I think that one of the greatest joys of being a mom is watching your kids grow up and flourish. That joy can also be very bittersweet. On the one hand, you want your kids to hit milestones and to grow but on the other hand it also means that their time with you is slowly ticking away and before you know it, they will be 18 and hopefully college bound and out on their own. I guess I am reminded of this more and more as my sister is going through the torture of watching her newborn little Camille hit milestones and start that bittersweet process of growing up. She calls me upset about having to put baby clothes away and move up to the next size, about moving the straps on her carseat because she is getting to tall, her excitement and sadness of her daughter rolling over onto her stomach, having to put those little baby 4 ounce bottles away and bringing out the big guns - the 8 ounce ones. She asks me if it was hard for me when my kids were infants to takes these steps in the growing process. And I am instantly reminded of that bittersweetness that I also experienced for each one of my kids.
At the time she called, I had just experienced one of these moments with my youngest daughter. And through the busyness that my life seems to be generating at this moment, I had forgotten to share with her. My kids have been regular attenders of the AWANA program since my oldest was 3 years old. It is sort of like a Christian boy/girls scouts - instead of learning to survive in the wilderness, you learn to survive in the world equipped with Bible verses and morals/values teaching. The club is divided by age group, the Cubbies being the group for 3 and 4 year olds. Both Jake and Olivia went through this program and have moved on to the upper level. Gabi just completed her second year and will move up a level next year to join Olivia in the Kindergarden-2nd grade level-Sparks. This was also our first year in this church as we had gone through the programs through another church when we were in OH. I was shocked to find out that this church actually had a ceremony for those kids moving up levels. I looked at my husband and warned him that this was going to make me cry. They had the kids that were graduating line up and shake the hands of their teachers and then walk across a bridge to the awaiting teachers for the next level and shake their hands. Oh, my, that almost ripped my heart out. I have had a little one in Cubbies since Jake was 3 and now, no more Cubbies. "I NEED ANOTHER CUBBIE!!!", I told my husband.
So, Em, get used to these growing pains. They hurt and they are painful. But I always keep in mind that they are growing and flourishing because of me because of my love, care and teaching. It is something to be proud of!
Walking the Bridge
Shaking Hands with her New Teachers (she is at the far left)
My AWANA Kids
3 comments:
They look so proud of themselves. the last picture with them all smiling is great. Your kids are growing up so fast. I notice the biggest difference in Gabi. Time flies too quickly.
(sigh) You're right....it does seem like time flies by quickly and they grow up too fast. It seems like just yesterday that young Bentprop played his music so loudly that it disturbed my studying down the hall in our dorm....then I think about it and realize that was many hairs, I mean YEARS ago.
Seriously, though....congratulations to Gabi for graduating to Spark-dom. Keep up the great work with your kiddies, and hopefully time'll slow down maybe a little tiny bit.
ANOTHER Cubbie, though?? My two kids already think that if Dad gets a job in northeast PA that they're coming to live with YOU (out of convenience), so is there really gonna be room for another Cubbie??
Umm...yeah, you SO need another Cubbie. Of course I only say that for selfish reason. C needs another cousin close to her age.
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