What mom hasn’t heard this sentiment?

How about…

“They grow up so fast, you’ll be wishing for these days again.”

Thanks! I know they’ll grow up, and I know how fast time goes. I am well aware of how fast life moves.

Where I live I am well aware that we move faster than other parts of the world. I have visited some beautiful places where life just moves slower, is calmer and everyone stops to literally smell the flowers. Not here, here we are multi-tasking workaholics with little time to stop let alone smell that flower. I try to sit and enjoy the moments, and in some respects I do; I love it out on our little farm, it does feel slower than the city and it is quieter. But quick is just how we do things here, it’s part of our culture, and us. It’s not a negative, I enjoy my time visiting places that move slower, it’s relaxing and the pressures of the “go” life literally fade away, but I like home.

I love that we are productive, we get things done; we are efficient and accomplish so many astonishing things. Personally what we (ourselves, friends and family) have done on our small farm in the short time we have lived here is extraordinary. What we as a committee achieve every year for the Teepee Creek Stampede Association is exceptional. As a community how we can pull  together when a family is in need is awe-inspiring. And what we as a community can fundraise for charities like the Huntington’s Society of Canada Peace Country Chapter, or the Ronald McDonald House and many others is unbelievable. So I’m okay to take a vacation on the slow side, but I want to come back and live where we get stuff done!

So to the lady reminding me how quick life moves while I plead with my children to “hurry up”  – I know.

I think it bugs me so much because she had only seen me in a fleeting moment encouraging with “enthusiasm” my three year old twins to get there top buckles done up in their car seats because we need to leave the store parking lot. She sees my exacerbated encouragement, I see my twins taking another 10 minutes buckling their seat-belts up because “they can do it.” She didn’t see me take them to skating lessons earlier this morning so didn’t see me cherish the moment and cringe when they fell for the billionth time on the hard cold ice surface, then smile with pride as they picked themselves up again and kept on trying. She didn’t see me take them grocery shopping where I cherished the moment and we talked about all the healthy foods and what food does for our bodies, where Morgan happily reminded me that “food is energy to play.” She missed the moment where they picked out a gift and card and wrapping paper for the birthday party they are going to, together, without arguing about what to get their cousin and friend. You missed out on the trip to the play place where they ate lunch and I cherished the moment as they burned off some energy after having been stuck in a grocery cart. She didn’t see me watch and enjoy seeing them make new friends, talk to other kids and ask their names. She missed all those parts of our day up until that point, where for a moment in time this mom was ready to get home, get out of town, and just get moving and so in an exhausted tone asked them to hurry up.

We as parents can’t be on 100% of the time.

We as parents already know how quick life goes.

Threenagers are tough and the attitude that goes with the age is not something I wish to stop and “smell” I’m good remembering the funny songs they make up, watching them grow and learn new things, the way they share with each other and other kids, their manners and polite behaviours, and every day I am in awe of their development in every way. But I promise I won’t look back and wish I’d have savoured the “I can buckle it myself mom” with a three year olds attitude, and I’m okay with that!

This mom knows that life is quick, but I also know that I enjoy my time, I savour moments, I write, and I videotape and I am involved in all that my children do.

So instead of wishing for these days again I probably will be too busy cherishing the moments of life when they are older, you know the dating, and driving, and being… teenagers…ahhhhh someone hand me a sedative!