31 Days {Day 11}: The Turning of the Seasons

I've been told many times that these years of raising my little ones is a season.  I've repeated the concept many times myself to other mothers who are in need of a gentle word.  It is an encouragement to know that though I may be bogged down now with the endless noise and construction paper all over the house, in a few years the situation will be different.  While today may be filled with runny noses and dirty diapers, in five years they will wipe their own noses and use the bathroom alone.  This week I may have to take five energetic kids to buy milk at Target,  but in a blink I will be sending them along to pick it up for me. 

For better or worse, the ways things are today will not be the way things are tomorrow. 

I know I expected a gentle turn of seasons.  Just as spring turns to summer, I expected a few hints of a change before it actually happened.  As the buds peek out on the trees before the leaves shoot forth, I thought I would know when a change was coming. 

Maybe I should have known better.  It seems that each May when we are longing for a hint of warm breeze, the nip in the air persists and then suddenly it is ninety-five degrees with no warning.  It was the same way with my current season of mothering.  I knew my kids were getting older.  I knew they were gaining independence, but I didn't expect to be suddenly thrust into this new season. 

In April we bought our first home.  March and April were consumed with sorting and packing and repairs and cleaning.  When May dawned and we settled into the new place, I realized that while I was caught up in my busy-ness, we had entered a new season with no warning.  For the first time in years, I sit down in the evening without nursing or soothing a baby to sleep.  Instead, I nurse the baby-toddler once in the evening, put her down in bed, and say good-night until morning.  I grocery shop (with all five kids!) in the morning now instead of my husband doing the food shopping at night.   My older children dust and vacuum their own rooms every week, help dry dishes, empty the dishwasher in the mornings, and fold laundry, sharing the housework with me.

I love that even though I still have a houseful of children, we are in a season that allows us to make plans with other families and be the flexible ones.  Until this summer, it seemed that others had to plan around us, but now our season allows us to plan around others. 

"Does your baby need to nap at one o'clock?  Okay.  We'll meet you at the park in the morning!"

"Is it too hard to get all of your little ones ready to leave the house?  Okay.  We'll come to you!" 

"Need to have a few hours out of the house?  Come to us!"

It is so liberating and I love that after having so many people be flexible with us in the past years, we  have the privilege now of accommodating others! 

So hang on to your hat!  You may be in a difficult season today, but your next one may burst forth in a beautiful array of color when you least expect it!