These Years Have Changed Us

I'm not going to lie, I was a bit emotional sending my kids off to school this morning, last day of 2nd and 4th grade. Sometimes it just hits me like a brick how fast the years are flying. Sometimes it hits me like a brick how much things have changed for our family over the last few years. When I was only parenting toddlers, I thought "this is probably the hardest thing I will ever do." And it was indeed hard....the first experience with sleep deprivation, power struggles, potty training, messy houses (that part was a lie...my house was messy BEFORE kids, can't make them take the fall for everything). Now that I'm in the middle of parenting both toddlers AND tweens, I'm realizing that it's hard in a different way.

*I just want to note here that I had to get up three times while typing that previous paragraph because my toddler was playing in his room while he was supposed to be napping, then he came out to poop, and now I think he's sneaking out the window. *

The picture of Taylor's first day of kindergarten is burned in my memory. She was so sweet and innocent when she walked in Mrs. Sherman's classroom that first day. She's not so sweet and innocent anymore.  Nor am I.  Nor are you.  Through the past few years of parenting elementary aged kids, we as a community of parents have changed.

We've grown.
We've had to extend grace and receive grace like never before.
Our kids have failed.
Our kids have succeeded.
They're wearing deodorant now.
They've tried soccer, gymnastics, cheer, and more.
Birthday parties have gone from mixed genders to one gender.
We've rallied around a mom in our school with breast cancer.
Our kids have been left out of parties or events, but they've also had to cut their own guest list. And that's OK.
Friends have divorced.
Our kids are learning how to be a friend and what they're looking for in a friend.  
Our kids have had to be separated from their siblings for the first time for 7 hours a day.
Women who try to steal other women's husbands are mean.
Facebook entered our world, and we realized that no matter how hard we try, our kids or husband will never be as great as the image our "friends" portray on their facebook pages, so we're over this one-up business.
Neighbors and school friends are family.  They'll give your kid a ride or keep some of your kids while one is in the hospital. And some neighbors even blow-dry your girls' hair straight for them.
Bye-bye Barney, hello Justin Bieber.
Parents are dying.
Faith issues...there's lots of different beliefs out there....let's stand firm in your beliefs but discuss these with love and grace.
Praying like never before.
They hate us. They love us.
We have cried, we have laughed, we drink more martinis than we used to.
Trying to raise kids who are GREAT...not successful in the sense of money and power..."true greatness is a passionate love for God that demonstrates itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others."  Tim Kimmel

Journeying on, convinced that the best memories haven't even been made yet!

Oh, and now that I'm looking at this picture from Taylor's first day of Kindergarten, I'll add one more thing....we finally ditched the Crocs!