Seasons Change

I love the springtime. The extra daylight on both ends of the day. Watching the grass and fields turn back to green, the tree limbs fill back in with leaves, and the blossoms that magically appear and smell so good.

This spring the chaos of 2020 sent "crazy, fast paced, normal" life to a screeching halt, providing me  with almost two months straight home with the kids. While it wasn't always smooth sailing, there were many blessings.

This unexpected gift was the most time I've had, and probably ever will, with them. I took 6 weeks of maternity leave with Xavier; 10 with Skye, although Xavi was then in Kindergarten 8 hours everyday; and we never had family leave with Lex.

I loved becoming the expert on each of the kids. For the first time in their lives, I spent the most time with them and knew how they were spending their time. I watched them learn and grow, sleep and eat. I watched their relationships with each other bloom and watched as they gained skills that only open, unstructured time could have built.  They played with toys normally buried in the closet.  They had time to be bored and to use their imaginations.

 

We spent time outside. Xav learned to have more control over his bike, go ride on his own, and even went for the mail a few times.  We all got some color and my accidental beach burn on my feet has stayed tan, which never would have happened any other way.

I was able to try on the roles I had always wondered and wished for, granted not all at the same time. I got to see what stay-at-home and homeschooling might look like, although I never expected it to be while I was still trying to work.

All things (good or bad) must come to an end.  As I head back to work, we're blessed to have three people available to care for our kids and love them. Not having to worry about them is a peace of mind, but boy, do I already miss the sounds of their voices, the lightly suntanned freckles on their noses, and their big smiles.