Sunday, November 11, 2012

They aren't kidding one single bit

Cooking dinner, and hear "Mom, I need help with this word."  Leave the stove and go help the boy with his spelling homework.  As I finish there, "Mommmm-eeee!" from down the hall in the bathroom.  After taking care of those needs, walk back to the kitchen to see the littlest helping herself to a drink, in which she has spilled a bottle of juice on the floor.  Then, as if on cue, the smoke alarm reminds me of dinner on the stove.   There's no way I can pick up the phone that has started to ring.

That could have been any afternoon just a few years ago.  It was days like this that I would wonder how time could ever pass quickly.  Wondering how much longer until bedtime?!   After all, people are quick to tell you "Time passes so quickly.  Just wait until they get into school." 

Guess what?  Those people are telling the truth.  They aren't kidding one single bit.

Not that there aren't crazy days where it seems like every step forward leads to three steps back.  But there are little changes happening daily that remind me that these kids that I'm blessed with here under my roof are growing up rather quickly. 

First, there are those physical changes that happen right before your eyes and ears.  The height and sheer size of the kids is unbelievable.  Buying athletic pants today for Seth, I found myself thinking, "Well, when he outgrows them he can just give them to Chad." Sure, the 12 year old can hand down pants to his father.  The pants I bought and thought would be way too big for Sarah, well they fit her perfectly.   And when the littlest wants me to do her hair, I have to reach a bit higher these days.

Then, there are small changes: Ella Grace reads to herself at bedtime.  Seth sits with the youth at church on Sundays.  Sarah just wants clothes and jewelry for her birthday.

This time thing is going by rather quickly.  And I've got a job to do inside this very house.  As a family we've worked on scripture memory and made it a point to have the kids involved in church from day one.   But today it hit home as we spoke of impressing God's word on our children's hearts during Bible class...
"Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!  Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts.  Get them inside of you and then get them inside of your children.  Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall in bed at night."~Deuteronomy 6:5-8

Get these promises in my heart.  Impress them on my children's hearts.  Through words, example, actions, and life, this must be done.  There's not an end date, no deadline.  But there is a time frame in that at some point these kids won't be with me every morning before school and every evening at bedtime.

This is no newsflash to any of us.  After all, it's how it's all supposed to work, right?  It just was staring me in the face today, that's all.  Along with new wrinkles.  And the effects of not exercising as much as this body needs me to.

But enough about that.  Take a look at what a difference three short years has made on these three kids (Mickey hasn't shrunk)...
Disneyland 2009 and Disneyland 2012:




That's all.   Enjoy every day.  And if you're like Seth, make sure to pick up a large hat at the Disney park of your choosing...  :)

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