‘Oh, aren’t they just darling! You know this is the best years of your life.’

I have heard some form of that sentence multiple times already, most times it’s as we make our noisy way through a store.

We seem to draw lots of attention, and I like to think that it’s just because we are so quietly adorable and not because grocery store aisles tend to bring out the dancing and singing of a certain 6 year old.

Yup, God didn’t beat around the bush when he decided I should get rid of my dislike for drawing attention to myself.

Here’s the latest quote that’s going around… ‘You only have 18 summers with child.’

Yea, I get it. I probably even needed to hear it. Needed to be reminded that every day with my kids is a treasure not to be taken lightly.

However, mostly I just felt guilty.

I love my kids and most days it feels like time is slipping through my fingers, which is precisely why I don’t need to be reminded that I only have 18 summers.

Now I feel guilty that I don’t enjoy every single minute of parenting and sadly that quote hasn’t had the power to make me suddenly enjoy changing diapers or being the ref to countless squabbles.

Yes, I understand that the point being made, is that I should invest in my kids as much as possible for these 18 summers.

And the pressure just keeps getting heavier.

Theres already tons of pressure on getting the parenting thing right, now I must also accomplish it all in 18 summers.

And here I was, naive enough to think that I would somehow be able to influence the lives of my kids till the day I die.

Oh, and that first quote… it makes me feel like my life is going downhill. Once my kids are all grown and have moved out, the good days will all be behind me and I will live the rest of my life wishing back the days when my kids were small.

I have a really hard time imagining that though because I kinda enjoy each new stage with my kids.

I have not yet looked back and wished my kids were still in diapers, still breastfeeding or still needed my help getting a spoon in their mouth.

In reality I’m usually kinda glad to be done with all of those, though I do enjoy them (mostly)🙃 for a season,

I can’t even say that I miss those first baby smiles, or toddler giggles. Sure, they were fun but it’s just as much fun seeing them learn how to talk or experience school for the first time.

I repeat, I love my kids.

The truth is though, I need my kids to grow up, I need them to become independent, because if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s this:

If I have to spend all 70-ish years of their lives caring for them as I do now, I will probably go crazy.

Maybe some day once my kids are grown and have moved out I’ll  get it and wonder why this blog post was even written.

In the meantime, though, I really do enjoy all the people that take the time to notice and love on my kids.

Because I do agree that they are totally adorable. (Even when they’re throwing a fit cuz we missed a sample cart at Costco and mom refused to go back.)🤦‍♀️

I guess if there’s a point to be made here it’s probably that we would all do well by dropping the cliche’ quotes.

I think someone says it and it sounds good so we repeat it and hence it spreads like wildfire.

However, most of them aren’t all that great if we take the time to think through them.

If you don’t believe it just send me a quote, I’ll have no problem pointing out the negative side to it, it’s what I do best.🥴

And that’s why they invented the term ‘pessimist.’

And I shall leave it at that and go enjoy whats left of my 18 summers!

I really hope none were lost while I spent some time behind my screen.😳