How did you spend your May Day Bank Holiday? I spent it going through boxes and boxes of baby clothes. Tiny outfits that our little girl and boy wore when they were younger.
The first sleepsuit that we dressed them in when they were born. The outfit they wore when we brought them home. The dungarees they were wearing when they met their grandparents. The party outfits that we bought for their Welcome to the World celebrations.
Looking through these clothes brought back some sweet memories. Tiny hands. Tiny feet. Sleepy cuddles. Kisses on the forehead. Picnics in the park. Birthday parties. Tentative steps. First days at preschool.
But it also made me sad. Sorting through those clothes brought tears to my eyes.
Our children are growing up. They are no longer little babies.
Our baby days are behind us. They are packed up in boxes to be sold or given away.
Little Miss H will be four in a few weeks and in September she will be starting at school. A new chapter of her life unfurling in front of her. Filled with excitement and challenges.
Little Mister H is almost 10 months old but is desperate to be his sister’s peer. In the past 2 months he has mastered crawling, produced 4 teeth (with 2 more cutting through) and today he started pulling himself up on furniture, cruising and took 8 tentative steps while I held onto his hands.
They are babies no longer.
A fact of life and something that I can’t stop from happening. But it still breaks my heart a little. And it has been weighing on my mind recently.
Parenting lessons from the bluebells
Today we went for a walk through the woods and during our time in the bluebells I learnt something about parenting.
As we were stumbling through the purple haze I realised that the bluebells are ephemeral. My time with them is fleeting. If I go back into the woods tomorrow those bells of blue will have changed. They will no longer be exactly as they were at 13:04 on Tuesday 2nd May 2017.
But if I dwell on this, if I am saddened by the fact that the bluebell woods may have been more beautiful yesterday, then I fail to see the beauty all around me. I don’t appreciate the woods as they are today.
And it struck me that this has been my attitude to my children. I have been so preoccupied with mourning the passing of our baby days that I have neglected to see my children as they are now.
Yes, they may not be newborn babies anymore. But they will only ever be the age they are today… well… today! They will only by 1442 and 296 days old today. Tomorrow they will be older and they will have changed. They will not be the same. And by living in the past, I am missing being a parent to the children I have.
So I took a deep breathe and stepped forward into the wood. And our walk was beautiful.
Not just because of the wonder of the flowers that threw a blue glow against the green of the wood. But it was beautiful because I was with my children.
I was WITH them.
Intead of pining for days gone by, I appreciated my children for who they are now.
The girl who loves to climb trees and get covered in mud. Who wears 5 different outfits a day – alternating between princess dresses and pyjamas. Who wants to help us with the cooking and cleaning but will never tidy her room.
A little girl who idolises her Daddy and is beginning to realise that her Mummy’s isn’t quite so bad.
Little Miss H, who is going to be 4 soon and has asked for a Princess Poppy party and some Aquabeads for her birthday. And who only wants her brother at her birthday party if he promises not to eat any birthday cake.
Our pre-schooler who wants all her teachers to come to her birthday party. Who is desperate to start school but won’t be happy in a uniform looking neat and tidy.
And our son, who is a Mummy’s boy. Who loves being snuggled warm and cosy in the baby carrier while I stumble through the wood with his sister.
Our little boy, who won’t sit still for a second. A force of nature who crawls so fast Mummy can’t keep up.
Little Mister H, who desperately wants to be like his sister. Who looks at her adoringly and giggles whenever she does anything funny.
Our almost 10 month old, who instead of having fun in the bluebells with his sister was snoring loudly in the baby carrier.
Our last rainbow, who has a smile and a giggle that warms my heart and fills me with joy.
Yes, they may not be babies anymore. But they are amazing.
They are amazing today. They will be amazing tomorrow.
And I don’t want to miss a day with them.
14 Comments
Helen Little
August 21, 2017 at 6:23 amSo beautiful. The power of now is easily overlooked. As for children, they seem to live in now and we have so much to learn from them.
Mrs H
August 23, 2017 at 9:58 pmThank you so much. I completely agree with you. We need to look to our children and learn from them about how to enjoy the moment. Hugs Lucy xxxx
Anthony @ W88
May 15, 2017 at 6:35 amThanks a lot for sharing, Lucy! Awesome parenting lessons, beautiful pics by the way
emily and indiana
May 12, 2017 at 12:49 pmLucy this is so, so beautiful! I am so guilty of not living in the moment, but when I do I realise just how lucky I am to have my two beautiful babies. Gorgeous photos too xx
dạy tiếng anh cho bé
May 11, 2017 at 7:13 amThank Lucy, a meaningful post. How to teach your child helps me a lot. I wish my son play a little bit less
Jules Pondering Parenthood
May 7, 2017 at 8:44 pmWhat a lovely post. So important to remember the cherish the moments right in front of us, rather than pining for the ones that have passed xx
kay
May 7, 2017 at 7:13 pmBeautiful post, it’s so important to try and be present. It’s something I personally struggle with, but there are moments, especially when we’re out in the countryside I let myself just be mum and not blogger, teacher, freelancer, cleaner etc etc etc xxx
Lisa (mummascribbles)
May 7, 2017 at 7:55 amOh Lucy, this is such a beautiful post. You are so right about it all going so quickly and we really do need to slow down and take it all in. Gorgeous post lovely x
Mrs H
May 7, 2017 at 4:17 pmThank you so much honey. It is so important to slow down and take it all in. But it is much easier said than done. Hugs Lucy xxxx
Al
May 6, 2017 at 10:11 amI’ve seen so many photos of the bluebell woods but we havent been yet. Must go this weekend, thanks for the reminder 🙂
Carol Cameleon
May 5, 2017 at 3:47 pmYes, ive been here too. Pining away yet not always seeing our daughter as the wonderful person she is now. I think its the fierce, innate need to protect her that wants me to keep her little…
Abbie
May 5, 2017 at 9:00 amOh Lucy your posts make me so emotional, always so beautifully written! You have a total way with words xx
Mrs H
May 5, 2017 at 9:09 amOh Abbie, thank you so much. You are so kind. Hugs Lucy xxxx
Amy@ The Smallest Of Things
May 3, 2017 at 10:14 pmYet another beautiful post! You are so right about getting hung up and not enjoying the now. What lovely photos too 🙂