Growing up

can't believe it's already the end of Skye's second week back at preschool. we've been busy - Skye's made several new friends and Claire is going through some new phase in her development because she's not sleeping much during the day.

Skye keeps wishing she could go to preschool in the morning because that's when most of her friends from preschool last year are going this year. but silly mum took too long registering Skye last year we didn't get into the morning class. i had no idea mothers came extra early to school on registration day, filled out the forms right then and there and handed them in! i was busy adjusting to Claire so i took my time and now i'm having to listen to Skye's wistfulness and being reminded of my negligence. BUT Skye is making some new friends and i think this wish for morning class will soon disappear. Avery, Ruby and Gianni are names that come up frequently in our conversations. and one day a week, when Skye has lunch bunch at school, she gets to see her friends in the morning class. Skye's circle of friends is expanding and i think that's always a good thing.

Claire makes us laugh and cry these days. she is getting so mobile she climbs onto everything and grabs whatever is in sight for her little mouth. her favourite activity is to climb to the top of the stairs and scream for me to come up and get her back down since she hasn't quite mastered the getting down bit. when she discovers something new to touch, bang and suck on, she does a little happy dance - she does a pirouette on her bottom - and then gives a happy squeal. all wonderful, endearing things. but she does make us cry because she doesn't sleep. i thought i had it bad with Skye because she never slept much during the day. but Claire is just as bad, perhaps even worse. i keep telling myself this is just a phase and i hope i'm right!

and of course Claire's lack of sleep translates to my lack of time for writing while Skye is in school. i think i would be a much happier mum if i just gave up my writing all together. but then, i don't think i could do that. how do i stop doing what i love to do? so, the compromise these days is, i write on those good days when Claire does nap for an hour. can't plan for it. there's no guarantee that i'll get it today or tomorrow or the day after that, but when i do get it, boy, i better be inspired and ready to write!

i overheard two mothers talking after dropping off our kids at preschool (i was eavesdropping, but how could i not?) and one of the mothers was telling the others about how she dropped off the kids on the first day of school and the first thing she did was go to the mall, to the makeup section, and ask one of the ladies working behind the counter what new products she had. the mother had no need for any new makeup, but she spent over $100 and she does this every year after dropping off the kids on their first day and never tells her husband.

the first thought that came to my mind was, are we that miserable raising our children? and then i thought, no, we aren't miserable. in fact, we'd all probably say that our kids are the most important people in our lives and having them made us immeasurably happy. yet we all have to celebrate to a certain degree by pampering ourselves when we are released for a short time from the responsibility of motherhood. i couldn't imagine spending over $100 on makeup - actually, i could - but there are other ways i'd pamper myself if all my kids were off to school and i suddenly had no one to take care of but myself. i think what made me a little sad about the whole overheard conversation was that we feel entitled to some reward for all the hard work we put into raising our children.

i reminded myself that these early years fly by too quickly and i should try to enjoy them while they last. already, with Skye being at preschool every afternoon, i feel she is moving on and growing up all independent. and Claire's not too far behind.