Our Children

Yesterday,was an emotional day for me. I think it stemmed from the Heads or Tails meme and the theme for the day which was "School". After visiting many blogs and reading what everyone had to say, I got nostalgic and teary. Although I only have one daughter now who is of school age I was missing being there for her on her first day of school.

Like most of you, when my girls started school it was a big thing.....taking their photos and preparing them for the special day. It's so funny at the time I don't think we really appreciate what we have. We just see it as another day of rushing, getting the kids up and going, making breakfast and lunches, walking them to school and then rushing back home to do chores and so on. How time truly does fly. I can remember when the girls were little and their grandmother always use to say..."they are only little once, enjoy them while you can". I never really took what she had to say to heart until recently. Now that they are not with me full time I pine for them. I miss them so much. I loved hearing about their daily adventures or misadventures...I loved being there when they were sad. I loved watching them learn new things....but I didn't appreciate it then....I was just to busy doing what I thought I had to do.

How I wish I had gotten down on that floor more often and saw what they saw....or splashed in that puddle and let the dirty water get all over me and just laugh about it rather than thinking about the extra laundry it caused.

I have always loved September. Going back to school and the change in the season. This time of year brings back some memorable childhood events, the smell of autumn in the air, the crispness of pears and apples and my tin lunch box. Early September when the leaves started to fall I use to take the girls to the park and we would collect leaves and press them between pieces of wax paper and then cut them into shapes and make window decorations. It was a time when I started to use my oven again and bake pumpkin cookies and bread. I love the colours of the fall the vibrant oranges and yellows and reds. I loved to decorate for autumn, the autumn wreaths and the strands of autumn leaves would be strung around the windows or door frames and the girls were always there to help decorate.

So many fond memories. I am thankful I have them. I treasure them. For those of you with school age children, try to enjoy this time...it truly is gone in a flash. The bake sales will soon be a thing of the past, the cub meetings and soccer practises will be done and over with in a bat of an eye. And before you know it, they will have out grown those activities that you thought they would participate in forever. Their wanting to hold your hand as they skip or walk their way to school, stopping when they do, and admire that something which drew their attention. Yes it will be all be a memory before you know it.

Appreciate your little munchkin(s) for all that they bring to this table of life. It is their energies and passions that is our future let's encourage them and love them and thank god everyday for them.