Monday, August 12, 2013

Bittersweet Memories

Hi there readers!  I was a little blog MIA last week.  I actually got quite a bit of writing done, but not much of it was for immediate blog posts.  Plus, if you read this post, you know that we were in the midst of our annual Birthday Blitz!  My hubby, my oldest daughter, & my youngest daughter all have birthdays within a five day span.  We've spent the last two weekends fully entrenched in birthday party madness and we've eaten enough birthday cake to satisfy even the most gigantic sweet tooth.



There is something about birthdays - kids' birthdays in particular - that is rather bittersweet, isn't there?  On their special days, both of the girls wanted to know exactly what time they were born.  They had questions about their first moments of life that brought back floods of memories for me.  I had flashbacks to their first few moments and their first few years.  We talked about past birthday cakes and parties they had had.  We recounted lots of memories.  It was a little sad to think about how quickly the time has passed and that, now that the youngest is six, we are completely finished and pretty far removed from babyhood and toddlerdom.

On the other hand, though, it is so wonderful to see the people they are becoming.  They most definitely have their own personalities, their own interests, their own uniqueness.  (Truthfully, I'm kind of glad that we've moved past babyhood.  We are able to go places and do fun things without worrying about naps, or bottles, or dirty diapers.  That was a wonderful stage of life, but we were all ready to grow up and move on.)  It was fun to see the joy on their faces as they opened presents and saw friends they have missed over the summer.  All those memories are fun, too.  It is always interesting to hear the parts of the stories that the girls find funny, or weird, or amazing.

Obviously, the whirlwind of the birthday blitz always leaves me feeling a bit nostalgic.  It leaves me with mixed feelings of happiness, reflectiveness, and a tiny bit of sadness.  And, I am always reminded of my favorite Dr. Seuss quote:

"Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened!"

So, today I am smiling.  I officially have a first grader and a middle schooler (Yikes!).  I also have a third grader who absolutely cannot be forgotten even though she has to wait until December to celebrate her birthday.  We have exactly two weeks until they go back to school and we return to the busy, crazy schedules of school, homework, and extracurricular activities.  I plan to spend that time enjoying our last few lazy days of summer, making a few more memories, and hopefully crossing a few more things off our Summer Bucket List.

How about you dear readers?  Have you celebrated any birthdays lately??  Are you ready for the kids to go back to school or do you need just a little more time???


12 comments:

Sarah @ LeftBrainBuddha said...

Lisa, I love that quote. My husband and I were just commenting last night how nice it was to go out shopping (back to school clothes!) and not have to bring strollers and sippy cups and snacks.... I am loving the things we can do now that the kids are a bit older, and the conversations, the jokes... Change is hard, but it's usually awesome. Happy Birthdays!!!

Jessica Smock said...

We're still in the first years of parenting. Every birthday seems incredibly huge. When my son turned two this spring, I realized how much more confident I am in my parenting than exactly a year before, when my son was turning a year old. It makes me think of that quote about parenting about how each day is slow, so very slow, but each year just flies by.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

That is so true, Sarah! Change can be hard, but most of the time it makes things better.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes - that is a great quote that I had completely forgotten. Some days seem to drag by painfully slowly. Then, you blink and your "baby" is celebrating her 6th birthday!

Anita Davis Sullivan said...

Birthdays and first day of school- so bittersweet! And for you to have both at once is doubly so.



So proud, so enjoying who they're becoming, but realizing how quickly it's going.

Kenya G. Johnson said...

All three of our birthdays are in December. So I have my son going into the the 3rd as well. He will be 9. Will your daughter be turning 8 or 9. The late birthday thing sucks. It was the opposite for me. I started 1st grade at age 5. December is rough isn't it. I imagine your daughter has to get the same treatment her sister did though. Christopher hasn't had a really party since he turned one. One of these days my proposal will back fire - the one where I ask, "Do you want a party or a big present?" The big present is of course cheaper than a party. ;-) My birthday is the day after his so we kind a do a combined out to eat and have to compromise on where. Love that Dr. Seuss quote.

Robin Kramer @ Pink Dryer Lint said...

I totally get you on the nostalgia that occurs around birthdays. Such a great time to reflect back and project forward. I'm glad that you had an enjoyable celebration week, Lisa!

The Dose of Reality said...

The birthday blitz is in full effect!! I feel the same way you do about the kids' birthdays. It's so bittersweet for me. I like that quotation, though! So true!!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes - school starting on top of the birthdays makes it a double dose of nostalgia!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Hi Kenya! My daughter will be 9 in December as well. After this Birthday Blitz I have seriously contemplated trying to find a way around having the parties. Offering the big gift is a great idea! And, yes, December birthdays are also tough because of the holidays.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks you, Robin!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

It really is my favorite quote and I find it applies to many things in life!

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