Monday, April 21, 2014

You'll Miss It

This post was inspired by the memoir Dad is Fat by comedian Jim Gaffigan who riffs on his adventures co-parenting 5 kids in a two bedroom Manhattan apartment. Join my online book club, From Left to Write, on April 22 as we discuss Dad is Fat. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

I found myself nodding along to a lot of what Gaffigan says in his stories...but being that he is in the "throes" of babydom and toddlerhood, and we've graduated to elementary school over here, I found myself feeling more wistful as I read on.  Man, it IS hard work when they are so young.  I know more than once I wished to be out of that stage. When will the baby dress himself? When will she sleep through the night?  And now...my kids do that...and more...and yes, it is nice, but oh, what I would give to have that toddler clamoring my attention, that baby smiling sleepily at me, the tiny bundle cuddled contently on my shoulder.
  Parents, the season you are in will pass. It will, and you will miss it.  You would pay to have one of those days back...even that "terrible" day you are in now.  Our kids are our sweet babies forever, but they grow too fast.  I even have a hard time looking at their baby pictures without tearing up.
My husband has been so good at reminding me that this, too, will pass, and we need to enjoy it now.  I am doing my best.  In our household, we are in the midst of sibling fighting and battling chores and pick up your stinky socks now!  One day, soon, they will have moved on to the next stage...a stage that won't include me, and it breaks my heart.  So, I will restrain myself from yelling about the legos everywhere and smile through the brotherly fighting and happily (mostly) help them finish their homework...because I'm going to miss this.

1 comment:

Alicia said...

Great reminder to live in and enjoy the present.

I remember when my daughter was 5, she was playing in the corner of the living room where I had set up a small kids table and she had tons of crayons and stickers and paper and she was playing office and I thought to myself, "take a picture in your mind of this moment and don't ever forget it!" To this day I still see that moment.

I did the same thing when my son was 5. He was playing with his books in the living room. I say playing with them because he didn't read them, he just set them all up as a miniature book city to run his cars and place his little soldiers on. That was the picture I took in that moment to always remember in my mind.

They do grow up way too fast. Mine are now 27 and 33, but they are still my babies.