Other mothers might agree on this point…there are few moments that you really get to cherish as they are happening. You want to cherish them all. But the reality is that sometimes its more of a cherished memory than a cherished event. Like when the kid laughs crazily as they smear pancake batter all over the floor…or as they refuse to go to bed because the pile of dirty shoes is way more interesting but they look oh-so-darling in their footed jammies with the animal face on the rear end…or when they beat a family record in the category of “How High Food Can Fly”. Those moments are harder to cherish as they are happening.
All that to say, I had one of those moments recently that I experienced in flesh&blood and simultaneously cherished it as it was taking place. It wasn’t anything fancy. or even something most people would notice. but I noticed. and as I relished in the first real breezy day of fall, I enjoyed my boy as he attempted to hit a ball with a golf club.
He would crouch down…focused…intent on his goal. And then swing.
over and over and over.
He must have swung that club thirty times before making any kind of contact.
I loved it. I also loved that he took soccer breaks with daddy.
At one point he tried to make the goal a littler easier on himself.
Got distracted for a while.
And finally resorted to a different approach.
Something that he felt more comfortable with.
I don’t think technically you could call this golf…no club…throwing the ball…but either way, you know what I was yelling in that moment.
FORE!
Which in it’s most basic terms means “ahead”….which is exactly what I am going to try to cherish…everything ahead of us.
p.s. have you moms been cherishing something lately? it’s your turn to share 🙂
LOVE your shoes!!!
Great great post! You’re so right, it’s easy to lose perspective… And only realize how meaningful a moment was after it’s passed. Thanks for the reminder
Where are this shoes from?!?
Are you pregnant???
Katie:
You have the true “GIFT” with writing and making your blogs fun, hilarious, and well written. You really should write a book. You have the “gift of gab”……something my Father always used to tell me I also have.
Love the pictures of Arnold Palmer……alias Toddler Will. He is something else…
B.
I was going to say the same thing!!
Too fun! I’ve been cherishing my 2.5 year old’s attempt at making frosting, even though it’s actually sunscreen & her baking table was my parent’s red fabric recliner. It was hilarious & I loved her sweet face as she was so proud of herself!
I will take the risk of sounding like a DSW commercial, because I got to know…. “where’d you get those shoes!?” 🙂
Haha…they are Target (I got them last year or the year before that but I think they still carry them).
Happy shopping!
xo – kb
At the risk of sounding completely mean…can ya’ll stop asking me that? I get it on every post and every single time I have to say the same thing and it literally makes me wanna cry when I have to say no a million times over. No…I am sad to say that I am not pregnant. Yes…you will know as soon as I know. You might even know before Jeremy knows so consider yourself completely in on any news when or if it ever happens.
xo – kb
Target 🙂
xo – kb
lovely post! and oh yes, will throwing the golf ball definitely counts as golf. it is called the “hand wedge.” like the sand wedge but with more accuracy and less frustration. 😉
Katie, where did you get those adorable shoes?!
laughing! my baby is 6 months old and laughs all the time now. It. is. the. best
Opps you already answered my question above, my bad! And yes I replied on my own comment, even worse!
Great post–thank you for sharing!
By the way, I saw your response to the “Are you pregnant?” and I totally understand. I now have two kids, but I was once a mother to just one and wanting very much to get pregnant again. And can I just tell you something? I now look back at that time of having only one child as some of the best years of my life. And I wish I hadn’t spent so much of it wanting another baby. Which I know is easy for me to say now that I have 2, and I probably would have kicked anyone who told me then to stop wanting another baby so much. So I totally get it if you ignore this. But having two is about a thousand times harder than having one. And I deeply miss those days of being able to just focus on my first baby. “One is like none, two is like ten.” Now I understand that saying and I would love to return to those sweet days of just one baby to adore. Hoping you can cherish a lot more moments like this one!
I’m cherishing nursing my 17 mo. I never meant to nurse this long, but it sorta happened, and it’s sweet. She’s crazy & active & refuses to snuggle unless she’s nursing, so I cherish the moments!
