They weren’t supposed to grow up this fast.Whatever happened to these funny little boys just getting to know each other?Whatever happened to every moment of every day being filled with little-boy needs and wants?

And whatever happened to all those sleepless nights anyway? I sleep all night now, most nights, and I feel quite spoiled.

The boys are in a strangely independent and almost as strangely scheduled stage right now where I can almost predict the pockets of time I’ll get to myself and the things I’ll be able to get done. It’s wonderful, until they intrude on that, and I’m reminded again of my huge propensity for impatience and annoyance.

Selfishness.

Which is terrible when you think of it, isn’t it?

These two sweet little boys . . . given to me to care for and cherish and teach and love . . . boys who say, “You’re the best mom ever, Mom,” (Sebastian) and, “You’re the only mama I love” (Alec) . . . and yet I still so often forget that they’re my most important work.

And I forget how quickly they’re growing. I’m realizing more and more that they won’t be my little boys forever. My toddlers are disappearing right before my eyes. I thought the sleepless nights and constant care and unending supervision would never end. I wanted it to, back then. But now that it is, it makes me a bit sad.

They weren’t supposed to grow up this fast.They have whole conversations with each other now. They make up their own games. They play unsupervised outside. They go tubing with their dad. And speaking of doing things with their dad . . . one morning—maybe the very first morning of its kind since we’ve had children—I woke up to an empty house. The boys had gone with Eric to return a piece of rented equipment. I hardly knew what to do with myself, not having anyone to get dressed or make breakfast for—so I swept the floor (among other things). It’s strange going from constant companionship to an empty house. Very strange. And that was just for an hour. I can’t imagine a real empty nest. Thankfully, I don’t have to for a very long time yet. 🙂

But the boys just keep growing. They empty the dishwasher. They sing almost every word of every song during Bible Time. They memorize verses.

They’re trying to learn the first twenty verses of Luke 2 by Christmas, and after one solid week of reading the first three verses a couple times a day, Alec rattled the whole thing off almost flawlessly, with only one or two prompts. And Sebastian isn't far behind him.

Speaking of Luke 2 . . . those first three verses that the boys are learning mention taxes and taxing quite a few times, so of course I explained the concept to Alec. He wondered who paid his taxes, and I told him Mom and Dad did.

Enter Uncle Alex a couple days later, and a conversation that is likely not exactly how it happened, but close enough . . .

Alec: Uncle Alex, look at my new socks.
Alex: Who bought your new socks?
Alec: Mama.
Alex: Does your mom have lots of money?
Alec: Yes. She pays my taxes.

It was so funny  to hear a little boy saying such a grown-up thing in his little-boy voice. Words on a page don’t quite do it justice.

But speaking of who actually buys said socks and pays said taxes . . . it was Eric’s birthday a couple days ago, and I didn’t say a word about it on social media.

Not that I didn’t buy him gifts and write him a card and make him chocolate chocolate cupcakes with a Snickers on top . . . But since I’m blogging, and since there’s never too many good things to say about him . . . 🙂

Happy birthday again, Eric. You are our hero, and I’m so glad that as our boys grow they have you as a role model and a dad. May they be as charming, as handsome, as kind, as godly, as funny, as wise, as hard-working, as strong, as . . . (Okay, I’ll stop) . . . as you. And may they each one day make a girl feel as lucky and loved and safe as I do . . . I love you.

We love you.

And every day we are glad that you belong to us.So keep growing, little boys. You have a heavenly Father watching over you every moment, and you have an amazing daddy who will continue to point you to that heavenly Father as you grow.

Part of me will always miss those innocent early days . . . but part of me is so excited for what is and for what’s coming.

~ ~ ~

I just heard Alec yell, "You're not great with child!" at Sebastian as if it were an insult. Apparently the second set of verses in Luke 2 is beginning to stick as well. 🙂