All too fast...

It seems so trite for mothers to complain about how fast their children are growing up. But, lately I am just feeling it so bad, that I am going to do it anyway.

Last thing I knew I was a mother of two little ones and a baby. Not anymore.

It began when I was organizing some pictures. I came across this of Mia just after we moved to Virginia (which seems like only yesterday):


And, compared it to this:


Aack! What happened?

All the sudden, it feels like, she has become quite the grown-up. She lost her other top tooth; she changed Elsie Jane's diaper; she consistently gets up to practice piano every morning before school on her own; she reads everything. I am not sure I am ready for all this.

But, it only got worse when I was taking Maggie to her first full day of preschool last week. Just the night before Jeffrey was commenting on his fears of navigating Maggie through her teenage years, since she already gives us fits over the types of issues you would expect to find with a sixteen-year old.

"Pooh, pooh," I said, "It will be fine."

Then, as we pulled up near the school, Maggie turned to me and said, "Mom, I really need my own cell phone."

What!?!

"Yes," she continued, laying out her argument with great care, "Then, if there is a problem I can call you and Dad."

Seriously! I admit it, Love, I too am scared.

I mean, she is THREE. Oh, what may await us when this fashion-diva, cell-phone toting tot turns thirteen.

And, as if all the accomplishments and interests of her older sisters were not enough to give me pause, Elsie Jane has decided to just make it official. She is no longer a baby.

Since our return from Utah I have been pondering what to so about safely securing the stairs in our house. Our little 1930's bungalow in Salt Lake had a door at the top of the one staircase to the basement, so I have never owned a baby gate before. My stairs now have crazy banisters, and I have simply not known what to do.

So, I just tried to always keep an eye on Elsie who, at ten months, is all over the place now.

But, this last week, she mastered the stairs on her own. She can go all the way up and all the way down with no trouble. And, she is super fast.

I will turn around for a minute, and when I turn back she is no where to be found, because she has scurried up the stairs.

In fact, this is her favorite past-time lately. It is like having her own jungle gym at home. Elsie spends all the time she possibly can, every day, climbing up and down the stairs.

I guess that solves my gate problem.

But, it leaves me with another, mourning the loss of the little baby years. Sigh. I never thought I was the type of mom who didn't want her kids to grow up, but lately it just seems to be happening all too fast.