enjoying the sweet little things

It's so nice to have your kid home that you only get to see a handful of times a year. I've learned to really savor and cherish these moments. The time went so fast with my oldest that I didn't truly appreciate it.


You know how it is when it's your oldest. You can't wait to see them accomplish that next feat....their first words....the first steps....tying their shoe....kindergarten....reading....writing....riding a bike....sleepovers....sports....getting their drivers licence....dating....college acceptance....high school graduation....moving into the dorms....wait!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~ The day of Nae's first steps....I actually missed the first ones....I was in class. ~~~~~~~~~~~
It was somewhere in high school, maybe around the applying to colleges, that I figured out it was all going too fast. Life was a whirlwind during that time (4 kids, all with their different activities and teams, me working full time). Suddenly, I realized that she would be going off to college as a 17 y/o (why did I let her start kindergarten when she was 4? I could have kept her home and she would have been fine and I would get another year of my child's life!!!). I just wanted everything to slow down. I wanted a "redo" so I could appreciate things more.

Having Nae come home is a little like having a celebrity in the house....at least for the first few hours....her little brothers and sister all think she's better than string cheese....then that wears off and the normal quarreling starts again. Which is nice in a "I'd only appreciate the bickering because I'm feeling all sentimental and drippy" kinda way....then I go to my quiet place. ~~~~~~~~~Nae helping with Tony's first bath at the hospital~~~~~~~~~~~~

And it's been fun watching the kids interact with each other. I loved seeing the kids hug her when she first got here and how happy they were to see her. And sitting in the living room listening to them talk and joke with each other. Last night, I'm not sure how it happened, but we all ended up piled in dear Hubby and my bed. Nae was exhausted from her last couple of days of travel and laid there while Mad played with the little ringlets on the back of Nae's neck. We talked about how all the kids would climb into bed with us after a bad dream or during a storm. How Nae would stand right next to my face and not say a word but I would somehow feel her presence and wake from a deep sleep (and almost scream cuz it would freak me out!). Bud always did it to dear Hubby. We would wake in the morning with kids snuggled between us. Things I never appreciated at the time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nae reading to Bud~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's these silly little things that I'm cherishing right now because I know that it will only be a couple of weeks and she'll be off again and we will all be missing her. And I realize Bud will be leaving next. And cuz I'm all hormonal....
my sister, Alex, holding Nae....Alex died in a car accident 8 months after this pic was taken