The shortness of life is a thng which is always true - but seems to come home with greater force at some times than others. It's not just funerals. like my Grandmas which we attended recently, that enhance that feeling either, the progress of my kids has the same effect.
Young Boris is busy planning his first holiday without us (off to the Grandparents: London branch), Norris has his first wobbly tooth (but surely he only grew the first set a few weeks ago!), and now today little Doris is three years old!
The speed of the passage of time suddenly dawned on Mrs Hideous, when at church this morning, little Doris marched off with the Sunday School children for the first time. "I am a big girl now" she will very seriously inform anyone who asks. Mrs Hideous also pointed out that for eight-and-half years we have deposited children in the creche room at church - and that particular era has drawn to a close! Is the accompanying wistfulness representative of a love of young children or an inward horror at such tokens of the approach of middle-age?
Little Doris is completely unaware of such parental emotions. She has been given a dressing-up costume which is a flouncy-Cinderella, complete with golden-tiara. She is parading around the house fully persuaded that she is a princess, a view endorsed by the delivery of a huge pink 'princess-castle' birthday cake, personally sculpted by Lord and Lady Lucan.
Happy Birthday little Doris!
Oh I so know what you mean. It's not the "first times" with kids that mark the milestones, it's the "last times".
ReplyDeleteAt one point we had one child going in each of the four doors at the school. Now we're finished with the nursery door and the infants door for ever, and Firstborn's off at secondary school.
I saw some nappies recently and (to my huge astonishment) was hit by a great wave of nostalgia. I am the mother who, having had three in nappies at the same time at one point, was so pleased to be finished with them thought very seriously about having a big party to mark the end of the whole thing! Yet here I was, missing them.
Hope your princess enjoys Big Girl Sunday School.
Whereas I still see nappies and am hit by a great wave of nausea.
ReplyDeleteIts probably all too recent...
I too know what you mean. My daughter had her first weekend away with the school the other week.
ReplyDeleteNext it'll be boyfriends.
Note to self: I must not be like Steve Martin in Father Of The Bride. ;-)
Endlessly Restless - you're a bit further ahead with your offspring than us two. A progress report would be handy!
Pah - you youngsters! The milestones become more scary as they get older. We're in the mid-teens stage, and while Dolly D is generally good, the worry intensifies. But the rewards also seem to increase, as the signs of maturity grow and you can see a young adult emerging.
ReplyDeleteah, and here enters the auld wifie with the two teens, and the youngest who thinks she's a teen.
ReplyDeleteMy eldest is looking into colleges with only one year to go before she graduates (high school/Secondary?) :/ :(
You're funny, ER...and I do agree with you.
Still, we have the shotgun ready.... ;D
....Ya'll can't use a shotgun, but them Highlands can sure get purty durn cald fer a nekked hog-tyed feller that's thrown out in a bog pit! ;))
And we've got all this to look forward (?) to!
ReplyDeleteA big smile on my face reading your post and comments.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest granddaughter just turned 13 - horrors, I cannot believe it! I still have visions of her mother at that age. I wouldn't want to be younger today or in your place but occasionally when I hear a young friend commenting about going to a funeral...."oh, it was the grandmother" as if it really mattered not:) I do get a little queasy.
Enjoy all of those munchkins - they are too cute and they leave you much too fast!!!!
How's that for a little Mother's Day advice from Northwestern Washington State?:)
I was just at the dentist, and nearby was this adorable little toddler...two-ish, and I thought to reminisce.
ReplyDeleteWell, as time wore on, and her older sibling's appt ran late....this little toddler morphed into this terrible creature that pulled things out of her mum's handbag, screamed, yelled, whined, cried, and wouldn't sit still, nor would she be comforted....
and a wave a nausea swept over me....suddenly my teens appeared, done with their visit; I stood up quickly, gave them the "we're out of here" look, and rushed for the door....it was hard to breath, the walls were closing in on me....the little toddler-monster shrieking as I closed the door.....ah, phew, that was a close call.... ;D