Growin' Up

This summer is so different for us than others because in one year I've left all the diapers, strollers, naps, cribs, wipes, bibs, baby food jars, sippy cups and everything else that is baby behind. It really hit me last week when my "girls" came over and literally stripped my garage down to nothing and then put it back together again. We tossed two strollers(kept two), two high chairs, baby shoes, clothes, toys, two car seats and and infant carrier and all the other stuff that defined my life experience for the last 11 years. It was a really strange feeling. It was strange to see how fast I went from needing to pack all that "stuff" with me for every trip and now...traveling is so much lighter.

Although I don't seem to have much alone time any longer because no one is taking naps and my older two are staying up until I go to bed...it's a good thing. I don't feel like I'm a slave to the clock anymore. If we want to go out at 1 in the afternoon we can...if we don't have dinner until 7...no one cares....if we want to stay out past 8 it's all good. I love this pace of life. Schedules are good...and when my kids were small(like last year) I firmly believed in keeping to one...but now, there is so much more freedom.

I wondered if I would mourn the passing of the baby days...and sometimes I still need to hold Wesley and feel his little arms around me or hold Jed's still little hand...but for the most part I'm so content to watch them grow...it's a good thing!