We have spent a lot of time in the car since we moved to Texas and some of the conversations that go on in the car are hilarious. We drive out to see our house every few days…mainly because the little presidents are anxious to get into it (who isn’t?!) and like to see the progress. I don’t like going often because the lack of progress is enough to make a person crazy. Anywho, the other day, as we were driving, the little presidents had a whole backseat conversation about growing up.
Teddy started it and asked me “Is it true when you grow up, you get to live by yourself?”
Not know where the convo was going, I responded “Yes, you do.”
He responded “Well, I can’t wait to grow up and live by myself!”
Reagan chimed (whined) in “I want to go too!!!!”
Teddy said “Don’t worry Reagan, you’ll grow up with me!”
It broke my heart a little bit.
You know they are going to grow up and have their own lives one day, but I’m not ready to even contemplate that at 5 and 2.5 years old and here they are discussing it like it’s no big deal! I told them both that they needed to enjoy their childhood and that growing up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! I wasn’t even prepared to respond to a convo like this and I’m sure if I had it to do all over again, I would hope for better words of wisdom than what I responded with. But it is what it is. I can only imagine that growing up and living by yourself was something he heard from a friend or something. I mean, where do they come up with some of the things that come out of their sweet little mouthes. Most of it is hilarious!
It got me thinking though, what’s the hurry? So many kids are in such a hurry to grow up. I can completely remembering being so excited to grow up, especially as a teenager.
I blinked and Teddy is 5. He no longer looks like a toddler, he looks like a big kid. It really dawned on me as I scrolled through the pictures that I took of him this weekend.
Reagan is almost 3, which completely blows my mind. When I call her my baby, she responds “I not a baby! I a big girl!!!” I always tell her that she always be my baby anyway.
Everyone wants to stop time with their kids are growing up. I’m sure of it. Don’t you wish you could stop time some days? Maybe not on the days with the epic tantrums, but every other day, right? Haha.
When I watch the little presidents running and playing at the park, so wild and free, without a care in the world, it makes me wish they could stay young and innocent forever. Where the best days of your life consist of playing at the park and eating cheeseburgers and drinking milkshakes with your mom and dad.
They say “Babies Don’t Keep” and it couldn’t be truer. Some days I miss the days where I sat up in the middle of the night, feeding Teddy and Reagan and some days I wish I could be up in the middle of the night rocking one of the little presidents again. During those sleep deprived months where you are up every couple of hours, all you can think about is that there is an end in sight. Now, I sit here thinking I would go back in a second, because really, it all goes by in what seems like seconds.
It’s all so bittersweet. Watching them become little people, watching them learn new things every day and watching their little personalities evolve. It’s one of the most amazing things but it’s also hard to watch it go by in the blink of an eye. It all goes by so fast. I need to remember that on my hardest parenting days.
What about you, are there days that you wish you could just stop time, too?
Have you thought about having a third?
My three almost four year old always tells me his list about growing Up. he cant wait to grow up so he can:
drive a car, drink coffee and soda and not hold my hand in the parking lot. makes me laugh every time!
Such a sweet post… And very true. My sister has a newbord baby and 13 month old twins boys. Its crazy at her house to say the least, and i know she struggles to get through each day, but she tells me that every morning she is sad beucase that’s one more day that her babies arent her babies anymore.
Love your blog and insta by the way.
I’m on the verge of being 18, and I have always been ready to grow up…until lately. Just looking at them, I wish I could go back and be as young and carefree as they are for a day! Scholarships…advanced classes..making adult decisions…leaving my friends…one day they’ll want to go back! It’s a shame that you can’t. They’re so adorable…best wishes!
Oh man…I’m totally going thru this now. We are in the process of setting up kindergarten for next year, and just this weekend was asked by our daughter’s gymnastics coach to switch her to the pre team and out of recreational classes.
She’s on the cusp of a whole new world. Yes, she’s in pre-k, but it’s not “school”, it’s still a daycare facility. So many things will change for her in the blink of an eye, and I’m not ready.
Waaah it makes me sad in a way to think of my baby growing bigger everyday it makes me want another and another and another
I feel the same way about my 2.5 year old son. When I was a kid, I was the opposite…I didn’t WANT to grow up. I used to cry and say I wanted to live with my parents forever. Lol. 🙂 That tune changed when I was a teenager, obviously.
Everything you say is so true! You are so involved in their lives and all the extras you do for them really mean a lot. When I had a third baby, Knowing how fast they grow up, I can honestly say every second of his life was treasured knowing how short-lived baby days were. Night nursings were even pleasurable!
I have a 3 year old and 19 month old and wonder where the time is going. I, like you, yearned for those sleepless nights to end but would now give anything to have them all back. Children are a precious gift and put so much into perspective. I try to Cherish every moment, even the tantrums. It’s all so fleeting.
I would love to stop time! I hate that my littles are getting so big! These really are the best days of our lives…we need to cherish every one of them.
Awe… I just love this. I am with you on the fact that you never wanted to grow up. I remember crying when I turned 12 because I was a “big kid” now. (AKA I couldn’t still eat off the kids menu) And now that I’m approaching my senior year of high school I couldn’t want time to slow down any more than I already do! Haha! But more power to you precious kids for wanting to be independent 🙂
I so wish I could stop time on most days. 🙂 my Collin will be 5 in two weeks and it’s a big one to swallow! Emma is 2.5 and yet it seems like just yesterday she was a tiny baby in my arms. It goes so, so fast!!! I try my best to absorb each day with them, good and bad.
It totally gets me sad and emotional when I think of my 3 month old growing up!