Don't Blink

Tis the season for ending one phase of life and looking toward the next.  Two times each year I struggle to hold back both joyous and heart-tugging tears - the last day of school and the first day of school.

Oh how I love the last day of school and the thought of spending all summer hanging out at home with my kiddos, but with it comes the realization that they have completed yet another year of growing up and away from me. 

The first day of school is also oh so exciting for me.  The preparation of school supplies - new notebooks (love a fresh new notebook!), new clothes, new lunchbox... the energy of that morning is thrilling.  I've always loved school so it makes perfect sense to me to look forward to that very first day of a fresh new year.  Yet, now, as I snap those first day of school pics of my three, I'm holding back tears as they're holding up their fingers to indicate their new grades in school.

I had one of those brick-meeting-head pivotal moments tonight in the car traveling back home from my sweet little one's ballet performance.  I'm driving; my nutter butter's in the back singing to the radio; my older daughter is in front with me controlling the radio.  She stops at a song on one of her favorite country radio stations.  The title? "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney.  Brick meets head!  If you aren't familiar with it, google the lyrics.  At that moment I had the profound realization that I am soon to be entering an entirely new phase of mommyhood.  Upon completion of this school year, I will now be the mom of a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler.  Ouch, those bricks hurt. 

So, with my wide-open, non-blinking eyes, I look toward new experiences and remind myself to savor each and every single solitary one -

every ballet performance, award's ceremony, school dance, soccer game, LAX game, dinner around the table, vacation, day at the pool, conversation in the car, goodnight hug and kiss...