Meals for Mama

Today started bright and early as I woke Mackenzie so she could get ready for her 6:45 AM departure for a field trip to the beach. It's a traditional marine biology field trip taken along with the high school juniors. She was super excited and as I drove away I still felt a tad nervous about sending her off on a bus for an all day field trip. I wonder when this feeling goes away. Actually I'm wondering if this is a part of motherhood in general and will never go away.

I was up so early that I got home, fed the boys and headed out for a quick run. I got in a whole Rosary before the run was over and still had time for a little bit of prayer. The weather was cool and the run actually felt good.

Next, I got the two big boys to school and prepared to join Max at school for the annual Muffins for Mom event. Max was beside himself with excitement. He couldn't wait to get there and kept reminding me, "You're coming with ME today!"

On the drive there I remembered this, this, this, and this. Suddenly, I was once again aware of how fast it all changes. How do I only have one boy in preschool? How do I have three kids in elementary school? How have I survived so far? It goes by fast, so, so fast.



I made it home in time to put away the laundry and head off to school to eat lunch with my other two boys. In years passed these activities, although fun, have left me with the feeling that they infringed on my last days of the few hours a week I had to myself. Today, I knew what to expect so I didn't plan anything else other than to be with my boys. Today it was really, really good.

Today I am so very grateful to be Mama to such great kids. Today I relished the sweetness of each of these stages, the beauty of every handmade gift, the preciousness of time spent together.

In the midst of all this sweetness are also moments of pure frustration and out and out belly laughing. One such moment can be seen in the photo below. I'll leave you with this (toilet training, check: redressing, still in need of a little help).