When Time Stands Still

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away"

After several weeks of recycling sickness, little sleep, endless work to catch up on, concerns about our baby girl, and a three-year old with lots of independence to assert...it can feel overwhelming to begin digging out for a view beyond the stress.  It's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks and intense responsibilities: to keep schedules, guide and redirect, set boundaries and consequences, instill character, values and nice manners without much evidence that your tireless efforts are even paying off. We often find ourselves nostalgic for the easier and sweeter moments of yesterday (conveniently forgetting the accompanying struggles), or longing for the peace and security that the future is sure to hold.

The danger in being anywhere but right now is missing those defining moments--when time stands still and your child's heart shows through; when you don't know whether to laugh out loud or wipe the tears from your eyes; when Mark and I exchange that knowing glance--an unspoken pat-on-the-back that seems to say "we must be doing something right!"

My favorite pat-on-the-back moments this week:

unprompted hand holding, hugs and kisses, and cute exchanges like this one:

Me: "I love you, Owen"
Owen: "I love YOU more!" (thrusting his finger my way)
smiles and a couple of seconds go by...
Owen: "You're a cutie. You're my girlfriend"
Me: (smiling while trying to figure out how he knows the girlfriend concept already) 
"Aww, thanks bud! But, I am already Daddy's girlfriend, so I can't be yours."
Owen: "Oh yeah. Ella's my girlfriend.  I'm going to give her a big hug when I see her."