Little vs. Big

The other day the kids and I left our house to run some errands in our classy ride, the 1984 Delica (don't forget the plush red interior). We saw our neighbors leaving their house and asked if they wanted a lift. My neighbor momma had her three daughters--a 2 week old, 2 year old and 4 year--along with several bags so she readily agreed to our offer.

As we drove off down the road, the two cute neighbor girls, dressed in their finest dress up clothes, busily chatted with my “big girls” in the back, and it struck me of how quickly that high stress season of littles is over. The diapers, night time feedings, bathing, potty training, constant messes, full-on-sprawled-out-on-the-floor-kicking-wailing tantrums? The times I thought I’d never sleep through the night ever again? Those days are now memories of survival. 

These days we’re learning who these kids were created to be, seeing their personalities come to light, watching their character develop and finding out their gifts. We don’t spend much time in clean up mode as we do in conversation, hashing out right from wrong, what the Bible says and trying to help them make their own decisions...and struggle when the consequences aren’t “fair”. In some ways, it’s as much work as the previous season, but more of an investment mentally and emotionally to get them through a day in one piece.

Don’t get me wrong. They haven't suddenly become angels. There are all out brawls between the three of them frequently. They don’t like to share with each other and they know what buttons to push on each other that crank the decibel level up. (Let's never question my gray hair!) But there are days when we laugh so hard we cry at their antics or stay up a little later just because we can.


We're entering a new season in the Brewer house and so far, I think I like it.