The Hailey Herald

The Hailey Herald

Thursday, December 19, 2013

No Longer My Babies

All of the sudden, time around me seems to be flying by.  My oldest is only 10, but recently he seems to much older.  He "knows" more than us and would rather spend time with his friends than his parents.  My middle child has always been an old soul.  He's a 50 year old man trapped in a 6 year old body.   I think some of it has to him being number 2, but oh heavens, some of the comments out of  that child's mouth make me speechless.  Wise beyond his years and so quick witted.  I'm positive I will lose many arguments with that child as he gets older because he is so much quicker than me.

Then there is my baby.  The little girl that changed our lives.  Her first year was such a mental struggle.  It seemed to the be year that wouldn't end (doctor appointments, therapy sessions, navigating what seemed so scary).  Now she is approaching 3...she's not quite the baby anymore.  She's growing so fast and learning so much.  We are in the middle of transitioning her to preschool.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  All of my babies will be at school.  Yes, Hailey will only be there half days, but it will be 4 half days.  I've had a child with me every day since we moved here 7 1/2 years ago.  It's strange territory for me.  It makes me sad.    It makes me want to slow down time because I'm afraid I'm going to miss something.  Afraid I will forget something.  Seriously, I still can't believe it...how can we be two months away from Miss Hailey's 3rd birthday?!?!?!?

I'm very excited for the holidays this year.  Brayden is on the verge of "knowing", but we aren't confirming it just yet.  Ian is more excited this year than ever.  He loves checking the mail for Christmas cards.  He helped bake and make candy.  He looks for our elf "Bernard" every morning and can't wait to tell me where he was. He can't wait for Santa to come and spend time with his families.  Hailey seems more aware of the holidays this year.  She spots presents every day, she loves the tree (and unfortunately, the ornaments), and plays Christmas music on a couple of snowmen.  We let the kids exchange gifts among themselves last night and Hailey didn't quite know what to think.  The first gift she opened and then tried to rewrap and give it back to Ian.  By the third one, she was tossing the paper to admire the gift. 

I guess that there are some good things about them growing up.  We will live in the moment and enjoy them while we can!

The boys let her do whatever she wants.

She's a mess!

She still thinks if she can't see you, you can't see her.  It makes me laugh!

No toys this year...just cups :-)

The first one got "re-wrapped"


There goes the paper!


Apparently his brother and sister knew exactly what he wanted!

Happy big brother

6 comments:

  1. I always hated it when people would say to me, Oh time flies..........but it's so true. It also means that I don't have to like it either!

    I love that Hailey tried to re-wrap her gift. I wonder if she was worried that she was going to get in trouble for ripping the paper off. We told Owen not to touch any of the gifts last year and at first he had a really hard time believing it was OK to rip them open Christmas Day. This year he hasn't bothered to touch anything but the tree! Thank goodness for plastic, shatter-proof ornaments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was so cute to see her re-wrap it. I hope she does better when Santa comes! Hailey has broken a couple of ornaments, but I've been able to fix them so far....

      Delete
  2. Love seeing pictures of your kids! The time does go by more quickly than you think. Somebody once told me that the days are long, but the years are short. Ben doesn't start preschool till next year, but that's heavy on my mind ... wondering about him and about me (!). Life will be different with all three in school.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love how excited the boys look! And it all goes by so fast doesn't it? The kids growing up...Sometimes I look at mine, some of who are teenagers now, and think when the hell did this happen? Just yesterday they were all little running around the house driving me nuts!! If there is one thing Russell has taught me it's to slow down and enjoy the moment.

    Always love your pictures :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My 6 yr old is so excited for Christmas that I think he is going to burst! I hate sometimes how fast it goes. I don't want to forget any of it, but I know that is inevitable!!

      Delete
  4. Ack! Our babies are growing up! It is bittersweet, isn't it. I love how Little Miss tried to re-wrap the present. That is so stinkin' cute.

    ReplyDelete