Little Fingerprints on the Door

fingerprints on the door….prior to cleaning šŸ™‚

As I made my way up the stairs and into the hallway, I noticed them. They were on the door at three distinct levels. One set representing the oldest el, a first grader. Most likely, his are from the dirt outside, last night’s dinner or a special dessert. Then, there are the middle set, belonging to our second oldest el. His are probably from tooth paste, which he wastes as he tries to apply some to everybody’s brush. And, from peanut butter on his favorite lunch sandwich. And, then there are the ones belonging to tiny t. Hers are probably a mixture of food, markers, paint and anything she can get her little hands on. As I look at them, I contemplate whether or not to wipe them away.

As I head back downstairs to grab my magic eraser, wet it, and head back upstairs, I’m still trying to decide if it’s okay to leave them there. They definitely make the door look dirty. It is the door to the boys’ room that they share along with Baby L. But, I don’t want to forget what those little fingerprintsĀ represent. I know there will come a day when I will wipe theĀ  last little fingerprint off of the door and they will be too big to return. I want to appreciate the fingerprints, the children that leave their mark everywhere in our house and the season of life we are in. I know I’m going to miss this.

I decided to clean the door. It only took a few seconds to wipe away the fingerprints. I know they will be back soon, this time.

Growing Up So Fast

I’ve always heard the saying “they grow up so fast.” It is usually spoken when someoneĀ hasn’t seen you orĀ a child in a while. Often times, we hardly notice the growth that is taking place right in front of our eyes. I remember being in high school and having people tellĀ me that this time was just going to fly by. At that time,Ā I really didn’t think so.Ā I feltĀ like time moved really slowly. Year to year was such a huge difference. And, the days at school seemed really long.Ā 
However, as soon as I hitĀ my senior year in high school and from that time on, time has really flown by. College was a wonderful time. But, it really went by too fast. As soon as it was over, and I had graduated, I was ready to do it again. (no, not grad school, just repeat college with all my friends and professors.)
Luckily, it doesn’t work like that. Although, if I could relive any day of my life, it would be my wedding day. It’s the one day where there were so many special people surrounding us and I wish I could go back and take it really really slow. That day flew by!
Now, that we have our children, time seems to have sped up. Possibly it’s still moving slowly for my little ones. But, for us, we are on the fast track. One moment, I am diapering a bottom and the next moment that child is getting ready to start kindergarten. Unbelievable! I hope I can look back and know that I enjoyed these moments while I had them. I know there is plenty to look forward to. But, I don’t want to miss the now.
Our nearly 5 year old- Bakri.
3 year old, Maddux
Trinity, 16 1/2 months
Maddux, spinning Bakri!

What a crick in the neck!

Well, good morning, crick in the neck. You surprised me with your 5am wakeup call. And your pain that has gotten increasingly worse since then. Why have you come back? I did not invite you and have no time for you today.

Why do I have a crick in the neck this morning? I have no idea. I slept fine. Although, I would suppose that is in question now. Can you get a crick in the neck from sleeping too still? It’s possible that I did not move from 10pm until 5am. Would that do it?

As a mom of 3 pre-schoolers, going through the day without reaching down to pick someone, something, or a million things off the floor, is an impossible goal. Unfortunately, there is no comfortable position for this crick in the neck. It’s all pain.

Oh well. And so it goes. And I’m off. To start the day with the three els,Ā a crick in the neck,Ā and a smile in my heart. xoxo