the little ones
Yesterday, at church, we ran into a couple that we haven't seen since we got married and moved here 8 years ago. We lost touch when Chloe was a baby. Chloe is now 6 and their baby is a junior in college.
As we caught up on our lives, the mom & I caught each other's eyes and we both filled with tears.
Her tears encouraging me to continue to enjoy every single moment. these years are so fleeting.
My tears in bittersweet anticipation of realizing that soon our oldest child will be coming home from college spring break & we will have hair appointments and late night talks scheduled. knowing those years will be so special, too.
She was able to remind me that she can never get that time back. I was able to remind her to not regret, but to enjoy this new friendship she can have with her daughter.
I do not have this parenting thing down, {does anyone?} but I do try my very best to not let the little moments pass by.
playing blocks on the floor.
joining in their pretend game of school.
sharing a midnight snack with an awakened child.
being late to school in order to have one more snuggle.
making the effort for one-on-one time.
getting every color of play-doh out.
then? sitting down and making a play-doh meal with them.
eating fortune cookies at 10 in the morning.
my fortune today:
It's not the amount of time you devote, but what you devote to the time that counts.
I'm working on devoting more today. everyday.
Share your little moments with me? I'd love to hear.
As we caught up on our lives, the mom & I caught each other's eyes and we both filled with tears.
Her tears encouraging me to continue to enjoy every single moment. these years are so fleeting.
My tears in bittersweet anticipation of realizing that soon our oldest child will be coming home from college spring break & we will have hair appointments and late night talks scheduled. knowing those years will be so special, too.
She was able to remind me that she can never get that time back. I was able to remind her to not regret, but to enjoy this new friendship she can have with her daughter.
I do not have this parenting thing down, {does anyone?} but I do try my very best to not let the little moments pass by.
playing blocks on the floor.
joining in their pretend game of school.
sharing a midnight snack with an awakened child.
being late to school in order to have one more snuggle.
making the effort for one-on-one time.
getting every color of play-doh out.
then? sitting down and making a play-doh meal with them.
eating fortune cookies at 10 in the morning.
my fortune today:
It's not the amount of time you devote, but what you devote to the time that counts.
Share your little moments with me? I'd love to hear.
That is a great "fortune"!
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, as much as I love having my babies, I enjoy watching them grow and how my heart grows with them. They find new ways to make you fall in love with them. It's amazing, really.
Steph
what a powerful fortune...sometimes the cookie knows what it's talking about. Enjoy your day together!
ReplyDeletei've been realizing these things more and more with each child we add to our family. and we are slowing down, and spending more time on the sofa in our jammies, playing games and reading and crafting and snugging.
ReplyDeletei just blogged about one yesterday! a moment to teach my sweet little girl, and the revelation that's going on in my life as related to those little moments -- the IMPORTANT moments.
ReplyDeleteread if you wanna...
http://ourhenryhome.blogspot.com/2010/02/teaching-moment.html
hope you're day is lovely.
i mean "YOUR" day. sorry. typos are my pet peeve!
ReplyDeleteOh Love, you always have such a beautiful space and beautiful thoughts here.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I taught my boys to fly kites. It turned a cold crappy morning into a morning filled with shrieks of joy.
Then later I let them help me build a little storage unit for Alex's room. They banged the crap out of that thing with a hammer because hammering = FUN.
i loved this post! i've had a hard couple weeks...and sometimes that makes me enjoy the "little" moments more...like stopping to put my hand on my little one's back just to feel him breathing when i kiss my baby goodnight; or getting down and telling my 6 yr old "i love you" one more time before he gets on the bus; or looking my 8 yr old in the eye as she tells me yet another detailed story from her day :-)
ReplyDeleteprecious moments that i'll never get back.
All the extra snuggles from my almost two year old this week. I hate that she is sick but I am trying to enjoy the cuddles (morning or night) that I was not getting with an active little one. Soon she'll be active again and I will be back to begging for hugs!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis morning, Tommy woke up at 4:30. Shane brought him to me, all sleepy and warm, and I nursed him while he rubbed one hand back and forth across my face. It was an hour before our alarm was set to go off, but it was just so nice to have that quiet moment.
Last night I got my daughter ready for bed waaaay earlier than usual and we spent the extra time working our way through a big stack of library books and having an extra long snuggle before bed.
ReplyDeleteMy son had preschool and then a playdate this afternoon...my other boy is napping...I CAN'T wait to have them both home and awake! This post was perfect! You are an amazing mom!
ReplyDeleteYou inspire - have been reading your blog a long time!
thank you for posting this. i am going to take the time to do green projects this month with my girls. have a good monday! p.s. fortune cookies always know the right phrase.
ReplyDeletelove the fortune (and the plate)
ReplyDeleteI try not to regret the moments that I didn't cherish & I spent angry or in my own haze. The moments that I didn't just let them have fun and instead rigidly stuck to the rules.
But now we enjoy the little things. I help my daughter with her nail polish woes. We curl hair, sip coffee (I know! I can't believe they like coffee), read books together, listening to 'their' music station and getting those funny looks from them when I sing along all while they are giggling. Talking about boys and cell phones.
Cherishing every last moment.
Shortly after my son was born, I opened a fortune cookie and this is what it said: Someone is looking up to you!
ReplyDeleteThat was almost four years ago now and I've kept that fortune in my wallet with a photo of his sweet little four month old face.
Perfect fortunes like this make up for the ones that say "you like chinese food" ;)
p.s. first time commenter, long time reader. I love your blog! I find it so inspiring.
i had all the girl cousins over and they were all dressing up with my daughter and crowns and boas and dresses were flying every where...and in the midst of it all, my little boy comes out in his sunday jacket and a tie half knotted around his throat, all the while telling me was a "handsome boy". and then we all scooted out to the living room to dance and dance and dance. that was my little moment this week. well, that and all the cuddles i've been stealing. i don't know what it is, but i'm totally in the mood for cuddles lately.
ReplyDeleteps: i'm becky by the way. nice to meet you. sorry for blogstalking and not introducing myself earlier.
love this! hoping I remember this when our little ones come along so I dont miss out on the small but oh so wonderful things of life!
ReplyDeleteLove that fortune. I am quite guilty of pushing my kids off and saying I am too busy. Busy with what though. I have all day to myself and like you said, before I know it they will be off to college and then I will feel horrible. Thanks for opening up my eyes!
ReplyDeletewhat a great post!!! i loved this!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is quite bittersweet! I miss how much they totally and completely adore you when they are babies, though. No attitude LOL just love.
ReplyDeleteNell