As a parent, I am constantly amazed by the things I take for granted...Ainsley & Sofie's health and intelligence, our good fortune as a family and sooooo much more. However, there is one thing that no parent can take for granted, and that is the passage of time. Even though it seemed like life zipped by before having children, I have yet to meet a person who doesn't say time kicks into warp speed once they have a child.
We had an occassion to stop and ponder the passage of time this last weekend as we celebrated Ainsley's 9th birthday on Sunday. It always seems like the days leading up to the girls birthdays find me feeling a little blue, but I have to admit that this year I felt it a little more. When I stop to think how quickly they are growing and how quickly they are changing it makes me wish I could slow things down just bit.
As Ainsley's birthday drew closer, these feelings only intensified. Every day I see her moving further away from being a little girl and closer to being a young lady. She has opinions on everything...music (Chris Brown and Gwen Steffani are her faves), clothes (she likes one certain style of GAP jeans and black Converse sneakers), activities (dancing is still king), and colleges (she wants to go to law school at CU). She observes the world and people around her with a more critical eye and has started talking about behaviors she finds inappropriate.
As parents, Mike & I are extremely fortunate to have two such intelligent, well-mannered, dynamic daughters. But I don't know what to expect in the coming years - and we all know how I hate surprise! The world moves more quickly than it did when we were young (putting that in writing makes me feel soooooo old!), so I spend a great deal of time trying to determine what we can instill in the girls now to make the teen years a little easier not just for us, but mostly for them. If we can figure out a way to do that, I think we will have done something pretty special as parents.
For those of you who are just starting out on the wonderful road of parenthood, don't be afraid. The adventures are many and the let-downs will be few...if you plan ahead!
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