Time

I've been a mom for 6.5 years and I have to say...this is my favorite time.  I am not a big fan of the baby stage (especially with twins and/or moving across the country with a 1  month old Tyce).  Age 2 was really hard as well, my boys were into everything.  When the twins turned 4 I noticed my life got much easier and more fun.  Now that Tyce is 3 and the twins are 6...I am loving our family dynamics.  With the kids being a little older and more on their own, Parker and I have more time together (as much as possible given his job).  The twins are at such a fun age.  They are in between the little kid and the big kid and I love it because you get the best of both worlds.  Tyce is a really fun 3 year old and is definitely the humor in our family.  He says the cutest things and I love his 3 year old antics.  We are getting to the point where we can go out all day without worrying about naps, snacks, diapers, strollers, etc.  I know this would make a lot of moms sad, but not me.  We can all go out to dinner and the kids feed themselves and behave!  We can play family games and the twins can be on their own.  We can watch movies that Parker and I are interested in as well as the twins.  I can talk to the twins about more grown up things and feelings.  I guess what I'm trying to say is...this is the life.  Something happened today that made me realize how lucky I am to be in this time.

 

Jackson made a Do Not Enter sign and put it up on his bedroom door...

 

Why was this significant?  It gave me a small taste of what my future may hold...a teenage boy who does not want his mom to "enter" whether it be his room, his life, his feelings, etc.  This was funny because after I told Jackson that if I could not enter I could not do his laundry, bring his breakfast in bed on his special days, make his bed, tuck him in, cuddle him, and read to him on his bed he added a "except mommy, daddy, Tyce, and Brody" clause to the Do Not Enter stipulation.  It was so easy to "get back in."  I also think this picture is funny because he's in his undies and doesn't care if mommy sees him like that.  I love his innocence.  I love that I can fix most of my boys' problems with a kiss, a cookie, a distraction, a hug, or a short conversation.  How am I going to cope when their problems become so much more significant, real, private, and much more difficult to fix?  What am I going to do when/if they don't even WANT to talk to me about their problems?  That makes my heart ache to just think about.  Parker and I have high hopes that our parenting style will result in open communication with our kids, even as they get older, but in the end...each kid is different and we can only do so much.   

So I am trying to enjoy this time as much as I can.  I want to soak up the fun family games nights, the constant hugs and kisses, the cute I Love You cards, the way Tyce says "flowlers" for flowers, the constant wanting to be with me and talk to me, and the innocence that my precious boys radiate.  I love that at this age they WANT to be with Parker and I.  They listen to us and value our opinions.  They, for the most part, obey us.  I also want them to know, since I print out my blog and will give them each copies of each year when they're old enough to appreciate it, how much their mommy loves them.  I don't know what the future holds for our family and how the dynamic will change, but I do know that I will always love them and will always strive to make sure they know that.  I know I will enjoy other ages as well but, really, I don't know if it gets better than this for me.  I love you Jackson, Josh, and Tyce...please don't ever grow up. But, if you must, please always know that I am here.