Reaching Milestones ...

I love being a mom but I'm torn over how fast my three children are growing up. They're 9, 7 and 6 and, as the saying goes, time is flying by. Before my eyes, they are creating their own unique personalities and becoming more independent. Lucas is my peacemaker/pleaser while Lauren, my artist, is always ready to stir things up. Logan, my youngest, is a bit shy and loves to play any and all sports. They still need me, of course, but not as much as they used to, which is good and bad.

I miss the days when they were babies and would snuggle up and fall asleep on my chest. I fondly remember the way they wobbled across the room with their first steps as they made their way from mommy to daddy. And I still cherish some of their first words. One of my favorites is when Lucas, my oldest, would say "ya ya" as his way of saying thank you.

While I do sometimes wish for those sweeter, innocent days, I've also learned to embrace new milestones in our family. Just recently, my two oldest children reached a new one. And when I say reached, I mean it, literally. They can now reach the lower tiers of our upper kitchen cabinets which is where the plates, bowls and cups are stored. And so, there is our milestone.

Lucas and Lauren have now been granted the tedious job of unloading the dishwasher. Ahhhh. Let's me take a moment right now to celebrate. Ahhhh. I don't know if you realize how happy this makes me. I know it only takes 3-5 minutes but, as a child, it was my job and it was never-ending, just as it is today. I grew to despise it and I still do. So I'm celebrating the fact that it's NOT my job anymore.

Ahhh (By the way, I'm smiling) :)

And now, I wait for the inevitable .. for my youngest child to grow big enough to also share the job.

What comes to mind is the list of other jobs they can start taking over ... folding laundry .. sweeping the kitchen floor. The list will eventually grow endless. It's a fact, I realize, that will make me happy and sad.

Have a great day!