Monday, February 22, 2010

Letting Go

Random thing number one: This falls under the category of Mommy moment.

A week ago, my husband, my son, and I went to the park. Hubby and me on bikes; son on scooter (son is four). Hubby, of course, predicted that son would never make it to the park and back on the scooter. We're talking about three blocks. Me, I'm an optimist. "If son wants to try, son can try."

It's the quoted attitude that got me in trouble this fine day. See, my four-year-old is somewhat fearless. He has his own quad. He likes to jump from the top of the slide to the ground - without sliding. He's been swimming underwater since about nine months. But, for all this time, he's refused to leave the baby swing (the one that looks like a black, hard plastic diaper) and go to the regular swing. I've gently tried to persuade him to try. Saturday, he got on the regular swing, apparently he's been doing this at school, and he wanted me to push him.

Higher.

Now, the only thing keeping my son in the swing were these tiny, little boy hands. WHAT IF HE LET GO? I couldn't make myself push him higher. I wanted him back in the baby swing where if he let go, nothing would happen. He’d be stuck there in the black, hard plastic diaper imitation. I stood there gently pushing him and realizing, he's going to be doing lots of things where he could get hurt.
It’s all part of growing up. Not his letting go, but mine...

BTW, this whole post reminds me of a historic Pamela Tracy Mommy moment. When my son was about 9 months and started standing, I frantically called my sister. See, I was afraid to put him to bed at night. What if he fell!!! Her response: What better place to fall than a mattress.

Do you have any Mommy moments that make you look back and laugh?

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

19 comments:

squiresj said...

I have lots of Mommy moments. I'm turning 60 is a couple of weeks - slow it down please. Both my girls are adults now and it is the grandchildren's turn to make my hair grayer.
When my oldest was learning to walk, she would always hit the end of the kitchen table with her head. I would said "Ouch, and kiss her forehead". She would ask where the owie was but it took her focus off the pain.

Walking around our coffee table was another diaster. She would fall and start crying. Now I could feel sorry for her and she would cry for an hour. But instead, I would ask her if she put a hole in the floor and we would laugh together.
My Mother-in-law thought I was cruel.
But I can honestly say, my oldest can mess up, pick herself up, and keep going. She is 29 now - how old I was when I got married.

Project Journal said...

No Mommy moments yet (sorry, but thank goodness!!), but this kind of makes me sad! These kinds of thoughts make me reflect upon the fact that I only have a few more months of high school left...

: S

HAnnah

Lisa Mondello said...

Trust me, Hannah. It's your mom who is having the mommy moments right now with you graduating HS. My daughter is in the same place. I'm thrilled that she's reached this milestone. Terrified of her going out into the world alone for college.

Pamela Tracy said...

Squires,
We purposely bought a coffee table with round edges, and my kid was forever hitting his head!

Pamela Tracy said...

Ah, Hannah, don't be sad. These are the memories that settle in our hearts and make us say, "Ah." I'm having such fun being a mommy even while I'm a nervous wreck.

Pamela Tracy said...

Lisa,
When someone loves you, you are never alone. Your daughter is blessed, and she knows that no matter the distance, you're with her 100 percent.

Project Journal said...

Thanks, I know I'll be fine once I'm all settled, but I'm just so....unsettled right now!! With all the hustle and bustle and irregularity *shudder* I don't like it! I like routine, I like to know what's coming.

Oh well, enough complaining for now *grin* I'm looking forward to some great senior memories still to come this spring though!
Hannah

Leann Harris said...

My mommie moment was in the grocery store when my daughter decided to put her head though one of the leg holes in the shopping cart. She was five and was standing on the ground and stuck her head in the hole. She couldn't get it out. I couldn't get her out. The assistant manager couldn't get her out. All business in the store stopped and we were trying different things to get her head out of the leg opening. We were going to call the fire department when the assistant manager grabbed her legs and put her parallel to the floor. Her head popped out.

Then we had to walk out past every living soul in the supermarket. The next week, I warned her not to do it again, when the checker asked, "Is this the little who got stuck. We heard about it."

I wanted to craw out of the place.

Pamela Tracy said...

Oh, Leann, LOL, have you put that in a book? Does she still remember? My son turned five Sunday (the swing story was a week ago) and I thought he'd be easier. You're tale makes me think not.

Pamela Tracy said...

Hannah,
I graduated mid-term and missed my last semester. Silly me. I thought it would be cool to not have homework and be in the work force. Enjoy every moment.

Leann Harris said...

Pam, you bet my daughter remembers that story and tells it often. It's funny now, but when it happened I wanted to die.

Edna said...

I've had a lot through the years, but one that comes to mind (I don't know if I would laugh) but when my oldest son started 1st grade, no kindergarden back then, but he was a little short boy and when the bus stopped to pick him up he had to crawl up the steps to get into the bus.
His aunt was in a car behind the bus going to work and she cried, he was not even 6 yet. But with 4 kids I had a lot of Mommy moments, but they are all gone from the house now.

mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Pamela Tracy said...

Leann,
Your daughter has her own Christmas Story moment, head instead of tongue.

Pamela Tracy said...

Edna,
I'm tearing up at the thought. I can just see that little boy crawling up. You ever hear the poem "Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight, make me a child again, just for tonight." I think I'd want the poem to be "make my child a child again just for tonight." What I miss the most is when he was about 10 months, and he'd follow me into his bedroom, still with that little hop that new walkers use. He'd be following me because I had the baba. He'd crawl in my lap and we'd rock until the baba fell out of his mouth and I put him to bed. sniff.

Lisa Mondello said...

Pam, have you ever read that story I Will Hold You Til You Sleep? I cry every time.

Debby Giusti said...

Lisa, I haven't read the story you mentioned, but I've got an idea what it's about and I'm already crying!!!

Every new step of independence is bittersweet. We want them to grow up and be independent, but we worry about them doing just that. My kids are grown, but I still worry! :)

Lisa Mondello said...

Deb, this book goes one step further and when the boy is an adult and the mother is elderly, he holds her until she sleeps. I'm crying now. Kills me.

Pamela Tracy said...

You're talking about Love You Forever "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, As long as I'm living, My baby you'll be"
I took it with me into the delivery room. Yes we knew we were having a boy. My idea was for husband to read it and take my mind off whatever I needed my mind taken off. He didn't. LOL

Lisa Mondello said...

That may be the one I'm thinking of Pam. I couldn't remember the title and had to look it up and I may have gotten it wrong.