Seasons of Life

If you are a mother, I am sure you have gotten so much advise from the day you found out you were pregnant. If you are like me you listen, you consider the source and you move on doing what you think is right for your child. Whether you take the advice or not. Last year I joined a MOPs group (Mothers of Preschoolers) at a local church. Of course the topics were always marriage and child raising, so as you can imagine there was so much "advice" that was being handed out each time we met. I listened, considered the source and moved on to what fit my family.

One day there was an older mother (with older kids) that came to speak to the group, and as I was sitting there half listening; she said something to me that has stuck. "Enjoy this season of your life now, don's look back and don't wish for time to speed up." How many of us think to ourselves "I cant wait until the kids start school, until they can stay home by themselves"? or "They are growing to fast, I wish he was still a baby"? I know I am guilty of it on a daily basis! Even though I understood the advise the guest speaker was giving, and even thought it was valid advise, I didn't implement it into my daily life. It wasn't until recently that it it: "I need to enjoy my kids at this season, because the seasons are changing faster then I want"

B-Man as a baby

There have been a couple of "ah ha" moments lately that have been smacking me right in my face to wake up and enjoy this time because it is fleeting too fast. Just this morning I was watching "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" (on Disney Junior) with Bryce. I was siting there thinking, " My goodness, I don't have a toddler anymore, I have a boy. A boy who wont want to sit with his mommy on the couch to watch a Disney Junior program anymore. A boy who will be starting Kindergarten next fall. A boy who is already telling me certain girls are pretty" How can this be? It seems like yesterday I was bringing B home from the hospital. It was just yesterday he started crawling, or walking. It was just yesterday that I could carry B everywhere we went (he asked me to carry him back to the car after dropping J off at school, I was out of breath my the time I got there)I just didn't realize the toddler season would be so fleeting, and I have to say the whole time I was wishing for kindergarten to start. Thinking it would be easier, but now I am wishing I can have years 3 and 4 back. I want to keep him little. I know I can't and I have to let him grow, I just know I am going to miss this season.

B-man April 2011

J as a baby

As we were standing in church yesterday, little J was hugging me I realized just then how big he has gotten. I couldn't believe he was almost to my elbow (it may not seem tall to you, but when your baby starts growing up, it will be) In that moment, I looked in front of me to 2 teenage boys at least 5 inches taller then me, it took my breath away. I dawned on me at that moment that in a few year my son will be as tall as me. It also dawned on me that the time has gone way too fast with J. I cant believe next year I will have a second grader, I can't believe that he will be 7 in a couple of months. Time has really flown by, the seasons have changed fasted then I can remember. I miss the baby and toddler seasons! There is so much more I would do, could do, want to do with the seasons. I know thought that the new season will bring new opportunities, new experiences. I just am not ready for this one to change quite yet.

J - March 2011

I have to make sure from this point on I am enjoying every moment of this season of my life. I will always miss certain aspects of the seasons in the past and will always look forward to the changes of seasons in the future, but the best season is the one in the present.