These Are the Golden Years of Parenthood

These are the golden years of parenthood.

My children are 5 and 7.5. I am loving this age and want to bottle it for all of the good, bad, and ugly that is our day to day.

Gone are the diapers and the colic, the constant night cries and frequent fevers and sniffles and rashes.

Gone is the need to carry a stroller and a diaper bag and worry about unplanned stops and trips to accommodate freak outs and poosplosions.

Gone is the questioning if the baby is hungry or tired or in pain or teething or growing.

Gone are the days of a child who can’t tell me what hurts or why they’re sad.

Gone are the day-killing naps and limited options for ways to kill the wakeful hours.

Gone are the costs of formula and diapers and the need to always travel with five extra sets of clothes.

Gone are the days of lying in bed waiting to wake up any second for a baby needing food, knowing it will come. And it always does.

Gone are the days of being a mom to Littles.

Hello to the life of a MOOK! (Mom of older kids)

Hello to the ability for kids to grab their own water, pour their own cereal, and dress themselves.

Hello to the option of kids safely entertaining themselves.

Hello drop-off birthday parties and two-wheeler solo bike rides around the block.

Hello to kids who have finally decided to sleep in and not always waking us up.

Hello to the snuggles and the hugs and the hand holding and the I love yous.

Hello to being your bestest friend and greatest mommy ever.

Hello to ice cream trips and rocking out to fun songs in the car.

Hello to baby bunny as a constant companion and cuddling up and reading books and singing lullabies to end the day.

Soon you won’t want to be seen with me. Soon, bunny will be left at home and you’ll rather read by yourself at night. Soon my car singing will embarrass you and discipline will turn you into hating me. I’ll be the Worst. Mom. Ever.

Soon, the talking back and whining that aggravates me now will be nothing compared to the balk talk I am sure to get in the teen years.

Soon you’ll go out with your friends beyond our block and I won’t know where you are every single second of every single day. Soon you’ll care less about us spending time together and will walk to the edge of the sidewalk rather than hold my hand.

Soon, you won’t need nor want me to drive you places and I’ll have to trust that where you say you’re going, you are.

Soon, the inability for me to sleep waiting for you to rouse will be replaced by waiting up at night waiting for you to walk through the door before I’ll be able to go to sleep.

Soon, we will enjoy experiences as a family as you grow, seeing you make life-long friendships, experience new things, watch you move on through school, explore your talents, and embrace your passions. Soon, we will explore the path of teen and adult years together, finding a new relationship as we both learn and grow and experience lives together, and separately.

But, right now, with my 5 and 7.5 year old, these are the golden years of parenthood. The years between full dependence and a need and desire for total independence.

These years aren’t perfect (they’re still children after all!) and the years coming aren’t going to be all bad.

But these are years I want to bottle. My kids are still kids. Some days are particularly long. But, more and more, I’m feeling the years getting shorter.

Some people love the newborn years, others want to hold on to their babies while they’re still light in their arms. But as a parent, I have never felt so contented and so wanting to stop time as I do right now. My kids hover in a wonderful suspension between childhood and young adulthood, and I’m loving it.