The footed jammies have all been packed or given away......I don't have any need to go down the baby isle at the grocery store anymore......all three are sleeping soundly through the night....
there are no more car seats and they all buckle themselves.....no more strollers to pack......no shoelaces to tie.......no bedtimes stories to read together....
handmade school treasures don't come home anymore.......play dates turn into "hanging-
out"....... prizes from the dentist are no longer coveted.........
its hard not to be needed like that anymore
oh, they still "need" me but the requests have changed......
"Can you take me to......"
"Can you pick me up from...."
"I need a new binder for...."
"Can you wash these so I can wear them tomorrow?...."
"I lost my wallet...."
"I cant find my right tennis shoe...."
"Can you sign this for....."
"I need $20.00 cash by tomorrow morning for...."
"I need blue poster board for my report due tomorrow...."
"The toilet is plugged....."
"The dog threw up......"
"My laptop isn't working....."
etc.
etc.
etc.
And Joy.........
There is immense joy watching them become adolescents.......watching them make much bigger decisions than which Disney videos to watch......discovering what their passions are and what inspires them......celebrating their new found accomplishments.......watching their worlds evolve and expand before our eyes.....enjoying a broader scope of conversation......observing their new found interest in personal hygiene and thought out wardrobe ensembles.......introducing new tastes to more adventurous palates......divulging age-appropriate, long-withheld college stories......allowing more and more independence.....watching them fall in love....
Yes......the baby things have long since been packed away....and there are so many moments and days and years that fill my heart with the fullness of motherhood....
But these days bring their own discoveries.......their own milestones in our memories....
I don't hold my little boy's chubby little hands anymore to cross the street......
But now.. I can't help but feel proud when I tuck my arm inside theirs as we walk together, across the busy streets and intersections ahead....
there are no more car seats and they all buckle themselves.....no more strollers to pack......no shoelaces to tie.......no bedtimes stories to read together....
handmade school treasures don't come home anymore.......play dates turn into "hanging-
out"....... prizes from the dentist are no longer coveted.........
its hard not to be needed like that anymore
oh, they still "need" me but the requests have changed......
"Can you take me to......"
"Can you pick me up from...."
"I need a new binder for...."
"Can you wash these so I can wear them tomorrow?...."
"I lost my wallet...."
"I cant find my right tennis shoe...."
"Can you sign this for....."
"I need $20.00 cash by tomorrow morning for...."
"I need blue poster board for my report due tomorrow...."
"The toilet is plugged....."
"The dog threw up......"
"My laptop isn't working....."
etc.
etc.
etc.
And Joy.........
There is immense joy watching them become adolescents.......watching them make much bigger decisions than which Disney videos to watch......discovering what their passions are and what inspires them......celebrating their new found accomplishments.......watching their worlds evolve and expand before our eyes.....enjoying a broader scope of conversation......observing their new found interest in personal hygiene and thought out wardrobe ensembles.......introducing new tastes to more adventurous palates......divulging age-appropriate, long-withheld college stories......allowing more and more independence.....watching them fall in love....
Yes......the baby things have long since been packed away....and there are so many moments and days and years that fill my heart with the fullness of motherhood....
But these days bring their own discoveries.......their own milestones in our memories....
I don't hold my little boy's chubby little hands anymore to cross the street......
But now.. I can't help but feel proud when I tuck my arm inside theirs as we walk together, across the busy streets and intersections ahead....
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