Something has happened...

At some point over the last few months we have had some very strange occurences. My children have been young and I have always thought of them as little and young and cute. They have changed slightly. I have been noticing that they are needing new clothes and that they don't all have that baby face look anymore.

Reasons why I know my kids are growing...

Macy: she has PMS (don't know if this is really true but she can roll her eyes with the best of them), has over 75 freckles (she makes me count) on her nose, she likes to play in her room away from the Double D's (I must be growing up too cause I like the same thing), I have to shop in the girls section (hate those clothes, my child is not a Britney wanna-be, she is six; I have an issue with making my six-year-old look sexy...any wonder why their is a rise in child predators--sorry soap box issue),she has discovered boredom (so annoying, now I understand my mom's frustration with us as kids), she eats three cheese crisps and she cares how many pieces of pizza she gets, she is more fun to be with than ever, she asks about things like electricity and gravity.

Collin: He is almost to the height where he can go on all the rides at Disneyland (except Indiana Jones) and we thought that would never happen, he is actually growing into his noggin, he dresses himself (allbeit backwards and sometimes inside out too, but when questioned he says he likes it like that), he tries to pick Evan up (there are bumps on Evan to prove it), he "reads" stories to Emily, he is starting to have some compassion towards the crying one in our house (I say it this way because there is always one it seems),his voice is cracking (not really I just can't think of anything else).

Emily: I put her hair in pig tails for the first time and it didn't look like I was grasping at hair that wasn't there like it has in the past, she can take off her own diaper (only when she is poopy though--lucky me), she has learned how to pout (mostly cute with her folded arms and huffy grunts), she likes to wear underwear (but only Collin's Thomas ones, none of this Princess business for her), she understands when I ask her where she peed and will point to the exact spot on the carpet that I need to clean, she can say thank you and sorry, she hugs tighter than ever, she can get her own markers and coloring book, she tries to "comfort" her baby brother (aka smothers), her growth mark on the door is getting close to Collins (poor boy).

Evan: has four teeth (the top two have a space and I love it), is crawling (mostly army style but still), is sitting up when I go to get him out of bed, he notices when I leave a room, he recognizes me by my shoes, he knows that his room with the light off means it is time for bed (he cries immediately), he squirms when I am trying to cut his fingernails, he screams louder than the loudest person when in the car, he reaches for his mom when his siblings get too rough.

I am mourning the growth of my children and I wish so badly that I could bottle up those precious moments of peace that we have so that someday when our house is quiet, and I am applying made for gray hair dye in a box and trimming Tait's ear hairs, I could sit down on the chair that I used to rock my babies and enjoy a brief moment of what it felt like to have them snuggling with me and giving me one last kiss as an excuse to get out of bed. If I could ask for one wish to be granted it would be that I would appreciate everyday with them at these ages. I wish it were easier to have perspective at those moments when you need it the most! I pray for it and I challenge myself to enjoy the journey of raising my little family!