Breath

Parenting in its day to day form requires you to be in the moment. The tasks required of you are in the now, consuming your time. There is the food prep., hugs, story time, peace making, play dates, table time, housework, nursing, diapers, fixing scrapes and bumps, etc. Time passes rather quickly, day fills after day. There are events though that pull us out of the now, that help give us some perspective into how quickly are kids are growing. The first tooth, beginning solids, first steps, a haircut, learning to ride a bike, etc. These are all the ones we talk about mother to mother, even though they often feel as if they were sprung on us we still expect them, perhaps even anticipate them.
There are other markers that catch us off guard, that get us to step out of our day to day and see that our baby....isn't a baby. There was the time at the park where my one who felt most comfortable attached to my leg decided to join in a game. Gradually the physical distance grew between us and before both of us knew it he was over on the other side of the park. In surprise I looked up to find him looking back at me, looking to be contemplating whether to run back to me. After a minute he ran to catch up with the group and join in with the game again. A first for both of us. I caught my breath.
Or that time I was waiting for them to bring that shoe that is so tricky to tie up like I always did before we head out the door. Instead this time they did it on their on and were now waiting in the car for me!
There are lots of them, they are different for each kid and mum, but they always cause you to loose your breath for just a second. The other day Elias babysat a friend of the family's daughter. For the whole day. They decided to try it at our house, but the job was his with the comfort of knowing I was there if he needed it. Not surprisingly, he didn't. He watched her from 9-4, getting her snacks and cooking lunch. He managed to include some of his siblings in their play, balancing entertaining and problem solving as he went.
I wasn't surprised that he would do so well. He is a kind, responsible and loving person. But I had one of those moments of needing to catch my breath. He was playing outside with the person he was watching and his youngest brother. The two little ones were trying to negotiate who rode in the wagon and who pulled. After what looked like lots of discussion he ended up in the wagon with them pulling him. Two times around the driveway, ending with a big group hug. He navigated it like a pro. And kindness. And so grown up.
Just catching my breath.