Hitting the Brakes

I have been absolutely clobbered by how fast life seems to be going lately. My little girl, who will be seven in a couple of weeks, is less than a foot shorter than me! And I’m not short. Max is becoming a little man and teaching me the names of farm machinery we see working in fields as we hurtle down the highway in the Mommy-mobile, which always has someplace to be ten minutes ago. Colby is trying to master the English language, but so far only has “dada,” “mama” and “puppy” down pat. He is working on saying “Lily,” which sounds more like “Yiyi.”

And every time I look at the calendar, I do a double take. October 20th already. (It’s actually a very cool date: 10.20.2010.) I’m determined that life won’t be what happens when I’m making other plans, as the saying goes. I’m loving fall, planning a birthday party and reveling in the anticipation of my three favorite holidays–Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas–all lined up in a row, like the gifts they are.

And I’m taking time for photos like these. I’m sharing them and bragging on how cute these little people are. And, finally, I’m starting to picture that puffy, perfect, gorgeous face of the newborn I’ll welcome this winter.

In spite of it all–the long days at work, the endless sibling squabbles, the awkward carries of toddler, belly and bags from the grocery store–I am so GLAD. I mean it, truly, when I say to my children, my reasons: You are worth it all.

Peace to you and yours.