Written by Steady Mom contributor Eren of Vintage Chica
Sometimes I feel like my boys grow right before my eyes. There are nights I put them to bed in pajamas that fit them perfectly, only to realize the next morning as they walk into the kitchen, that now they are entirely too short.
I really think there are times we can truly see them grow.
This week, I watched another of those growth spurts. And this time I realized they weren’t the only ones growing exponentially.
This week is spring break for my boys, and a good friend invited us to spend a few days at her family’s lake cabin. It would be her and her three children and me and my three – that’s two mamas, six children. I have to admit, I was thankful for the invitation, but I immediately thought of the planning that go into making the trip.
It has been an especially crazy week with my husband’s schedule, my youngest’s sixth birthday party and house projects. And all of it had left me a bit worn out.
To go on this trip would mean planning meals. Packing, lots of packing. My husband is out of town again, so a drive by myself with three bickering boys in the back seat did not sound appealing in the slightest. I wasn’t sure if I had the energy.
But after a little pep talk from my friend, I knew it would be a welcome change of pace for us all.
And now, I am so glad we decided to go. I can’t even find words to describe the change in us all.
I watched as my boys went from little boys to big boys…right before my eyes.
Gone are the days of backpack carriers with sippy cups and goldfish snacks in the pockets. The boys carry their own backpacks filled with granola and big kid water bottles. We hiked longer than ever – the boys far ahead of us, all on their own free to explore to their hearts’ content.
We fished. And even though we didn’t catch a darn thing, we got a lot of practice. They learned to bait their own hooks with real night crawlers. My boys are capable of casting on their own now and I only had to re-string their rods a dozen times instead of a million. That’s progress!
They caught toads, dug for worms, turned over rocks, climbed trees and built forts – most of which happened out of eye shot. They only came back to the cabin for meals and to finally crash into heap of little boys in their beds.
Now that we are back, I realize how much we needed this “nature break”.
My boys returned exhausted. And for a mother of all boys, wearing the little rug rats out is the name of the game. But they returned with more than red cheeks and tired looks on their faces.
They returned with a renewed sense of who they are and their place in this great big world of ours. They returned to our regular life standing a bit taller, with their chests puffed out a bit further than before. And my three boys all seem to like each other again. I think they have a new appreciation of how much they need brothers and good friends in their life.
But they are not the only ones who have grown. I’ve grown exponentially as well. I feel a renewed connection to the world around me.
Suddenly I feel a little braver, having learned not to focus on the destination, but to enjoy the journey of motherhood.
*Do you feel you are learning something about motherhood these days? Are your children growing and changing right before your eyes?*
When Eren is not at the local thrift store, she can be found barefoot in her backyard garden or at the sewing machine. Eren shows how she puts a little vintage into modern day living at her blog, Vintage Chica.
