I was just thinking about how wonderful it is when your kids are young and you get glimpses of life from their perspective. I really miss those days. Now that they are all adults it feels like something is missing from my life sometimes. But I have the memories.

The days when a hug or kissing their boo-boo could instantly fix anything. Those times were simpler and a lot of fun. I do remember the exhaustion of getting up early and going to bed late. Many nights not getting to sleep all night because one of them was sick.

The hectic days of dance class, piano lessons, and sports practice. The times when schedules overlapped and I was supposed to be in two places at once. It could get a bit crazy, but we always managed.

Slumber parties where none of the girls slept. Red kool-aid spills on the beige carpet. Glitter….oh the glitter spills from art projects gone awry!

And are there really many better things in life than holding your sleeping child in a rocking chair? Looking at their angelic faces while they sleep is one of life’s great pleasures.

Watching them play and learn new things was a special joy of mine. When they work so hard to achieve a goal and finally make it they are so excited!

Then there are always the funny things they say when they are young that make you laugh every time you think of them.

The oldest daughter and her dad were walking to the park one day on a street with no sidewalk. She was about 4 at the time. She very seriously asks her dad, “Daddy, do you have Jesus in your heart?” He answers, “Yes, I sure do sweetie”. She says, “Oh good, cuz there’s a car coming”

I read to my kids a lot when they were growing up. We were reading Little House On The Prairie. The middle child was about 3. We had just moved from the city out to a place in the country.

Suddenly, I could not get the middle daughter to keep her shoes on to save my life. She would take them off constantly. So one day I asked her why she wouldn’t wear her shoes. She says “Cause I’m a country girl now and country girls don’t wear shoes.” A line directly out of the book!

The teen years hit for the oldest one and we had the issue of boys. We were sitting on the deck one night discussing how hard it was because we were not going to allow her to have a steady boyfriend at age 13. She wasn’t real thrilled with us to say the least.

The youngest comes over and gets in my lap and says, ‘Don’t worry momma, I’m not even gonna even look at boys til I’m 17. I promise.” This sounded pretty good until her next statement. “But when I’m 17 I want a Harley.” Why? Because she figured it she had a Harley she could get any man she wanted!

We have since traded in the innocence of childhood, sports swards, dance and piano recitals for high school diplomas, and college degrees in progress. I am very proud of my young women, but I miss my little girls sometimes.