You're gonna miss this...

Any country music lovers out there know that Trace Adkins song, "You're gonna miss this"? I have decided that I need to have this song playing in the background of my life at all times. It talks about how fast time as a parent flies by and how all the annoying/stressful/tiring times will one day be missed.

True, not all moments I experience with my children will be thought of fondly--like today's episode at Pier 1 Imports, in which I ran in to look at desks really fast with two tired children (mistake #1). Within five minutes of being at the store without a sit n stand stroller to corral the both of them (mistake #2), Jack decided he needed to use the facilities, and while I was facing the other way, he opened the back corner door, thinking it was a restroom (mistake #3)--NOT THE BATHROOM, but the EMERGENCY EXIT! So the fire alarm went off (or whatever the alarm was, it was very loud and the whole Pier 1 staff came running). I stood there, holding Jack's forearm in a motherly way and holding Jane on my hip, ready to apologize (and not for the Chick-fil-A fries that Jane was dropping on the floor as she ate while perched on my aching hip).

Luckily, they were understanding and even made a joke about it, but Jack was embarrassed and I was just tired--tired of a long morning spent running errands with 2 whiny kids. While we weaved in and out the tightly-organized displays of martini glasses and paperweights, I longed for the exit while chanting my mantra to Jack, "You break it, you bought it. Don't. touch. anything."

Luckily, we made it out of the store without having to purchase any broken glass vases...

As soon as we got in the car and everyone was buckled and I was back in the driver's seat, I reached around to give everyone a pump of hand sanitizer (our first-thing-we-do-when-we-get-back-in-the-car ritual), and what does Jane do? Puts the glob in her mouth!!!! I have read articles of babies doing this and getting alcohol poisoning because the alcohol content is so high and concentrated...visions of the ER danced in my head and I screamed so loudly, both kids stared at me, not knowing what to do. Surprisingly, no one cried--which is what happens if I snap like that because (I'd like to think) it doesn't happen too often.

She ended up being fine, and as I drove home and we listened to some soothing music, my blood pressure went back down and I started to realize that all of these little things really are funny...just not at the time. And in my fatigued, work-at-home-mom state, it's easy to let the annoying ins and outs of daily life wear on you until you crack at the littlest offense.

A friend just told me on Facebook...the days are long, but the years are short...and I hope that I am able to be aware of this enough to sit back, take it all in, laugh at it and NOT REACT. I am definitely a reactor (at least I have been lately in my sleeplessness in my first year of an at-home business) and would like to be very calm. I don't want my kids remembering their mom as someone who flew off the handle, but rather a calm, refreshing go-to soft place to fall, even in adversity and when THEY are the offenders. After all, isn't that a picture of how Christ would react in a situation?

Slow down. Be present. (I am saying this under my breath). One day, I will long for the chaos of these days, the food-covered faces to wipe and the sibling spats to referee. One day. One day. (Again, saying this under my breath).