Tomorrow is my eldest child, Paolo’s birthday. He turns eight and I simply can’t believe where these years have gone. During the first four years of his life, came his sweet brother and sister, two more blessings. This photo was taken the day my youngest, Lou was born. It was the moment that the two big brothers met their sister for the first time. The moment that I realised that we were a complete family of five and my life changed forever and for the better.
Those three little people bring so much joy into my life. They also drive me crazy. On the mornings when we’re rushing to school and kindy I’ll tell them to put their shoes on for the fifth time. I’ll then find them sliding around on the living room floor on their stomach with bags on their backs pretending to be turtles. It drives me crazy. I scream at them, they laugh at me. It’s a reoccurring theme. At the time I truly feel like I have the naughtiest kids in New Zealand and I need to make some big changes, but when really they’re just being kids. It won’t last. I wish it would.
Last night my eldest ended up crawling into bed with me. While I once I would tell him to go back to his own bed, I don’t any more. I relish the cuddles and know that it’s not for long. I love to wake up in the morning to little conversations that are becoming more and more profound as he gets older. I recently read this article about how for a moment in time, mothers have to let go of their boys for some years, a time when they won’t want anything to do with us. I feel such angst at the thought of that day coming. Knowing my relationship with him now, I can’t quite believe that it could be possible, but everyone I speak to with older boys confirms it. They grow and mothers are no longer the centre of their universe. They do come back though, if we plant the right seeds now. And then I’ll have to go through it again with my Noam.
So today I’ll be wrapping presents and planning what birthday cake I’ll make for tomorrow. He’ll wake up to balloons in the house and a special birthday breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup on the special birthday plate that comes out three times a year. His younger brother and sister will besides themselves with excitement too. His party, a sleep over movie night with his friends will be happening in a couple of weeks. It’s a good thing because tomorrow we’ll move at a slow pace with the focus on him, the birthday boy. It’s nice like that.
Let’s hold on to our little ones tight, they grow too fast, just like everyone told us they would.
Mel x
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Beautifully written post, Mel. What sweet photos of the three loves! What a weekend to celebrate, the joy, the turtle crawling (that made me laugh out loud) and cakes with lots of icing! Thank you for sharing. Jocelyn xx
Haha, it drives me crazy but when I step back it makes me smile. xx
I’m in a similar time in our family’s life….our eldest turned 7 recently with our middle child about to turn 6 and our ‘baby’ has two more terms of kindy and then he’s off to school. I remember when they were tiny and people would tell me to enjoy it while I could as it goes so quickly and I thought they were crazy. Now I can see that they were right. A wonderful woman once told me that ‘the days go slowly, but the years fly by’ and she was right on the money. I miss them being squidgey little babies (although not enough to have another one), but I’m also loving the little people they are growing up to be!
Happy birthday to your Paolo for tomorrow Mel, and congratulations on 8 years of motherhood!
xo
Thanks Leigh-Ann. I’m with you – I miss the little babies but adore getting to know the little people that they are. M x