A 1 and a 3 year old

I know everyone says time flies. As a mom, I feel like time skips. Some weeks are so long, and to be real, days can drag on. Especially those days when your 1 year old is crying at everything, because she's frustrated that you don't know what she wants or is constantly getting hurt due to her independence and insistence on trying new risky things. Or when your 3 year old hugs your 1 year old until she cries, throws tantrums every 5 minutes or screams NO and runs away from you in a public setting. Those days seem to drag on to no end. 5:00 can't come soon enough...or some weeks, the day when your husband comes home from his week long business trip can't come soon enough. But then there are other days, when I sit with my cup of coffee watching my 2 little ones play and I think--how did I get here? How do I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old? How did this happen so fast? Sometimes I feel like I skipped from having an infant and a barely 2 year old to the here and now. Though I do have faint memories of the in between, and I know I have experienced a lot during that time, I can't help but think "Where did the time go?" Caden often sits at our computer and watches the screen saver slide show that runs through a bunch of pictures from last year to now. He asks "what's that?" or names who is in the picture ("Look! Dada! Baby Tessa! Grammie! Baby Rya! YOU, mama! It's YOU!") I have found myself sitting with him and looking at these pictures too. Looking at this past year that feels a little like a blur, but holds some of the most precious of memories. Just within the last month do I feel like I am starting to get normal sleep (knock on wood), and we have some sort of normal in our house. Sickness is gone (praise God), Tessa finally sleeps through the night on a regular basis, Caden and Tessa's relationship continues to blossom into a unique bond and friendship, I experience a little more independence from my kids that allows me to actually do some things around the house when I am home with them or have some nights out for some personal refreshment.
And yet while I feel those things, I talk to moms who say that this phase of life is one of the slower paced times with kids. Before soccer practices kick in, school starts with all its commitments and time starts flying even more. So as I sit here in my jammies (yes it's 11am), while one kid naps and the other is pretending to call his daddy on his play cell phone, I am going to enjoy this day . And take one day at a time and ask God for his provision one day at a time. Because I am reminded that God gives us His manna daily. Not in a Costco size portion, but enough for today so I can go back tomorrow and ask for more. (don't get me wrong--I love Costco. I have a stash of goldfish crackers that would feed a small army). And man, do I need that provision especially on those days that seem to drag on.
I strive to be thankful for each of those days, despite the roller coaster of emotions that comes with them. I know soon enough I will be watching Caden take his senior pictures, or Tessa apply for her first job, and think "How did I get here?" So here is to time flying, in the best of ways...and realizing the importance of taking the time to be dependent each day, ask for my daily provision, and take lots of pictures along the way.