Sweetness

A few years ago, I wanted to roll my eyes whenver someone told me to "enjoy these years because they will go by so quickly." But now, I'm really glad I've received that advice...over and over and over. I think I am finally learning to do it.

Of course, not every day is great. Ethan was whining because "ALIA SAYS I HAVE GIRL NAILS!" Spencer is into absolutely everything--he repeatedly empties every drawer and cupboard (because we haven't installed child locks again). The girls bicker on and off throughout each day and come to me to solve it, and I get tired sometimes and just want to hide in my room with a good book.

But there is this sweetness that permeates everything. Yesterday, Grace and Ethan played library. They put books all over the front room and made "libery" cards (pictured below). It's sweet to see little papers and pencils and toys all stacked up around the house after the children are asleep and the house is quiet.



Our one-year-old Spence is more energetic than Eric and I put together. While I was doing laundry today, he climbed right up on the door to the dryer and took everything out for me...and put it on the floor.

But still, there is a sweetness about that, is there not? I am trying to learn to see things for how they really are. Yes, Spencer's "help" requires more work on my part, and yes, I'm a little nervous that the dryer door is going to pop right off and I'll have to get a brand new dryer (but wait, would that be so bad? My washer and dryer are getting a little old. Hmmmmm.)

It is the process of learning to breathe and enjoy these years that is so hard, but it's possible. I'm not good at it every day, but I'm learning. One day when I was pregnant with Spencer, the other children were wreaking havoc on the house. I was jumping from mess to mess, and when I walked into the downstairs bathroom and found toys and toilet paper everywhere, I groaned, "My CHIL-dren!!!" Ethan was sitting there watching me react, and without missing a beat, he asked, "We are so sweet?"

I paused for a minute, looked at his hopeful smile, thought about his question, and then replied softly, "Yes, you are so sweet." He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "OH, I thought you were going to say we are NOT so sweet." That made me laugh. I gave him a hug, and we cleaned up the mess together.

Children are sweet. They're trouble, and they're a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.