Today I have two awesome friends over from The Dose Of Reality to share a post that we moms can all relate to! These girls are always so much fun to read and you surely will leave their blog feeling warm and giggly all over. I dream of someday hitting up a Starbucks with them, but until then I will just soak in their friendship through their words. If you haven’t been over to their place, you simply must stop by. They will immediately win you over!!
Let Them Be Little…
Cliches are true for a reason and song lyrics like “Let them be little because they are only that way for a while” make moms everywhere well up when they really listen to them.
Kids grow up. They do. No matter how much we wish we could slow it down and savor all the little moments, the time just keeps passing. You might find yourself on your 16th game of Candyland in a row with your five year-old, but before you know it, you will blink and your baby is heading off to high school.
Remember as a kid how the time would just creep by? How it would seem like a year between Thanksgiving and that beloved Christmas morning? And now as a mom you feel like the second the calendar flips past Labor Day you are already behind on the holiday shopping. Only because you have learned that the fall is one big blur of back-to-school events and birthday parties and then suddenly it is December, and you don’t even have a Christmas card ready.
We talk a lot about how we wish we were more present in the moments with our children. We say all the time that we know at our core the time is flying by and yet we still find ourselves completely distracted and only barely half-listening to their stories. And yet at the end of the day, we believe (we hope), we pray that our children know how much they are loved.
One of the things we have been talking about recently is making sure that we make our time in the summer count. We started that a bit last summer, and it was really successful. Both for us as mothers and for our children. March seems so early to be planning for July, but as we have learned: we will blink, and it will be the last day of school.
Because honestly, just between us, time for mothers actually does seem to slow down in the summer. Like sometimes you find yourself looking at the clock at 8:54 a.m. on June 12th, and you look up an hour later to find that it is only 8:56 a.m. Children are often fighting within one minute of finishing breakfast. Your house is in a constant state of disrepair, and you live for bedtime and the idea that someday they will go back to school. You don’t want to feel that way, because while the summer days may be long, you know in your heart the years are short.
Sometimes it is as simple as a trip to the movies to brighten everyone’s attitudes. Other times, you may have to venture further outside your comfort zone and head off to the zoo. No matter what, though, make the time count. Make summer the time you reconnect. Smile more. Stress less. Play and craft and swim. Eat Popsicles for no reason. Stay in jammies all day baking cupcakes. Whatever you do, make memories.
Because those last forever.
I love the post, especially the idea of the post…but for those of us that are single working moms, this is a tad depressing because we don’t get a “whole” summer with our kids…we have to work 🙁 Cherish this time!
Awww, Nikki, we did not want to bring you down. 🙁 Hugs.
Love this! Love The Dose girls! Isn’t it funny that childhood seemed to be soooo long? Like a whole lifetime. And to my parents, what, a blink of an eye?
Isn’t it amazing how fast it goes now that we have children??
Three of my faves in one spot. I love it! I can totally relate to this and plan on taking your advice. Had I known that when Nico went to high school, the process of him leaving would already start, I would have taken your advice earlier. I need to live in the moment with these kids because we don’t get a do-over. Love you guys!
So glad we were able to make you smile! 🙂 We don’t get a do-over…you are so right.
I swear if I could have one super power it would be the ability to slow time….lol! Every moment with our little ones is precious and sometimes we just need to stop, take a breath, and remember to enjoy it. Wonderful post, thank you so much for sharing it! =)
That would be the best super power ever! 🙂 Where do we get that? 😉
So love this! Thought the kids are still in daycare or camp, we definitely have a more relaxed schedule in the summer. Living in Maine, we make the most of it. Can’t beat summers in Maine! Even if we’re just sitting around a camp fire doing nothing at all, memories are being made.
I would absolutely LOVE to summer in Maine…it sounds amazing!
How funny that we both had our minds in the same place for today’s post? Are we going thru something?! Is this the mommy-midlife crisis??
Great minds think alike Kristen!
