer. And my mother’s heart rises and falls with pride and fear and wondering.
I have one toddler left. I examine his hands on a daily basis. Are those little toddler dimples still intact? Today, they are there. Close your eyes. Hold on tight. Breathe. And be thankful.
It is wonderful to read about how much you love your children and cherish this time.
People often talk about “The Golden Years” that come when your children are grown up and out of the house, and then you can do whatever you want. As if the goal is to just raise our children so that they’ll be gone. I know a couple who thorougly enjoys their children, terrible twos and all. I always remember them saying in the midst of their loud, happy home, “These are the golden years. These are the golden years!”
Enjoy your golden years with your children!!!
Beautifully written!
It just keeps getting better-truly. Hold those moments in your heart for sure but there are many more just as precious ahead. And I think we always feel like the twenty-something mom no matter how old our *babies* get!Sigh.
AMEN! I so often forget how precious these days are…
And did I tell you that I love your layout?! There are so many blogs out there and they all start to run together, but yours is refreshingly unique and uncluttered (unlike mine).
Thanks for the change of pace!!!
my littlest & lastest turned 2 last friday. and now it’s been a week & a day since then & where the hell did that go, much less where did the last 2 years go?
it does go by too fast. way way too fast.
Another beautiful touching post Emily!
We just returned from a family trip to Disney World, where I had silhouettes done of the kids on Main Street…our oldest is 13 and this time next time year he will probably have gone through puberty and have a beard, (ha ha) so I had to take advantage now while he still has a baby face and so does our youngest.
These silhouettes will be priceless to me…just like the memories at the play places, that we no longer visit, as the kids are in school during the day…or the memories of play dough, finger painting, and preschool plays…they have been replaced with sports practices, orchestra concerts at school, and research reports due…but they are all good, and I don’t take one for granted.
You are such a wise woman Emily, and put into words all the feelings and emotions that we moms universally share. Thank you for sharing your life!
We’re walking the same path, my friend. Kindy is looming after the summer. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me sad just thinking about it. Yup. Here come the tears. I suppose they’re bittersweet. Some days more bitter. Some days more sweet.
Wasn’t it just yesterday that we brought our tiny firstborn home?
Can’t type anymore. Waterworks are flowing.
Kimba
I’ve always called the dimples “dents.” And I love to rub my fingers over chubby little hands with dents and kiss them. My two younger brothers were 7 & 11 years younger than me, and I just adored their little dents. I was always checking to see if they still had those cute dents and never wanted them to get so big their dents disappeared. I love how God paid attention to sweet little details like dimples and dents!
Our youngest is two and a half and we watch her change every day. I think breathing (as opposed to holding one’s breath) is great advice !
It is strange to watch it all fly by!
I love that, “my mommy heart rises and falls with pride and fear and wondering”. You really have a way of capturing the essence of life. Blessings!
I thought I was the only one who checked my kids hands to see if the dimples were still there….Alas…on my 13 year old..they are not.
it’s all too true. beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. and, not to make things even more bittersweet but everything changes with Kindergarten. Sniff, sniff.
this photo, btw, is AMAZING! and this blog design is intoxicating. i love it.