Let them be little.

To say the least, I am an axious mom.  In the mere 2 1/2 years that I've been a mom, I've struggled daily, to let the little things go.  When Jonah was a baby, he was very spitty, and I just about had a breakdown every time he spit up on his bib and spoiled the carefully selected ensemble.  (Yes, I do realize that the bibs were not just an accessory, but that they actually were meant to catch the spit.)  I'm the type that likes to have all my ducks in a row, so to speak.  Everything has to go as planned, everyone has to be safe and accounted for, and I can't say goodbye or goodnight to loved ones without saying "I love you", even if I'm mad, in the event that something horrible should happen.  Okay, so maybe I'm a bit neurotic.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the last day of summer vacation with most of Josh's family.  It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day and the grass was green and lush in the backyard.  Perfect for wrestling.  Yes, wrestling.  It was a real, live, WWF smackdown right in my own backyard.  Two grown uncles/dads vs. four giggly, screaming neices and one little toddler boy who certainly held his own against the big boys.  Oh, and lets not forget to mention the cheering section that consisted of the neighbours kids from the next two houses beside us.

Pan up to the deck.  There's me.  Pacing back and forth, darting my eyes from one child to the next just waiting in anticipation for the hearty giggling to turn to crying.  Who would it be first?  I was just praying it was not going to be a neighbours kid.  My small voice was that of a tiny mouse amongst a galloping heard of wildebeests as I begged for them to settle down.  Forget it Caitlin, their ears are not tuned to your frequency.  So I sat, then I stood, then I sat down again, and got back up again.  I busied myself with wiping the patio furniture off, still praying that no one was going to end up with a black eye or a broken bone.  I'm sure the squealing and giggling could have bean heard all the way to Midland.  But it was just that - big hearty laughter, the kind that comes so deep from your belly that you just can't stop.   Here they were, five sweaty, grass stained kids, having the time of their lives with two of their most favourite people in the world.  Who was I to try to deny them of that?

The more I thought about it today, the more I realized that now that I'm a mom, its even more necessary than ever for me to just let some things go.  Besides the fact that they're all still in one piece, maybe, just maybe, Jonah and his cousins will grow up fondly remembering that sunny afternoon in the backyard with Uncle Jason and Uncle Josh.

Most of you have probably heard this song at one time or another, but it seems so fitting for today's blog, I thought I'd share it with you.  So take a listen, and try not to cry.  : ) 
  
You Tube Video - Let Them Be Little

Lyrics:

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand
Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute
How it amazes me, you're changing with every blink
Faster than a flower blooms they grow up all too soon

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

I've never felt so much in one little tender touch
I live for those kisses, prayers and your wishes
Now that you're teaching me things only a child can see
Every night while we're on our knees all I ask is please

Let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

So innocent, a precious soul
You turn around and it's time to let them go

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

Let them be little