In all the seasons we have so many memories to make, time flies indeed but thank God for the memories!!! That’s why I try not to get caught up in the small details or stresses because I’ve learned that we don’t even remember any of those things! Hmmmmm….so why do we still get so caught up in them! When we think about what we do remember from 1 yr ago or 3 yrs or 5 yrs ago etc..it is never the small stresses that come into our minds, never how rushed we always felt, the never ending ‘to do’ lists etc…what comes into your mind?? For me it is images of family moments, chubby cheeks, snuggling in front of the TV, meals together, bike rides, vacations, curling up with books, baking together, meaningful cards/gifts received, tiny feet and hands, big innocent eyes asking questions, tickling,hearing ‘I love you’s’, 5 y/o hand stroking my hair while talking at bedtime…countless images such as those ……………so….why would the ‘little’ things stress me out when I won’t even remember them?? Seems so silly when I think of it that way.
May all us mothers get better each day at mastering the art of ‘letting go’ that which truly will not matter 1 yr, 3 yrs, 5 yrs from now, and focus on capturing the images and memories that will.
So perfectly said Candace! We could not agree with this comment more if we tried. Thank you SO MUCH!! 🙂
I love these ladies, so I knew I’d love this post! It’s so very true. Our kids DO grow so quickly, and so we need to try our best to be present, even in the hectic moments. Thanks for sharing this, friends!
You are so sweet Andrea! We really appreciate you reading and commenting on this. 🙂
I look forward to summers! Time goes by way too fast…I did blink and my oldest is almost halfway done with high school! I can still remember him pointing at the kitty and saying “key, key” – his very first word. Where did all the time go? Summers are the best!
Awww, key key is SO SWEET!! 🙂 LOVE IT! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
First of all, I am so happy to see my Doe Girls here – and Chris, if you don’t mind, I’d like to hang out in that Starbucks with you and Lisa and Ashley. That would TOTALLY make my day – if not my year! And I love this post – because I too hope that my kids know at the end of every day that they are loved – even if I am not great with keeping the distractions out of the day.
Ilene, you are SOOOOO WELCOME to hang with us at Starbucks girl!!! You got the tab right? The newbie always gets the tab! I’m hungry for some marble cake and another mocha (2% grande thank you very much!) please!!! Now lets GAB GIRLS!! 😉
The more the merrier we say! We love a girl’s trip to Starbucks! 🙂
Love the Dose Girls! And of course this is such a great reminder. I can’t tell you how many times the husband and I have talked about going to a state park or the zoo, but it just doesn’t happen. Must change that this summer.
You will be so happy if you make a summer plan sheet…that really helped us last summer actually with always having fun activities! 🙂
{Melinda} Mine are 16 and 13 and I’m not sure how that happened. I’ve spent lots of time with my kids and have few regrets in that area. However, I have a confession. I hate summer. My husband is a teacher so EVERYONE is home all summer. And they are on vacation, but I am not! We all get a little stir crazy. I’ve learned to cope and try to provide more structure, activities so we’re not all going crazy… but I can’t deny it … I have a little panic attack on May 1st. I think I’m having a little panic attack right now just thinking about it. 😉
Oh girl, we feel your pain…summer tends to give us anxiety, too! We wish it didn’t, but it does!
So, so true! Some days it is so difficult to savor the moment, but we will all regret it if we don’t.
Love you guys and so glad to see you here! This is a gorgeous reminder–making those memories really is what it’s all about. As we know too well, it can all just change so quickly and memories are that precious part we have left! Thanks for sharing this, ladies.
And I am sure they love you too Meredith!! They are off and running now but I will step in to say Amen to that my friend!! I blinked…and my kids are all grown up in so many ways. What happened?!?
Perfect timing. I was just starting on my summer plan list. It helps to keep thing in the right perspective while I’m making all those plans. Thanks.
Summer plan list? You are FREAKING AWESOME!!! I am on my “tomorrow list” here over at the mom cafe!!! LOL Thanks for stopping by. Love to see you here! ~Chris
Truth- I’m only working on it because someone we know assigned me a topic that makes me start on it now. Oh the things I’ll do for my blog….
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh thanks so much for the morning laugh my friend!!! Yep. I get that!!!!! 🙂
What a beautiful reminder.
I have been trying so hard to make those memories.
I never knew how fast time could fly by until kids were in my life!
I know for a FACT through your lovely blog posts, that you my friend, are making some SERIOUS MEMORIES!!! 🙂