When "Cats In the Cradle" stops being just a song.

I'm back! Sorry about the delay. Life happens, you know? One of the biggest things on my mind over the last couple of weeks has been my kids. With school now in session, I'm discovering that I actually miss them! We had a great summer together, but I was excited about having a little alone time in the morning before work. And that has been good. But all of the sudden though, there never seems to be enough time. That first hour of the day is pretty go-go, and I don't get home most weeknights until after nine. That ends up being all business too. At best we squeeze in a quick bedtime story and snuggle Mr. C to sleep. It ends up being the best part of my day, because I don't really get any time with them on the weekends either.

What I've also realized, is that our family is seeing a big shift. We've been parents for over a decade now, and the youngest kid is five. For most of our time so far, it's been "firsts". First birthday, first scary ride at the fair. first sleepover, and so on. And yeah, I know the "firsts" are far from over, but I'm starting to see the "lasts" creeping in. We just sent our last child to kindergarten. A couple of our friends have babies, and I got a pang of sadness when I realized that I'll never feel the sheer bliss of holding my newborn child ever again. Never have a tiny person that I MADE fall asleep on my chest anymore. On the other side of the coin though, I guess I've changed my last diaper. So I guess not all "lasts" are terrible, huh?

Overall, the important thing I'm focusing on is appreciating the moments I do get with them. The last ten years seem to have flown by, and I know that's only going to get worse. At the moment, I have three sweet, amazing kids who ACTUALLY want to spend time with me. I have to constantly remind myself how fleeting that is. I love my little people, exactly how they are. The hard part is accepting that "how they are" will constantly change for as long as I'll be around to see it.

"I don't know when, but we'll get together then",
B