The Kindergartner

Look what we got last night...

This girl makes me smile every time I see her.  This picture has me giddy.

She looks so grown up and so beautiful.  I can't believe I'm mom to a Kindergartner.

She's loving it by the way.  Every night she comes home and sits at her table and writes letters, draws pictures, colors.  She tells us about her friends and lunch time and recess.  She's decided she wants to be a doctor or a teacher.  I told her she should do both.

Because this girl is going to go far and do big things...I just know it.

My Big Boy

Freddie and I play a game.

I grab him and cuddle him up and say "You're my baby!"

He responds with "No, my Big Boy!"

"No you're my Baby!"
"No my Big Boy!"

It goes on until he wiggles away.

He'll always be my baby.  But this weekend, as I watched him kiss and hold and snuggle a real life little baby...I couldn't help but see that big boy shining through.

I just stared at him, because in those moments he aged right before my eyes.  It hurts a little...to watch that baby grow up, but I am just so proud of that boy.  He has such a heart and such emotion. 

I grabbed him yesterday and said "You're my Big Boy!"

And he said "No my li-lul (little) Boy!"

Okay, we can compromise on that.

Soak It up

Life speeds by.

It's not always easy to see what's really important.  There are lots of distractions.

Then something makes you remember.  Lots of things make you remember.  Even if they're a million miles away.  Happening to people you don't know anymore.  But for some reason that story, that picture, that song...it makes you remember that this life is fragile.  This life is fleeting.  This life is temporary.

In an instant everything can change.  And at some point, it happens to everyone.

When my instant comes, I don't want regrets.  I won't care if my house was clean or if I felt too fat that day to be in the picture.  I won't care if I made it to dance class on time or if I was too tired to read that 4th book at bedtime.  I won't care if I was being pushed out of bed by four little feet or if I didn't get that spreadsheet done on time.

I don't want to remember the times I lost my temper or the times I didn't listen.  In that instant when everything changes, I want the scenes floating before my eyes to be happy ones.  Ones where Ainsley is dancing and Freddie is giggling.  Ones where Clif and I are talking about our days before we fall asleep.

So if you come to my house and toys litter the floor or dinner hasn't been cleaned up, I was busy playing dress up or reading books.

If my kids are running crazy through the mall, I was letting them be kids and not expecting them to act mature.

If I'm late for an appointment, I was teaching a 5 year old to tie her shoes and getting one last kiss from a toddler.

If I don't get that promotion or that raise, I was celebrating my anniversary or leaving early to go for a long run.

I'm not sorry...I was remembering the important things.

Life is fragile.  Life is fleeting.  Life is temporary.  Soak it up.