Looking back

Weekends always go by way too quickly. I sure would like to know the moron that created the 5 day workweek. Why not at least make it a little more even and make it 4 days of work and a 3 day weekend?

This weekend I spent quite a bit of time relaxing, but also managed to get some laundry done as well some pages done in the boys sports scrapbooks. Karli wasn’t feeling well so I found myself relaxing with her most of the time. I always get caught up in looking at old photos whenever I’m working on their books. It really got me thinking about how fast the years go by when kids are just FUN.

If I could go back to any time it would probably be when the kids were just toddlers. Running around with just a diaper on, eating Cherrioes, and throwing balls to the dogs. Not a care in the world. I wasn’t working and my days were so easy and fun. I feel like I didn’t enjoy them enough and those years went by way to fast. Now it’s all sports, and homework, and technology. Instead of them whining for their pacifier they are begging for gas money or their turn on the computer. Rather than debating over whether we are going to watch Finding Nemo or Toy Story for the 50th time we are debating who gets the Xbox360.

When women say they are for sure done having children and then many years later they yearn for just one more I used to think they were crazy. Why would they want to start over? The sleepless nights, the formula and baby food, all the stress that comes with a baby! After we had our daughter we did feel our family was complete without a doubt. 3 boys and a girl, what a nice even number. Even now with all of the kids activities I don’t know how we could manage one more.

It has happened to me though, and I have said it to Ken on more than one occasion. I would have another child if I could. Setting aside all the reasons on why this would and could never happen, I can really understand why women go through this. Even though I don’t think it is so much that I want another child, another human being to take care of – because God knows with the six of us (and 4 dogs) in this house we have more than enough to take care of. I think it’s more that I miss the days when our kids were little. I miss the moments when they needed me to hold them and feed them and rock them to sleep. When they cried because they needed our attention instead of crying that their brother pushed them down. Or how they got mad when I took their pacifier away instead of complaining that they just lost wireless connection.

I find myself already reflecting on those days and Karli is only 8 years old. I mean it doesn’t help that Andrew is 17 and a Junior in high school and could potentially be going away to college in a year and a half. I seriously don’t know how I am going to survive him leaving, let alone once they are all gone. Our kids have become our life and even though that’s exactly how we wanted it to be since the day we got married (Blake was born 9 months after we married- we didn’t waste a single day!) it’s still hard to accept. The years go by so quickly and no matter how many times people tell you to enjoy every moment because time flies, you don’t realize exactly how fast until it’s too late. It pulls at my heart to see the photos of them when they were so teeny tiny and they smiled at every little thing.

Daily Nuggets

–> Snow day today!! Guess it sort of will be a 4 day work week! lol (I’m posting this the day after I wrote it!)

–> Chase won first place at a wrestling tournament yesterday. So proud!