First date for my Last child

MEMO to all you young moms out there:

These are the best days of your lives!

 No, REALLY!!

When the kids are living at home, hanging on your leg, begging for a cookie, smearing sticky kisses on your cheek, coming down with the sniffles, needing a kiss for an "owie", wearing your high heels and lipstick, making mud pies in your garden, and on and on and on; take a moment and savor it! 

  Because it passes too quickly. 

 After my first child was born, and I was sore, confused,  overwhelmed, and felt like I couldn't go anywhere without a luggage carrier, my mom wrote me a letter.

Long story short, she told me that these days would pass before I knew it and to enjoy them as much as I could.

I didn't listen very well. 

 

Not until my 4th child was born did I begin to think about what she had said to me in that note.

And something miraculous happened!

I began to slow down, let the unimportant things go, and enjoy being a mom.  I began to LOVE mornings (instead of dread them) when all the kids would pile into bed with me before the day began.  I would take hikes with them, meet them at the bus stop, go camping with them, take them to the zoo - instead of staying home to clean while Dad did all the fun stuff.

You see...

Children have a naughty little habit of growing up too fast.  Before you know it, the oldest ones have left home and are starting lives of their own, and your youngest is going on her first date.

Rachel and Michael Finch - Sr Ball 2011

 I'm telling ya, 

slow down...

and smell the baby powder.  

It won't be there forever, you know.