Monday, October 10, 2011

Monday Morning

I can hear "The Cat in the Hat" from the Living Room, where Little Man and Daughter (#5) are watching.  She's home today with a head-ache.  I let her stay because her eyes don't look right.  We moms can just tell.
We'll have a quieter day, for sure.  I'm not complaining.

The Coach and I got our run in without getting rained on.  I'm grateful.  It's hard enough to run when it's not raining.  I've already had some quiet coffee time to read this, from my friend Amber and this post from sweet friend, Jo.

Just thinking about how FAST the troops are growing up.  How part of me misses those little days. . . and part of me (for sure!) doesn't.  How FUN they are and how much I'm enjoying that they are young adults.  How sad I get when I clean out the clothes that are too small.  How much I'm looking forward to another driver in the house.  How quickly we will have several extra drivers.

Happy.

Sad.

Oh so grateful.

I know my kids aren't perfect.  But they are GREAT kids.  Smart.  Funny.  Loving.

Yes, every day I pray for them to be kinder, gentler, to love each other more.  I pray for them to love God the MOST.  And to resist the temptation to do something stupid. 

But I hope and pray. . . when it's all said and done. . . and they are grown and gone (the Coach is all about the "gone" part!). . . that they will return frequently, love being here, still watch football with us on the weekends, tease each other, and eat all of the food I can make.

I finally finished the little girls' clothes, yesterday.  We have our playroom back.  It always makes me pause a bit when I realize how much they've grown (well. . . except for Daughter #5. She's still my little peanut.).

How those things I pulled out last Fall seem suddenly SMALL.  How the pile of shoes that don't fit seems to grow.  And the jeans get shorter.  And the Strasburg dresses that I love and wish they would wear, now get a "Mom, do we HAVE to wear those?"  Because they are almost 10, 8 1/2, and (gasp!) SEVEN this week and not 5, 4 and 3. Times are a changing. 

So very much to be grateful for.  Even on a cool, rainy day, with a sickie at home. 

If your kiddos are all still little?  And the days seem long?  And you are exhausted and wondering if they will ever be able to tie their own shoes or go to the bathroom by themselves or SLEEP through the night?  I wish I could somehow tell you how fast it goes and how much you should enjoy every moment with them.  Don't worry about having everything neat and perfect all of the time.  Sit and read books with them and take a nap while they do.  Watch "Curious George" with them instead of letting the TV be a distraction so you can "get something done". 

Yes, my mother told me all of that when mine were little.  But I thought I had plenty of time.

You don't.  Trust me.

Because having five little ones six and under, has now turned into three teens (15, 14, 13), an 11 year old, and a 9 year old.  Plus a few more.  They didn't stay little.  And yes, they can all tie their own shoes and go to the bathroom by themselves.  They are all sleeping in their own beds all night AND are a huge help to this very tired, not-twenty-something-anymore momma.

Well, I'm getting hot chocolate and raisin toast orders from my peanut and Little Man. Better get to it. Thanks to the reminders this morning, I'll be joining them, for sure!  I wonder what movie a 9 year old girl and a 4 year old boy will agree on?  Ha!
Happy Monday!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

tears, tears, oh the tears!! Thanks for sweet reminders...ones that I know are true, yet how quickly I forget. A part of me is like your Coach, longing a little bit for the gone part......and then an even bigger part that wants them to stay w/me forever and we will just add on to the house and make room for all of the children and their families!! hee hee. ;-) Taking time today to enjoy these sweet little moments, one who refuses to go on the potty, one who is teething and keeping us up at night, one who would be fine w/Lego Star Wars all day long, one who would thinks she is a princess and demands royal treatment, and one who is growing at warp speed into a beautiful young woman.........someone bring me another box of Kleenex please!

amber said...

i would love to meet your kids someday.. they sound great! sometimes i wonder if we were all still involved w/ ati, would our kids meet, and some of them marry?? wouldn't that be a hoot~ maybe when they're all old enough we all need to do a big "reunion" of sorts. haha. okay, i'll stop now. ;)

i so appreciate your blog~ the realness here, and encouragement! even though i see how fast they grow up, i still need reminders that they are! and to be a bit kinder, and listen more and talk less, and slow down to soak in these days that might seem long, but are passing years going much too quickly.

happy monday sweet lady!

amber said...

um.. i mean TUESDAY.

see. mommy brain!! :/