Monday, January 30, 2012

Before Their Innocence is Lost

Two year-olds are difficult to parent.
From my vast experience, let me tell you three year-olds aren't a whole lot easier...sometimes even more difficult.

Some days, it's too easy to get frustrated, too easy to take them for granted, and too easy to wish away a couple months. Then you get reminded by, oh say, maybe your husband, that we (he and I, the ones in the deep of it) will miss this.

We'll miss this.
We.will.miss.this.

We'll miss the cute pronunciations like ambudamps (ambulance - S), butnon (button - S), wumping (something - G), Bun (Sam - G).

We'll miss the cute attachments to night-nights or stuffed animals like Grey's baby lion, or Baby Wion, to whom he says, "I'm gunna nuggle you now, Baby Wion." precious


We'll miss the wonky teeth and the money we will spend to straighten them, the bombarding-from-behind-choke-hugs, wrestling on the floor, jumping on the couches, screams in the middle of the night that can be stopped only by rocking in the chair with me or their dad.

You see those three sweet little faces at the top of this page? I know we'll miss all this stuff that sometimes seems overwhelmingly frustrating, because I know there will come a time, soon I think, where some of the child-like innocence is lost.

So until I'm just gonna do my best to soak it all up while I can.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I try to tell myself that often. It's hard though when you are sleep deprived, on the fifth tantrum of the day and wiping a rear for the eighth time that day. Three year olds are fun. (: So wish I could jump into the future for a day so I could come back and really see what I need/will cherish/miss most if that makes sense.
April S.

Greta said...

April, I 1 million % agree. That's why I have to write this stuff down when I'm having a warm fuzzy moment!

Meggie said...

Thanks for sharing this! I've read your blog for a little while now but never commented. Today I can so, so relate. I have an almost 3 year old who is running me ragged... but I know if I don't soak it up and enjoy this time, I'll wake up one day and he'll be taller than me and way independent and becoming a man. Gulp. So thanks for the reminder!

jessica said...

this makes me want to cry! so sweet! and so true! this is truly a precious time in our lives. and i know we will indeed miss it.

Lindsay said...

I know I'll miss it. And yet... It doesn't make the difficult moments any less difficult. I just wish I could bottle up the cute moments at the stage where they are now (and were, and will be) and move on with life knowing that I can come back to visit those moments again in the future. Wouldn't that be nice?

Jaci Spain said...

So true Greta. I feel like I am better about savoring each and every moment with Lila because I know how quickly the time goes. Every stage is precious, just different :) and my 6 1/2 year old still does and says some really cute things, but has a different set of challenges now then as a toddler.

megan and nick said...

Totally agree, lady! One of my goals for myself is to slow down and enjoy the little things. So, I'm trying to find the humor when Ella goes from angel to completely possessed and back to angel in the blink of an eye. People say three is harder than two...I think three is just less predictable and more dramatic. I have found that since Emerson is our last baby (unexpectedly) that I'm enjoying everything about her way more than I did with Ella...that could also be because I realize how quickly time passes, too. Anyway, thank you for reminding me that I need to love every minute, even the crazy ones!

Anonymous said...

You are so right...someday soon your children will be grown up, married and raising children of their own. Believe me I know! I hope you will be as proud of the job they are doing raising your grandchildren as Poppa and I are. Love, Ebee

Lindsey said...

Thank you for writing this. I have a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and a 7mth old. Man, it is hard and some days I have a serious 'tude. I have to keep myself from wishing them older. The sweet moments are so very sweet though.
(ps found your blog through a mutual Facebook friend)