the honeymoon

someone recently was asking me the ages of my kids.  after i told them they responded with, "sounds like you've just entered a honeymoon phase.  no more diapers, mostly independent and not yet hormonal teenager.  enjoy it!"

i walked away from that interaction scratching my head.  i mean, i don't feel like i am in a honeymoon era.  at any given moment someone in the buser pad is whining or crying or talking back or fighting with a sister...  or...  you get the point.  but it made me pause.  i had to consider, what if this is like a mini-moon and i am not fully embracing it?  i like to live in the moment and take it in...  what if this is that moment and i am letting it pass by unnoticed.  will the hard of three hormonal teenagers be that much worse if i don't stop and celebrate THIS?

i also recently read an article that has been circulating around facebook suggesting that three is the most horrible toxic grey hair inducing number of children for one to have.  i didn't get too far into the article when i realized that to continue reading it would be like pouring piles of kosher salt into a gaping wound.  i might be better off not knowing that the author feels like i have embarked on a journey to the top of devil's peak (or some other horrible exhilarating adventure).  and you can't believe everything you read.

i do have a point here.  i swear i do.

my mother's day weekend began with a bang.  d and p's preschool celebrated the mommas with a little luncheon and slide show depicting how much the muffins had experienced and grown this school year. it was sweet.  it's hard to believe that the year is actually wrapping up.

d's teacher asked the kids an open ended question...  "describe your mom to me."  this is what d said:

every mom enjoys being dotted on by their littles.  i know it is fleeting and that in a few years she is going to be complaining about my mom jeans and antiquated hair style and even more antiquated rules and expectations.  it's nice to have this in my back pocket to remind her that once upon a time she liked me.  if you see her in a few years, please remind her that this is true.  (giggle.)

on saturday i had the pleasure of hosting a table at our church tea.  it was a lovely event filled with mom's being celebrated by their daughters, friends, sisters etc.  i loved looking around the room and seeing the relationships that those tables represented.  support in the motherhood is a key element and it comes in many forms.  it was obvious to me that these tables represented strong support systems between women.

and this was true at my table as well.  i sat with my friend, julie.  we also sat with her mom, grandma, and daughter.  4 generations of support.  that's pretty cool, right?  julie is a pretty rockin' momma and has been a special influence in my life.  i love her and the emotional support and laughter that she has shared with me over the years.

after i left the tea, the fam and i piled into the car and headed to piedmont.  we've never been and i wanted to check it out.  the rest of them were happy to accommodate (you'll see why in a minute).  piedmont is filled with antique shops and if you know me well you know i love me an antique store.  we browsed and window shopped and giggled at some of the treasures.  in one shop d exclaimed, "mom!  look at those huge cd's!!!" (i'm still laughing as i play that back in my head.)

and while we walked and held hands and giggled and chatted together as a family, i realized that it might be true.  i might be in a mini parenting honeymoon.  i took a mental picture of scott perusing the vintage beatles pins with delaney and ellie and tried to memorize the feel of poppy's little hand pressed into mine as we crossed the street.

i used to get irritated when people would tell me that "it will go by in a blink of an eye" and that "you need to savor each and every moment".

suddenly i am starting to develop an understanding of what they mean.  my nephew is starting his senior year of high school, but i swear i can still remember the day he was born like it was last week.

we ventured to dinner and then had our first experience at fentons.  it was a lovely day.

when you go on your honeymoon, you sort of indulge a bit...  and so on sunday we took a little trip to hidden villa in los altos.  we picnicked, hiked, chased chickens, examined wild flowers, and just hung out together some more.  it was a happy weekend, indeed.