My almost five year old and almost three year old have been asking where all the Halloween decorations are...when are they coming back out...why can't we keep them out all year long...is the scary witch going to eat me...can I have a piece of candy?? Then the four year old has a moment of clarity...and says when is Christmas...is it my birthday yet? Little do they know how as they grow they will want these seasons to drag ever so slowly...we don't want these birthdays to rush upon us and in a blink of an eye or have their littlest be three years old because it means that part is done, over, no more. The days of lining up cars and wanting to spend time playing silly games with their siblings are lessening every day. Their desire to answer the call of their sibling to help or play with them is limited.
As the mother of this every growing family I need to remember to embrace these moments and try my best to foster fun, love, patience, forgiveness and acceptance within the chaos. I need to try to make the moments last and cherish them because the next season is quickly approaching, the moment is short lived...some days seems like they will NEVER end and I am reminded of that phrase that all parents with children my age utter. The days are long the but the years are short.
How do we do all this and try to remember to keep ourselves in check. I don't know the answer but I do know that we make it work. It is not perfect, well scripted but it is completed. The kids make me want the seasons to change because their excitement is contagious, as much as they drain me of energy they fuel me as well. I guess this is similar to getting yourself back on track physically as well. As much as we dread the workout, the logging of food...when results are starting to show...when we feel stronger, run faster, do more pushups at once...we know this work on the backend is worth it. When I pick my two year old up out of his crib in the morning and he initiates a hug and a kiss and says good morning mommy I love you...I know he is learning from me...he is getting stronger, smarter, and sadly older.
Every day is not seamless but it is one more day together. It is another season we get to spend creating memories and hopefully laughter. When the new season comes upon us we start the conversations of remember when we did this at Halloween last year...or the year that I was Strawberry Shortcake. These seasons are not lost on them...they are remembering every little detail with love and smiling as they retell the story for the 100th time.
An important thing that I have found for myself is to set goals outside of the next holiday or vacation with each season. I need to have something aside from the hallmark singing snowman to look forward to. I know that my family fills my heart but there is a space that I have to be responsible for as well. This is a place that gets filled only by me and the growth that I surprise myself with every year. I need to remember that I am me first and then a mom, wife, cook, nurse, accountant, teacher, therapist, and laundry lady next.
Embrace the Suck...Choose You!
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