Today we went out for the last minute back to school errands. I can NOT believe my oldest baby starts 2nd grade tomorrow. I’m not sure how this has happened. We went and got her hair cut, where she decided what she wanted done. Then we headed to the mall to exchange a few items. We went into the bathroom at Nordstroms and walked past the couch in the ‘lounge’ where I used to sit and nurse her when she was a baby. I reminisced about the times with friends, feeding our babies who are now 2nd graders.
She picked out some big girl clothes to replace the ones that didn’t fit. She looked SO grown up in that fitting room wearing the most adorable jeans and shirt (which she picked out) and her new ‘do. I stopped to soak it all in a bit, then it was off to make sure the 3 year old didn’t run circles around the clothing racks and fall down, keep the baby in the sling happy, juggle the shopping bag and the diaper bag, trying to keep all 3 kids close and out of harms way.
Then we got on the escalator. Trying to make sure all the kids were safe and staying close. The lady a few steps above us stopped to talk to me. She said, ‘It goes too fast, enjoy it.’ She is the mom of 4. She said three of her 4 are in college. She told me that she remembers these years, and while they are tough when you’re in the midst of it, it flies by and you will miss it.
I thanked her. I told her that it’s certainly overwhelming to be in the midst of it, but my children are an amazing blessing. When Bekah tried to run circles around The GAP, I remembered the conversation on the escalator. She will be a teenager before I know it. I took a deep breath and calmly tried to keep her close to me.
It’s amazing how a nice comment from a stranger can take me from frazzled mom of three trying to keep the kids from destroying Nordstrom’s or getting lost in the mall to more relaxed and ready to enjoy my kids. It’s so nice to have moms who have been there to encourage those of us who are in the midst of it.
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