Of Bikes and Beds

Albert Einstein explained relativity as follows: "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity."

I'll follow his example with my own: "Sit with a child throwing a tantrum for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Play with or teach your child for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity."

Being a mama is all about peaks and valleys. The days when my children are grumpy and whiney seem to drag by, while the special moments never seem to last long enough. The days when I could snuggle them as long as I wanted to flew by, and now I am grateful when they collapse into my lap for more than a brief hug and kiss.

It seems like only last week that Caitlyn was brand new, slowly inducting me into this life as a mama. It seems like days ago that Lorelei buried her tiny head against my chest in contented slumber. Their baby days raced by, and sometimes it seems like I put them to bed as toddlers, only to have them wake up the next morning as little girls.

Yesterday, Caitlyn learned to ride a bike with training wheels. She looked so adorable decked out in her pink helmet, perched on her sparkly pink bike, and she was so proud of herself. She was tickled, well, pink! But, oh, how my mama heart pounded, watching her wheel away from me atop that little bike. It didn't matter that Jason was right beside her, or that I was just a few feet from her--something about her navigating her own path, on her own bike, felt like she was slipping away, just the tiniest little bit. My heart swelled with pride, but it also stung, just a bit, to see how fleeting these days really are.

Last night, Lorelei slept in a toddler bed for the first time. My last little baby is not really a little baby anymore, and she proved it when she climbed up in her bed, her tiny little bed without the safety of rails and slats, and went to sleep. I know sounds silly, but it felt like she is now just a bit more vulnerable, a bit more out there and a bit more independent. She is old enough to have earned a bit of trust, and she's taken one tiny step towards the day when she will no longer need me to protect her every step (though my mama self will never, ever stop doing it anyway). But, she wasn't afraid, and she did exactly as we asked, snuggling down in her covers (with duck, babies, bap, book and water!) with a smug little smile of a tiny girl who is excited to be big.

Two big steps for two sweet girls in one single day. Pride and wistfulness at the same time. Maybe we should stick to one big milestone a day, for my sake!