To my fellow moms

Remember when Motherhood was all about snuggles and giggling babies?

Poopy diapers and squash stained faces.

Mr. Noodle, the lady who said hush and criss cross applesauce.

ESPN Redzone, Snapchat, and feet on the dashboard replaced those times. 

My little boys are teens and as much as I desperately miss naptime I do love their (mostly) grown-up like conversation and the ability to go independently to the bathroom.  (Although I often question this due to my overuse of lysol wipes on the toilet seat)

I've contemplated about life a lot this past year. 

There's no luck in cancer of course but there are definite dodged bullets.

And I know I dodged a few. 

But with that dodging came growth.

And with that growth came realization.

And with that realization came the fact that my children are growing...really darn quickly. 

I want my babies to stay babies where I can keep them safe and know where they are and who they're with and what goes into their bodies.

And then I look at my teens and know that this is getting quite impossible.

Because you know...time keeps ticking.

And as I watch another damned ER episode, the one when Mark Green dies of Brain Cancer (I know, honestly, glutton for punishment) I'm  reminded once again how life can change in a blink.

So cherish the toilet training even though you may want to put your child into the yard buck naked until he can figure the potty thing out themselves.

Cherish (? Okay, try to tolerate)  the eye rolling even though you want to give them a good spanking and tell them to respect their parents more.

Cherish the attitudes and the moments where maybe they actually confide in you. The time where they come in excited about their test score or cry over a broken heart.

Cherish the moments even if you think (know) you're going to go bat shit crazy.

And to quote my friend Shel

“There are no happy endings.
Endings are the saddest part, 
So just give me a happy middle
And a very happy start.” 

― Shel Silverstein, Every Thing on It