Feeling Grateful

I love watching my kids run around the yard giggling, chasing, and not having a care in the world. I remember when I was younger, the only concern I had was getting my Sunday school “homework” done and if I had done it correctly – that’s it…today it seems kids have so much more on their plate. I’m not sure what makes it this way, but maybe because we just expect too many things out of them at such a young age. This is why I am not in a hurry to get them into all the sports. I do feel guilty at times and question myself if I am hindering them from something they may love, but then times like this evening, watching all three of them build mud castles and dig their names in the dirt, that I remember why I want them to be kids and live an imaginative life right now – because they are young only once. I don’t want to be that crazy mom running them all over kingdom come and never eating dinner as a family. This evening was perfect because I was with my family outside, watching them become beautiful little people. They played hide-and-seek (even though I don’t think Henry really “got” it), they chased each other, jumped on the trampoline, played soccer with Daddy, picked flowers, dug in the dirt looking for worms (Myla may have injured a few), rode their bikes, colored with chalk and then we ate dinner as a family and talked about the day.