We went over to a good friend's house for dinner earlier this week. It was not like the ol' days let me tell you. Because my son goes to bed at 6PM and our friend's daughter needs to do her homework after dinner, we decided on an early meal. But with four kids underfoot, one husband on the green egg (the grill) and one husband on a buns/pickles/beer run, prepping for dinner is not an easy and swift task. It was a mild storm in the kitchen where onions were diced, patties formed, potatoes fried and a slightly stronger storm in the corridor between the living room and bedrooms where four children were rushing back and forth - singing, dancing, running, screaming with delight. It was a happy scene but a somewhat rushed and ragged scene to say the least. The kids were delighted and the adults were a little less so - too busy worrying about if the toddler was climbing up the table again or if the potatoes were burning. Oh, and what was that? Oh, are you trying to have an actual conversation over all of this? Good luck lady.
As we all sort of crashed at the table to eat, my friend and I looked at each other from across the table and shook our heads - it sure is different these days. Four short years ago we wouldn't have eaten until 8PM with a bevy of drinks to share before and after. Lots of conversation, lots of laughs and little stress. But you know what? This craziness of child-rearing will be over before we know it - or at least this part of it. I can already sense a severe shift - my son, who is 11 months this week, already seems older overnight. He is way more interactive, way more in tune to what's going on around him. It's like the baby in him left his body one night and the toddler in him leapt in.
Time is so precious. We need to enjoy these crazy moment because they will be gone too soon along with first steps, first words, funny story telling and sweet little smiles.
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