I've heard so many people tell me - that they're grown up before you know it, pay attention it's gone in a minute, enjoy it while you can - it doesn't last long. I heard that so much and I believe the people that told me were telling the truth. But you just don't understand it, it's impossible. When you have a newborn and a 2 year old it truly feels like the days of exhaustion will just never go away. And you feel like if someone tells you that you need to enjoy every minute you may just hit them with a sippy cup.

I'm starting to understand now (and I sort of wish I didn't). Sam is too big to ride in the stroller and Ollie wants to walk with Sam. I loved strollering, we used to walk everywhere. There is a itty bitty park a couple of blocks away from our house. We call it the tot lot. It's a little sand park with very few toys in it, mostly stuff other people have donated from their yards. We spent so much time there. It was this strange thing all the kids love the tot lot, we could never figure it out, it really was not a good park. All of my friends would sort of congregate there and meet up. It felt a little like a very family appropriate Cheers bar. You were almost certain to see someone you knew, even in really cold weather. We went to the tot lot last fall and it was a dud, they didn't seem to want to bethere at all. I feel like we are leaving the time of everything being entertaining and it's more challenging to make fun. I'm heading out of the stage of words like "lasterweek" and "yestermorning". Kids music is not always on demand now, now they like catchy mommy music. I thought I would like that and I certainly like listening to my tunes, but I sort of miss Raffi in a very bizarre twist. Sam now has play dates with kids whose moms I don't even know. There is just this sort of exchange at the door . It's not as if I want to stop them, I like them growing up I guess I just don't like leaving what has been so comfortable (and really cute). There has been this huge debate in this house going on for ages now about whether or not to have another little tyke. The thing is - that doesn't keep you in the bubble forever either, you're going to have to leave that world sometime.

It's not as if my kids are now teenagers - it's still great. They are still very creative and play imaginary games. They don't fight and are very kind to each other and their friends. They still dress up in costumes and like to sing and dance, they are in no way acting too cool. I can just understand what wise advice I was being given - Pay Attention, nothing stays still.