Seasons of Life

I am amazed at how quickly we enter one phase in life and then leave it and move on to the next. Especially when it comes to our children.

I can no longer call Andrew a toddler. I guess he is now a preschooler. He is talking, walking, running, counting and working on ABC's, using the potty all the time now - without asking or telling me he needs to and without asking for rewards for it. He is just not a toddler anymore.

Madeleine is moving from baby to toddler very quickly. She is getting into everything, walking holding on to stuff, standing unassisted for a small amount of time, drinking out of a cup (she is taking one bottle a day right before bed), talking (even though it is only a handful of words). She dances when she hears music, she sings, she waves, she claps.

She still has that touch of baby to her. She is still very sensitive and very needy. But, it appears that is also going to be her personality.

It is just so hard to believe that my LAST baby is growing up so quickly! She is at such a fun age, but it is bittersweet. With every exciting "first" she has there is that voice in the back of my head saying "this will be the last first word, first crawl, first step, etc. I really have to focus on the moment and not get lost in the LAST first!

And then there are the school-aged kids. I have THREE kids that are reading by themselves, counting their own money, telling time, etc. Even the one that started off struggling so much this year has come close to completely catching up and getting his grades all up! I had one move to a new school this year (the schools here are done by grade level, not where you live. The k - 1 is in one school, 2 - 3 in one, 4-5 in one and then junior high and high school). And next year I will not have anyone at the k-1 grade school.

Then there is the fact that in a few months, I will have a JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT! I am not ready to even discuss this fact yet, although he LOVES LOVES LOVES to remind me often!

When you get caught up in the day to day, you don't always recognize that you are leaving a phase that you may never be in again. Sometimes that is a good thing. There are somethings in life you hope you will be done with soon and never return too. But when you are a Mom, and the phase you will never enter again has to do with the fact that your child (or children) are growing way to quickly, it seems to slap you in the face!

I hope that I can always stay in the moment and enjoy every minute. Even the challanges! Because before I know it, I am not going to have "children" anymore, and that will be a new phase in which I may never be ready for!