One of my early motherhood realizations was around the idea of the unobserved last. I remember when Clara first learned to pull herself up and one day, I realized that I would never again see her laying in her crib, waiting for me. That last day of crib lying was gone without any recognition. And somehow I wished that some kind of bell would toll or voice would come from above saying, "Pay attention. This is the last time your child will ever do this."
Firsts are easily identified and celebrated. Lasts are often unnoticed and unrecognized - gone until you look back from the new stage and think, remember when...
Like the last time Clara crawled. Or the last time Caleb called himself "Cabub". Or the last butchering of the word spaghetti. The last"mommy", before it was shortened to just "mom". The last stairway descended in reverse, forever to be replaced by going down the normal way.
But some lasts can be realized and appreciated. Like our last moments as a family of four. A planned induction can help that one become recognized ;). Or our last ride in the family wagon (just weeks ago we donated it to Union Gospel Mission).
And this spring - and this May/June especially- we recognized our last season of a non-busy school calendar. Next year we will enter the exciting, new land of real school. Like the kind that goes from 9-3 and happens every day and probably shouldn't be missed too frequently. This school calendar thing and the inevitable busy-ness that comes with it will be a part of our lives for the next twenty-two years (that's through Alice's senior year). Woah. One of the blessings of having friends in the stages ahead of us is the preview it offers of the stages to come. I've watched close friends live (graciously) through the crazy furry of the last days of school. Concerts and award ceremonies. Museums and plays. All kinds of things to remember and coordinate and attend. Just the reality of all that being in real school brings.
So we recognized and appreciated it. Our last season of non-scheduled bliss. While most of the rest of the school calendar world was running around, doing all kinds of end of the school year things, we were...
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| Discovering new parks downtown |
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| Washing cars |
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| Eating popsicles |
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| Meeting Great Granddads |
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| Hanging out at Grammy & Grampy's |
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| Reading lots of books with Daddy |
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| And doing a little art with him too. |
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| Going on rides to the park with Caleb's buddy Anthony |
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| And going on adventures with Dad |
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| Doing lots and lots of art |
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| Loving on (smothering) little sis |
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| And planting gardens with Grampy |
It has been a simple and low-key spring. School is out for the big kids later this week and I always think summer officially starts then. We are thankful for this last slice of peace before the storm (of school craziness) that inevitably is right around the corner. But I won't lie. I've been excited for that new chapter since I left the elementary classroom five years ago. Celebrating this season. Looking ahead to the next chapter. These are the things my heart has been pondering these past few weeks.
