Watching children grow is an experience that not everyone gets to enjoy, and I try to remind myself every day how blesed I am. There are things that I think I will never want to go through again, and things that I think I won't ever miss, but I now know that one day, I will miss the strangest things...
I will miss her not wanting me to leave. I know that when I try to go somewhere there will be pouting and maybe even tears. It makes it harder to leave and more difficult to get things done, but one day she won't want to be near me and she will be running for that door to her friends every chance she gets. Only for a little while will she still want to be with me all day every day, and I must cherise that love and attachment before it's gone.
I will miss cooking all those meals. It's hard to imagine now, but one day I won't need to cook 4 meals a day and provide snacks. Right now it's a novelty to see her ask for something specific then proceed to go get it herself, but I know it's just a matter of time before I have less control over what she eats and can only hope I instilled good habits when I had time, and that I will be cooking supper for just myself more and more as she is with friends and at sleepovers. There's something lonely about cooking a meal for just one or two people...
I will miss all those little socks in the laundry. Sure they get lost, or show up in the towels a week later, or all over the house somehow, but one day those tiny little socks will be gone and I'll be washing and seperating some that look a lot like my own. Besides being a logistic nightmare, it will also be a huge reminder of what I'm missing out on and how fast the time has gone.
"Mooooommmmyyyy" This is the one I might miss the most. It means I'm needed and important and loved. I know that even when it stops I'll still be loved and needed, just not as much. This word can be a horrible sound when there is pain behind it, or fear, or a wonderful sound when it's time to celebrate a win or time of growth. Either way, one day she will take care of her own little booboos and scratches, and she will tell her friends of her wins before I hear about them. That will mean that I've raised her well and created independance, but I'll sure miss being the automatic go to all the time!
Fingerprints on my windows remind me of the love in my home. If there was no love, she would not be brave enough to leave said fingerprints all over my home... The flip side is she has learned how to wash windows at a young age, so I'm not always the only person to wash them back off. The more she grows the fewer prints I'll find, and they will be more and more like my own and less adorable.
Preportioned snack foods. Sure, this is a little ridiculous and maybe even silly, but when I have to stop buying snacks for lunches and to toss in my purse or bag, I will know a part of my life is over. There's something oddly touching about opening my purse for my keys and finding a Dora themed cereal bar or a tiny box of raisins. Plus, when I don't need to buy them or carry them for her anymore, how will I supply and hide my own snacking?
Parks, bike rides, and museums are all things that have become a part of daily life. I need to get her out and exercise, and I know when it stops, when she can go on her own, I will very likely gain a little extra weight...Or I'll need to find a gym! I love museums and science centres and zoos, and once my baby is old enough to not go anymore, or to go without me, I will miss going to them even though it feels like so much work and inconvenient to go to them now.
Crazy birthday parties! They are so busy, and never stay organized, and there's little people everywhere. It's crazy and loud and I dread them and look for ways to make the different and quiet or skip them all together, but I know when they stop, a little part of me will miss them.
Sometimes, we just need to remember what's important, and that the things that make us the most crazy now are the things we will one day miss.
I will miss her not wanting me to leave. I know that when I try to go somewhere there will be pouting and maybe even tears. It makes it harder to leave and more difficult to get things done, but one day she won't want to be near me and she will be running for that door to her friends every chance she gets. Only for a little while will she still want to be with me all day every day, and I must cherise that love and attachment before it's gone.
I will miss cooking all those meals. It's hard to imagine now, but one day I won't need to cook 4 meals a day and provide snacks. Right now it's a novelty to see her ask for something specific then proceed to go get it herself, but I know it's just a matter of time before I have less control over what she eats and can only hope I instilled good habits when I had time, and that I will be cooking supper for just myself more and more as she is with friends and at sleepovers. There's something lonely about cooking a meal for just one or two people...
I will miss all those little socks in the laundry. Sure they get lost, or show up in the towels a week later, or all over the house somehow, but one day those tiny little socks will be gone and I'll be washing and seperating some that look a lot like my own. Besides being a logistic nightmare, it will also be a huge reminder of what I'm missing out on and how fast the time has gone.
"Mooooommmmyyyy" This is the one I might miss the most. It means I'm needed and important and loved. I know that even when it stops I'll still be loved and needed, just not as much. This word can be a horrible sound when there is pain behind it, or fear, or a wonderful sound when it's time to celebrate a win or time of growth. Either way, one day she will take care of her own little booboos and scratches, and she will tell her friends of her wins before I hear about them. That will mean that I've raised her well and created independance, but I'll sure miss being the automatic go to all the time!
Fingerprints on my windows remind me of the love in my home. If there was no love, she would not be brave enough to leave said fingerprints all over my home... The flip side is she has learned how to wash windows at a young age, so I'm not always the only person to wash them back off. The more she grows the fewer prints I'll find, and they will be more and more like my own and less adorable.
Preportioned snack foods. Sure, this is a little ridiculous and maybe even silly, but when I have to stop buying snacks for lunches and to toss in my purse or bag, I will know a part of my life is over. There's something oddly touching about opening my purse for my keys and finding a Dora themed cereal bar or a tiny box of raisins. Plus, when I don't need to buy them or carry them for her anymore, how will I supply and hide my own snacking?
Parks, bike rides, and museums are all things that have become a part of daily life. I need to get her out and exercise, and I know when it stops, when she can go on her own, I will very likely gain a little extra weight...Or I'll need to find a gym! I love museums and science centres and zoos, and once my baby is old enough to not go anymore, or to go without me, I will miss going to them even though it feels like so much work and inconvenient to go to them now.
Crazy birthday parties! They are so busy, and never stay organized, and there's little people everywhere. It's crazy and loud and I dread them and look for ways to make the different and quiet or skip them all together, but I know when they stop, a little part of me will miss them.
Sometimes, we just need to remember what's important, and that the things that make us the most crazy now are the things we will one day miss.