This New Season

Well, summer is here.

Don’t look at the calendar to confirm that fact. But look at the flip flops gathered by our back door. Notice the faint smell of charcoal ashes from the grilled hot dogs. There’s a pile of dirty, damp beach towels from our weekend at the lake awaiting their turn in the washer. No alarm sounded this morning. And we picked more strawberries this morning.

Relief and freedom fill the air around here.

We spent this past weekend celebrating summer’s beginning with my family at our lake house. We ate good, laughed much and soaked up the sun. The kids swam and jumped off the dock and chased each other through the grass and into the house. We grilled two dinners in a row there and another when we got home.

One of my favorite moments came after we all washed the lake off our skin: We gathered in the living room to play Game of Things. My 10-year-old niece Milla, 7-year-old daughter Cate, and 5-year-old nephew Jaxson played with us. And they got it. Their answers made sense and they got on to the jokes that started in previous rounds and carried on throughout the game.

I realized then and have continued to since: I’m in a different season of mothering. And this new summer season is showcasing that.

Hello, summer – both the literal season and the figurative one I seem to have waded in as a mother. Of course, my boy is the kind who jumps right in. Regardless, this is where we are.

Neither of my kids actually nap anymore. Some days Ben ends up falling asleep while looking at books in his bed, but we’re in a season of not planning that … or even really counting on that. Quiet times are still going to happen for my soul’s sanity. Cate will likely read, play with Legos, or watch a show on my old iPhone. Ben’s quiet usually involves looking at books or playing with Legos.

I don’t carry diapers or wipes in my purse {although I shouldn’t ditch wipes completely!} and I have two usually willing helpers in stores and restaurants. There are more questions, but there is more conversation that leads to understanding.

I encountered some frustrations yesterday with this growing independence – a battle of wills, if you will – but I like seeing my kids growing up. They make me laugh and they keep me coming back to God. I want to raise kids who love Jesus and are independent – not in a selfish way, but in a way that allows them to see needs and problem solve and help care for those around them. Many times I see that we’re getting there.

Like summer, I welcome this new season in motherhood. I want to soak it in now because I know it won’t be like this for long.

And, really, it’s a fun place to be. The water is nice. Come on in.
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I'm linking up this story with Lyli Dunbar's Thought-Provoking Thursday. 

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