Just read a blog entry that got me thinking about the same thing but with a little different twist. "MsP" (http://msparamedic.com/) brings out some good thoughts on her most recent post about growing up and the things that kids do, say, or believe in and how their world revolves around those beliefs.
More and more recently I find myself looking a little differently at my kids. I look at them how they are now and compare them to what they were just six months ago, a year ago, or longer, and see how they've changed, evolved, come in to their own as to what they do and say. Their words are clearer and their thought processes have changed dramatically. They're growing up.
I loved having little six month old kids crawling around and smiling all the time and curling up with them on the couch or floor for nap time. I miss, I truly do, rocking our son to sleep in a recliner with his face nestled in to the side of my neck and head resting softly on my shoulder as he fell fast asleep. I miss him softly whispering, "da da da da" as he dozed off before I carried him in and laid him in his crib to finish his nap. I miss cradling the girls in my lap as they fell asleep for their naps or they weren't feeling well and had to be "rescued" by the Boss to pick one of them up because I was afraid if I moved I'd wake them out of their peaceful slumber.
Now one of them goes to sleep by himself, #2 hates going to bed and usually around 1 or 2a she arrives crying in our bedroom and is only pacified by crawling up in our bed. #3 is a true pain to get to sleep at night because she always wants to play and talk and not go to sleep.
This year we'll probably reveal to #1 that there is no Santa even though I think he already knows. We got pretty hard on my niece as she told him last year just before Christmas and ruined the thought, the fun of it for him. The girls still believe in him so we'll probably have to bribe #1 to not say anything.
It's fun to see the girls and their reactions to Easter eggs, bunnies, deer, Santa and his countless pictures around December in stores, and all the wonderful things we all grew up knowing, loving, and believing in. It's sad that all of these precious things go by the wayside as we get older and find out the "truths" behind them. It's just making sure that those stories and myths stay alive and get passed from generation to generation so they too can see the sparkle in their childrens' eyes, re-live the magic of the season and moment, and see the true enjoyment and happiness that their mythical characters' names bring to their little lives, even if it's just for a brief moment in time.
I'm glad our children are growing up and learning things. I'm also sad that those things that used to be are no more and won't happen again until they have their own kids. I know things change but sometimes I'm just one of those dinosaurs who doesn't either agree with or like it all too well, especially when it involves my kids.
Mind you, I don't like the whining and complaining, yelling and screaming, crying and hollering, but it's part of a child's life. It's gonna happen. But I'll always miss the first smiles, the coos, the cuddling and rocking, the first words, the first steps, and all those wonderful things that come with being a parent. Now I get to look forward to the first boyfriend or girlfriend, the dates, the dances, the report cards and graduations, and the weddings.
Know what I'm looking forward to most? No, I'm not that old, but I can't wait to have grandchildren so I can have some of those wonderful things all over again.
