things i'll miss...

There will come a day when my girls will not be shimming their bummies into dress-up gowns and fancy shoes, and I quite dread that day. While I stay true to the thing I have always said about not loving the baby or early toddler years for all that they entail (namely, tantrums, tears, screams, tantrums, tantrums...), I do love the magic that happens each and every day just because it can. My girls still believe in princesses and Santa and pixy dust and buried treasures and peek-a-boo and all things make believe. They still think I am the prettiest woman in the world, next to Aurora and Ariel, of course. They still want to hold my hand in the car, and they still want to cuddle with me when their bodies are cold with that crisp morning chill. They still call me their best friend.

I know the magic will fade with each passing year. I'm going to miss the magic of make believe pirates and make-shift tents. I am going to miss carrying lifeless bodies to their own beds when they pass out on mine. I am going to miss making silly faces in the mirror just to provoke a toothy grin. I am going to miss losing bundles of hair because it's the easiest thing to grab to pull my face closer to theirs. I am going to miss Eggo waffle and syrup and sprinkle mornings. I am going to miss reading books on the couch while the other girls dream on and on. I'm going to miss walking into a room to find Mya cuddled up next to/on top of Mr. Bear with his ear firmly planted in her nose ("Mom, it just calms me," she says.) I'm going to miss when chunky leg rolls and saggy bottoms are in style. I am going to miss when V runs up to me and squishes my cheeks and says, "Oh bumblebee."

These girls drive me absolutely bonkers. Bonkers I say. But I love them. I love being with them. And I dread the day they don't want to be with me every waking minute of the day. Okay, maybe not every minute, but you get the picture.