The Rules

I know some rules were meant to be broken. Most of us gals raised in the South were probably brought up with a certain set of rules. ie. With your arms at your sides, your skirt should always reach your fingertips, etc. One of the rules I feel like my mama ingrained in me was "No wearing white after Labor Day." As a little girl, this usually applied to my Sunday dress shoes. The ones that had made their debut on Easter Sunday (and not a second before). Labor day approaching always signaled the retirement of those pretty white shoes and the welcoming of a pair of black (usually patent leather with a bow and strap) Sunday shoes. I still smile when I spot a little girl at church with similar shoes, especially when they are complemented with a pair of white lacey dress socks...folded down, of course.

Anyway, I have a pair of long white shorts that I wear all the time (at least once a week, sometimes more if they are clean). It certainly doesn't feel like Fall yet, and I hate to pack these go-to shorts away for the next several months. Is this one of those rules that is meant to be broken or at least bent these days? Tell me the truth, ladies. And, share with me what rules do you remember your moms passing down to you that you still carry with you today?

Someday I'll Miss...

If there is one phrase I hear more than any other it's usually something along the lines of: "Enjoy it. They grow up so fast." And, I believe it. I'm witnessing it. I mean I can't figure out how I have a near 3 year-old and an almost 7 month-old. It certainly doesn't feel like I've been doing this mothering thing for three years. Somedays it feels like I've never done it before. You know the kind of days where you forget to pack an extra set of clothes for your infant or one of those days when you have packed his bag to the brim with every essential and then some, but leave said bag behind at home. Or when you pride yourself on having remembered to not only check the bag for extra clothes and bring it along to find that the extra clothes or spare underwear (in most cases) is a leftover soiled pair.

Anyway, back to my point...I'm fully aware of how fast my children are growing. Today I found myself looking forward to a few things, which made me realize that someday I'll miss these mundane things. Although, I'm pretty sure it will take a few years. Someday I'll miss...

• all the tops, lids, valves, caps and various pieces that accompany bottles and sippy cups and the fact that sometimes they occupy the entire top drawer of the dishwasher, but not today.
• changing the diaper on a wiggly baby, cleaning poopy underwear, basically dealing with number 2, but not today.
• that my toddler needs my help to do the second set of buckles on his carseat and that he always waits for my help to get out of the same carseat when we arrive at our destination.
• shopping on the baby aisle at the grocery store, especially those itty, bitty jars/containers of baby food and how they hog your entire cart.
• the fact that I must accompany my boys when they want to play outside. I often dream of saying, "go outside and play." But, the truth is, it often means I get fresh air, a moment out of the house (and a break from housework, etc.), and a chance to just pretend I'm a kid again.
• washing loads and loads of laundry every week. I fondly remember having a laundry day usually once a week when Josh and I were a family of two. Adding Jack increased that immensely and then just as I'd gotten a handle on things and a system, we added Sam. Baby clothes are the worst. They are so tiny and these outfits with multiple pieces. I mean really, who needs socks, a bib & a hat to go with every outfit? Also, if you've got a spitter on your hands (like Sam) you may go through multiple outfits in a day, definitely multiple bibs in a day and count on having to Shout/OxyClean/SprayNWash every single spot if they have a chance at wearing it again. I feel I am in a constant state of putting laundry away. I think the ideal house would have a laundry room gigantic enough to hold several clothes racks, drawers, etc. and everyone's clothes would just be kept there. Then you'd just go grab everyone's clothes for the day the night before, etc.
• changing crib sheets, but as of now this task is the bane of my existence.

To my fellow mommy bloggers, what things are you eager to say goodbye to even though you know someday you'll miss them?