Waah! They're growing up!

In our house, Monday is a crazy day. I'm usually digging out under the piles of laundry that have accumulated over the weekend. Often something has broken and I have to figure out how I'm going to fix it. I'm always wracking my brain for something to do for Family Home Evening. It's probably not any different than what goes on in many houses across the country, but after the more relaxed pace of the weekend, I often feel like I have whiplash on Monday. To make things even crazier, Bryce and Annie have swimming lessons every Monday afternoon. So I pick up the carpool, race home, get them into their suits, toss them some snacks, and we head across town for their lessons.

I've blogged before about the perfection of the swim moms. They're all manicured and blown dry and I often feel lucky at that time of day if I've had a shower. They sit in the waiting room with their copies of Martha Stewart Living on their laps. I usually chase Isaac at the back of the room and hope he's not making too much noise as he slides his trucks across the floor.

Yesterday, Eddie was post-call and kept Isaac at home while I took Bryce and Annie to their lessons. For once, I wasn't chasing a toddler and could actually sit down and look out the window at the kids in the pool (since I have no subscription to Martha Stewart Living I didn't even have reading material to distract me). So I sat at the window and watched.

I couldn't believe how beautiful my kids looked out there. I know, I'm pregnant and emotional and sappy, but I so rarely see my kids when they're not aware that I'm watching them. I almost never see them when they're off in the world on their own, without me to help them negotiate their way. It was Annie's first day with a new teacher and she had cried about how nervous she was all the way over in the car, but as soon as she hit the water, she turned on her perfect student charm and pointed her toes and tried to follow along with the big kids. I watched Bryce clumsily try to do the crawl a few times, and then he finally got it and glided across the pool. He jumped onto the diving board and looked so tall and skinny and so darn grown up!

I know they're still so young at only six and four, but it hit me yesterday that my big kids are growing into themselves, and there are parts of them that, even now, I as their mom don't get to see much. It made me a little bit sad to realize how quickly they're growing up, and more than a little bit proud of the great kids they're becoming.

--originally published 11/14/06