Precious Moments Aren't Just Porcelain Figurines

Today was a good day.
I decided to take a semi-break from housework and my writing to-do list in order to spend a little extra time playing with the boys...so instead of scribbling in the notebook or folding laundry while they had art-time, I colored with them. We had an indoor picnic for lunch, a fort-building session in the early afternoon, and a long drawn out battle of ninjas versus invisible foes. Multiplying foes, I might add. Every time I thought we had surely been victorious (aka, my 'karate' was tiring me out), Sean would say "oh, no! There are twenty more behind you!" He informed me that they were getting in through the fireplace, so I tried "blocking" it with large couch cushions...didn't help one bit. Those bad guys were tricky. And, by the way, it is hilarious for me - the girl who spent her "pretending" years with younger sisters, doll babies, Anne of Green Gables, and tea sets - to be playing Mommy Ninja. This playing with boys thing is a whole new world.
After a few extra stories at bedtime, we went into what is usually the sweetest part of my day - lights out (as long as they're being cooperative. we all know that forcing a 3 and 4 year old to stay in bed when they don't want to is less than a fun time...). After I tucked them in and had given all of the requested kisses and hugs, I turned on our current bedtime playlist (Josh Groban, Ella Fitzgerald, a few jazzy pieces by Miles Davis) and listened to them say their prayers. There is nothing quite like hearing their spontaneous conversations with God...Christian mainly mimics Sean and adds a hearty amen...but, still, it's a perfect display of innocent faith - a faith that it becomes harder to hold onto as we grow older. Listening to Sean thank God for taking care of our family (with a name by name list) reminds me that worry is pointless....just like Sean is certain that Mommy and Daddy will be there to pour his apple juice in the morning, he's certain that God will take care of us. It's wonderful to bask in the simplicity of his world...because it's a simplicity intended for mine, as well.
As I sat there in the quiet beside of the bed, I had one of those moments where it just hit me...how precious these days are. Right now, it's just the three of us during the day, with our own little world...trips to the park are still marvelous outings to them, grocery shopping is an adventure, a picnic in our own back yard is something akin to the golden ticket. It takes so little to thrill them....just a little time and imagination. I'm going to do my best to make the most of these last months...because in June, it'll get a little harder to play so freely...and then, in August, the biggest chunk of Sean's day will be taken up by school.
People are not overstating it at all when they talk about how fleeting childhood is...babies today and teenagers tomorrow. It's my deepest hope that when the boys look back at these days of forts and two-hour coloring sessions, they'll know how much joy they brought to their hormone-crazed Mommy - and I hope that joy is given back to them, over and over and over again....
I guess that's a Mama's biggest prayer - let my children's cups overflow with blessings until the floor's flooded...let the blessings rise and rise until they're doing the backstroke through love, peace, and grace...totally and completely inundate them with Your goodness.