So fun. Some of my favorite moments are watching my hubby play with our son. The heart melts. And can I just say, I totally feel ya. My buddy has been working on getting out of his naps by screaming, “I’m loooooonely Mommy,” over and over. Since he’s getting a little older and naps aren’t a must, I’m such a sucker these days and totally give in. I am learning to cherish these moments instead of dread them. (I don’t know if I ever really dreaded them, but geesh, a missed nap is a total missed opportunity for getting things done or actually getting dressed for real.) My alone time doesn’t seem so important when I get his little squeezes and smiles, and he says, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Mommy. I love you. Let’s play.”
I just ordered those shoes!
I am cherishing spending time in my oldest’s classroom, helping out. It’s chaos squared but it’s awesome.
Love this, you guys are so frinking cute. Love your quilt too.
“One is like none”??? Wow you must have REALLY neglected your first child if that’s how you feel. What a rude thing to say.
I’m not a mom but I’ve been trying hard to cherish the brief moments I have living in another country. I made a vlog today about the highs and lows here http://www.budgetblonde.com/2011/10/vlog-two-months-in-grenada.html
Hugs. Not mean at all.
There is nothing I cherish more than watching my husband and daughter play together. Or even just sitting on the couch together. Full-filling my dream of being a mom, was hard, long and painful. Sometimes when I look at my little girl, I get emotional with overwhelming gratitude of getting to be her mom. So happy you cherished the moment and took it all in.
Oh I just cherish my little guy’s hugs. They are the best. He still doesn’t say ‘mama” or give me kisses but if I ask for a hug, he is right there.
Ahh.
same here. Your shoes are to die for!! ..where did you get them? 🙂
P.s- the throwing pictures: get-me-everytime. lol…..so funny! Boys will be boys!
SO true about some being cherished memories instead of events. I love those cherished events, and this one of yours is precious!
I’ve heard that saying before… and when I just googled it to see where it came from, it was touted as being an old Chinese/Norwegian/Finnish saying. (?!)
I don’t think it’s implying that parents of only children neglect them. I think it means that compared to having two kids, one child (in RETROSPECT) seems so easy, it was almost like not having kids. (As a mom to one, I know that totally depends on the child. One was wonderful, but never easy.)
Have you thought of helping Will get an early start in Track and Field…emphesis on the “FIELD”…you know…Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Hammer…I think you have to just recognize the “Throwing Something” talent and “LET IT FLY!” 😉
Sorry to hear that you are having to wait for your number two. As an adoptive mom who couldn’t have children, I understand how frustrating it is when people keep asking. It’s not always easy to get pregnant, but things happen for a purpose and in God’s time. I’ll remember you in my prayers.
I had a moment tonight. I decided to put my feet in my sons bath tub during his bath time. He started laughing hysterically and thought it was soooooo funny. I didn’t have my video camera or regular camera but it was a ‘best’ moment. I wrote it down in the journal so I will always remember.
Thanks Cindy. It’s so hard ya know. Especially since I am an instant gratification kinda girl. I can’t imagine what those people go through that try for ten years. So thanks for your forgiveness.
xo – kb
Awesome. Totally using that next time 🙂
xo – kb
heehee!
xo – kb
I think she just meant that when you have two it is like so infinitely harder that one seems like a breeze. No harm no foul.
xo – kb
Tar-ghey! They are french 🙂
xo – kb
oohh…good idea. Like that lady in the commercial with the dunking three year old says…..SCHOLARSHIP!
xo – kb
This is why I almost never comment (and could never write a public blog of my own). I was actually trying to write something encouraging in it’s own way, and instead I’m told how rude I am. It is an old saying, not something I made up, and Katie’s interpretation of it is correct. But I doubt I’ll be commenting again–I don’t have room for more insults in my life.
Oh the Places He’ll Go!!! I love the follow through on that throw….(My hubbie always brags to the kiddos about his follow through)..You are such a talented writer!!!
I know exactly how you feel… we´ve been trying for baby #1 for almost a year now and its really frustrating when people can´t stop asking the same question over and over again! come on! when we do get pregnant we´re going to shout it out loud to the entire world =)hugs
Don’t say that Carolyn! It was encouraging to me and that is what counts, right? You have no idea how much every single comment means to me…I’m sure that Kat was just trying to defend me in her own way (she knows how sensitive I can be). As my Mummum says, let’s all give hugs and kisses 🙂
xo – kb
Where did you get the blanket? I have been looking everywhere for one just like it for months.
