Moments

Nine times out of ten, while in the grocery store (which is a lot), some sweet lady looks at me, looks at my kids and says something to the tune of "I remember those days....treasure these moments...they grow up so fast....those were the best times, when my kids were small like that."  And about five times out of ten I walk away muttering, "well, do you wanna borrow them for an hour to get that warm fuzzy feeling all over, and I'll take a nap?" 

No, but really, what those women really do is make me think long and hard about our 'moments' and how much I am enjoying them. I know it goes by fast. I imagine myself as one of those women, kids off in college or living far away and I think about these moments in the grocery store with Declan yelling "I dropped my necklace! I dropped my necklace!" Quinn reaching out to steer the cart and Isabella being a list Nazi and insisting that I tell her every.single.thing on the list before I pull it from the shelf because that IS HER JOB!  And in those moments, well really after those moments, I know that they will pass. We'll be home and everyone will be happy and peaceful again. And I will reflect on the conversations, the helpers and Declan who shouted for all the store to hear, that he 'dropped his heart on the floor, and please don't step on it.'  I grabbed that golden heart off the floor, put it in his hand, and said "oh, Declan, I hope no one ever steps on your heart..."

Today was certainly not as hot as it's been over the past month or so, but these kids were insistent on some water play. What they really wanted, was for me to dig out the big yellow pool with the slide. And oh the floodgates that opened when they found out that daddy found a crack in it and took it to the dump last week.  The sprinkler took it's place and the three of them were occupied for a good hour and a half.  And then they found slugs, so that took up another half hour....and it was a great afternoon.

Quinn did try to turn the water table into her own personal pool...many, many times.

Then there are moments like this:

As Ryan pulled into the driveway from work and the kids saw his white car rounding the bend, they all dropped what they had and started running to meet him. And I ran to grab my camera because these are the moments those ladies are talking about. They always want to be outside around the time Ryan should be home. They have their routine and it's something they look forward to. One day, our kids will remember how they met their daddy on the bend in the driveway, hopped in the car and drove it the rest of the way down the driveway, windows down, music on, eight hands on the wheel.  Because this is it.

I know that one day I'll see a woman in the grocery store with a few toddlers and I'll think back to when my three were little.  I'll miss it just like I miss all of the past with them.  It's a lot of work to be 'present,' to be in only this moment.  But I'm willing to try.