Wow

Here they are on their first day, ready for school, more or less. I may or may not have been altering the hem of Soph's dress at 7am that morning. But hey, ... who cares? We made it.

First day of Prep, Grade 2 and Grade 6.

Really?

Sheesh.

People tell you that their childhood goes so fast, and you nod and smile, but you don't really get it. Not when you are chasing toddlers and carrying babies, with a thin stream of posset over your left shoulder, fretting about feeds and nappies and insufficient tummy-time. Not when motherhood has run off with your mind and time moves like molasses and you haven't slept for half a decade.

Not then. Not me. I didn't get it.

But now?
Now I get it.


Sometimes I wish we could freeze frame it and that we could move through time in slow-mo, Matrix-style, eking the guts and glory out of their childhood years, out of every moment. And then reality hits fast forward and I'm gasping for breathing space and panicking. 'Holy Crap! Next year my baby will be in high school!'

They may be big and bolshy these three, but they are still big babies on the inside. But who would hold them back or slow them down?

I'm just going to try and hit the pause button on the 'busy crap' every now and then, when I can. The gotta, shoulda, woulda inane fuss and mind chatter that gets in the way of all good things. That'll give me a chance to soak them up and dance with them before they are all cringey, self-conscious and teenage and get all 'Holy Crap! I can't believe my Mum is krumping again ... so embarrassing.'

Hope your first week back at school has been frantic, lovely and bittersweet.

May your nutritionally balanced lunch boxes always return home empty, may you never forget plain clothes day and may you ever be blessed with matching pairs of proper school socks.