Seasons

I was going to wait another few weeks to write this, August 17^th to be exact. That is the day my life as a Mom will make, yet another, change. Both my kids will be in school (since I am a mom who did preschool at home and didn't send my kids to a preschool, this will truly be a first). I will transition from a mother of preschoolers to a mother of elementary schoolers. I have been waiting for this day for a while now. I already have plans for using my new found free time for things I haven’t been able to do for 7 years, like exercise. I have been anxiously looking forward to the freedom that I hope will come with my kids being in school. Well that was until yesterday.

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping by myself. All. By. Myself! To the best of my memory I think this was the first time in 7 years that I did our major bi-monthly shopping trip (besides running for odds and ends) without the kids. It was great. I got through the store quick, I didn't forget anything on my list, I was able to look through my coupons and compare prices, and I didn't have anyone begging me to buy this or that. Then on the way home I started crying, why? Because my kids weren't with me! 

They are growing up. I started to reminisce the challenges of shopping with them when they were babies. I worried about making sure the cart was clean enough to put them in and the struggle to see over the car seat so I wouldn’t bump into anything. As two kids came along, I had to figure out how I was going to fit any groceries in the cart with my daughter occupying the front of the cart and my son in the back. As they started to toddle around I had to figure out how to grab the food on the go and try to keep them close to me. I remember the time my son threw-up in the grocery store, the time my daughter had to be carried out kicking and screaming because she couldn't have the jump rope she wanted, and the time she broke the applesauce jar on the store floor.

Now all that craziness I wanted to be free of is coming to an end and I think I might just miss it. I am sure I will find myself at the store with them again, maybe even sooner then later, but it is apparent that one season of my life is coming to an end and a new one is beginning.  In a few short weeks I am no longer going to be a mother of preschoolers I am going to be entering a new phase.  Although I sometimes wish for the end, because the season is hard, when the end comes I wish the season were a bit longer. I lament for the end because through all the ups and downs it truly has been a glorious season, but I also rejoice for what this new season of life will hold.