P.S. – LOVE your blog!
Yesterday I went to the post office. For the first time, my thirteen month old daughter was walking next to me (sweet little insecure steps) holding my hand. Cherishing moment!
Katie, I loved this post so much! I am a proud mother of two teenaged boys – you brought back alot of memories for me! Time flies faster than you can imagine…so cherish every minute! XOXO
Took a fall getaway with my kids (ages 3, 2, and 1 yes we are crazy) and my husband to a lake in northern Wisconsin. The leaves were gorgeous, but forever imprinted in my mind will be the kids throwing leaves in the air and finding rocks to throw in the lake. They did this for HOURS!
Carolyn, I GET it! I have two boys, 21 months apart and trust me—having one felt like “none” and two totally felt like “ten”! It’s a whirlwind but now that they are older (they are teenagers) I really miss the chaos!
Katie,
Cherish all those moments even the little ones.
BTW, I Love those shoes!!!!
It’s from the thrift store…it’s our fun outdoor blanket 🙂
xo – kb
Love it! And from a post last week… haven’t heard it in forevaaaaaa, but Kelis’ Milkshake was on the radio today! Hahahaha, I immediatley thought of you… and Will =)
Thought it was odd that I haven’t heard in in probably 3 years, you reference it in a post and the following week it’s on the radio.
Awesome. I love that Milkshake is Will’s theme song 🙂
xo – kb
I was going to say the same thing, but my mind was going a different way with it… Will’s form in that last picture says “future pitching ace” to me. The next Roy Halladay? Or maybe a closer with some sweet entrance music would be more Will’s speed. 🙂
Cute post! I actually had a “I don’t want to ever forget this moment” the other day. My girls Quinn (8) and Reagan (5) were laying on our big swing in the backyard, basking in the sun. But they were laying side by side, playing with each others hair, laughing and just talking to each other. It made me so happy, I took a mental image and hope to never forget.
I have an 8-week old who only likes to sleep in his mama’s (or daddy’s!) arms. I’ve spent a lot of time judging myself and questioning my mothering skills. I decided to just enjoy the cuddles — he won’t be little forever — and stop second-guessing my parenting skillz.
I love those shoes, too! I totally just bought them on my phone. Target app for the win!
I have most definitely been cherishing every moment with my 20 month old son lately. I just LOVE this age right now! Yesterday, I cherished the moment that he discovered what happens when you step on leaves that have fallen to the ground…crunch, crunch. He just loved stomping on all the leaves and hearing them “crunch”! I love his kisses and hugs and the way his eyes light up when daddy is home! Thanks, Katie, for making me sit back and ponder on all these moments that I have been cherishing!:)
Nothing to forgive, sweet one. Forgive yourself. You give us a gift by allowing us into your life; that’s our bonus. We need to remember that we’re not owed anything by virtue of your blog. We all love you, or we wouldn’t be here. We get so excited for and with you…. but in essence, we need to remember to give you the respect we’d give our sisters, our friends who go through these things which means, not asking questions, accepting that if and when you tell us should be your decision.
We’ll be patient because we know that when it happens, there will be a Katie Bower phenom announcement and I can’t wait to see how it goes!!!!!!
Carolyn, don’t you go hiding now. We’re all here for Katie, and she got what you meant. Yours may have been the words to get her through today. I love the community she’s built here, even when we misunderstand each other. Please don’t hold back. You’d be missed when she finally hosts the Katie Bower Fan Club complete with the Will Meet and Greet!
haha! I am totally quoting that one day “Target app for the win!”
xo – kb
I have a new granddaughter, and the past four months have been a track record of “aha” moments and “this is my favourite moment”. Its been a long time since I’ve felt so “here” and so alive. She’s gives open mouthed slobbery baby kisses, and it stops my heart. I find myself searching for an open field where I can just lift my face and thank God for this moment. I know it’s corny, but the sun rises in that smile and I hear angels when she laughs. God has never felt closer.
Katie, Shay, and Cindy–THANK YOU. You have restored my faith in the blogging community. 🙂 I really didn’t think I would comment any more, and now all three of you have me back at it in just 24 hours. 😉 Honestly, your comments are appreciated, and my hope is just to encourage you, Katie! God has a better plan for your life than you could ever create for yourself!