Sunday, July 6, 2008

4th of July weekend

How was your 4th of July? For all my non American readers, I hope you had a nice friday. For all my American readers, I hope you had a wonderful holiday! We went to a neighboring city for their annual fireworks display. They put on a really good show. Last year was the first time we went. We went earlier in the day and hung with the masses. Not so fun. Too many displays of behavior that I don't want our children to see let alone imitate, too much cigarette smoke, and too long of a wait. So this year we pulled in at 8pm, made our way through the crowd, plopped down our chairs, a family of friends found us by chance and sat with us, chatted for a few minutes and then the fireworks started. Afterwards we waited for the crowd to thin and our kids ran around like nuts. Much better, but still too much cigarette
smoke : P

Since the fireworks were so loud, Marguerite sat in my lap almost the whole time. She is mommy's girl through and through. As she was sitting there, I was thinking of just how long we actually have our children before they leave home. Sometimes it feels like eternity, sometimes it feels like it will be over in a blink. We homeschool our children, so they are with me almost all of the time. I'm grateful for that. Yes, they do get on my nerves sometimes, and yes sometimes we snap at each other. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I have many reasons why we homeschool (I call it my 1001 reasons why we homeschool). And one of the top reasons is that when they look back on their childhood, they will have so many memories of time spent with me and with each other. When I was a child, I went to school, my mother worked, and life was busy. I'm glad and thankful that I get to be with them and they get to be with me.

Back to the fireworks and my thoughts. Yes we have our children for another 10 years give or take a couple. But I will only have a few more years of my daughter sitting in my lap. That, my friends, will be gone in a blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes all my strength not to suffocate my children in love - kisses and hugs and squeezes and back rubs and cuddles and....

swimming
my two sweets

7 comments:

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

I like your thinking... there are a lot of good reasons to home school and loving our children is the best one of all. I enjoy the company of my children too much to hand them over to crowded, indifferent, troubled schools.
In fact, this is a nice freedom to celebrate on this Independence Day weekend.

jacquie said...

So true...my sitting on lap days are over, but they are replaced by quick looks, hugs, and "mom calls." It never ends, just changes.

Clare said...

Finally managed to catch up with you.

Lovely DD doesn't have cuddles anymore and stopped kisses before bed time as she felt she is getting too old for that sort of thing. I still get the occasional hug and we still have fun together. Only 2 years to go now and then she flees the nest (sniff).

Tine said...

Your children are beautiful! And I agree with your thoughts on the time-issue! I should have my children with me for another 15 years or so, if all goes well ;-)
And it is just not enough time!

Tine said...

Your children are beautiful! And I agree with your thoughts on the time-issue! I should have my children with me for another 15 years or so, if all goes well ;-)
And it is just not enough time!

Andrea said...

We home schooled our children also...
those sitting in your lap days are the best, you're very wise to cherish them. Mine are all grown now, in their early twenties, but we are all a very close knit family...i wouldn't change a thing except to have worried less when they were little because it doesn't help a thing!
I love your blog :)

LauraJ said...

I too suffer from that same wanting-to-squeeze-all-the-love-possible-into-my-child affliction. It's sometimes scarey how much we can love them and sometimes comforting.