New Beginnings

Wow, hard to believe a whole year has gone by since this "First Day of School" pic was taken last September! It seems like only yesterday and yet it seems like years ago. Strange how that happens.

I would have to say that we are in our sweet spot as a family right now. I LOVE babies, but I find the baby years to be very tiring and draining for me. I do not do well with lack of sleep and considering none of my three kids slept through the night before they were 18 months old, let's just say there were many years of sleep deprivation that I endured. And yet...I still try to hold onto the remnants of 'babyness' that I still see in Lyric. For example there are a few words that she doesn't say properly quite yet, like "lellow" or "chetchup" (ketchup). Bad me, I don't correct her, I just think...aaah, that's so cute. There are very few remnants left and I'm not in a rush to make her grow up (although she still tries to get me to carry her when we go for walks, or take a stroller and I keep telling her she's too OLD to ride in a stroller). I'm so contradictory...poor kid.

Anyway, the sweet spot...I define this as the years that we are currently in that I figure will last hopefully a couple of years. My kiddies are all sleeping through the night (HURRAY), far less physically dependant on me for all their needs, and yet they are still sweet and childlike and love to be around Joel & I. We are still their "heroes". I know that in a couple of years adolescence will hit and I'm terrified of that idea. I have a very difficult time relating to teenagers, even though it seems like only yesterday that I was one. I worry about how my relationship with my kids will change during those years. So right now, with an 8, 6, and 4 year old I'd say I'm in a very good place and I'm going to enjoy these years while they last and pray that I will be a good mom of teenagers when that time comes (I have a feeling Joel will be MUCH better at knowing how to relate to the kids then). I know the next few years will fly by and before I know it, my sweet little eight-year-old Izzy will be a young woman, WOW.

So tonight as I type this I am at peace knowing my kids are all upstairs; snug and safe in their beds, dreaming about their first day of Grade 3, Grade 1 and Kindergarten for Lyric (on Friday). Sometimes I wish I could freeze time, but I know that wouldn't be the best thing either.

My darlin's:



It's incredible how much love God gives us for our children. As crazy as they can drive us some days (we definitely had some moments of that today), there is nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for these 3 blessings that God gave to Joel and I. I know that I have been abundantly blessed in the last decade of my life!

Here's to a new school year: a fresh start and a new year full of memories and moments,

Mel