Remember when...
When we could just drop everything we "should" be doing and instead sit down and binge watch a TV show?
When we could wait until 7pm before deciding what we wanted for dinner, then go out somewhere without thinking twice about whether or not we would make it home in time for bedtime?
When we spent weeks upon weeks planning the perfect vacation and then actually took it and did most, if not all, of the things we planned to do?
I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few days. I'm not entirely sure what sparked it. Perhaps it was the medical test I had last week (that I will spare everyone the details of) that set off a string of events that I'm not looking forward to but are probably necessary. No worries, it wasn't anything major and to tell everyone about it, would be a lot of TMI. No details necessary, but I'm just fine. Maybe it was having the conversation with a friend the other day about how we used to not have a care in the world and now we have children that we are literally in charge of keeping alive each and every day. It could have been the discussion that Steven and I had the other day as we debated the probability of trying to go away for a weekend this year to celebrate our 10 year anniversary... without the kids (GASP!). Either way, I have been spending a lot of time reminiscing to those times before kids.
Steven and I didn't have too many worries back then. We both worked, so we had that, but I was done with grad school which we never took any loans for, we bought a house but did it at the best time possible and were financially set, and other than a dog, we didn't have anyone else relying on us for their safety and security every day.
We had season tickets for UCF football. We went on trips. We took a 10 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean and were cut off from our world for the duration of that trip. We went to Sin City and won back all of the money we lost (plus quite a bit) on our final night before coming home. We took annual trips to Key West and actually walked down Duval Street. We ate dinner at "nice" restaurants (sometimes). We went to movies almost every Sunday for a while because the theater near us did a Sunday special. We went to the beach on a whim and only a beach bag with sunblock and towels. We did what we wanted, when we wanted to.
Those times have changed, though. For the better? Of course. Does it mean we don't sometimes miss those experiences we had just the two of us? Of course. We think back to those things and remember the fun we had together. But, life is different now.
When we could just drop everything we "should" be doing and instead sit down and binge watch a TV show?
When we could wait until 7pm before deciding what we wanted for dinner, then go out somewhere without thinking twice about whether or not we would make it home in time for bedtime?
When we spent weeks upon weeks planning the perfect vacation and then actually took it and did most, if not all, of the things we planned to do?
I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few days. I'm not entirely sure what sparked it. Perhaps it was the medical test I had last week (that I will spare everyone the details of) that set off a string of events that I'm not looking forward to but are probably necessary. No worries, it wasn't anything major and to tell everyone about it, would be a lot of TMI. No details necessary, but I'm just fine. Maybe it was having the conversation with a friend the other day about how we used to not have a care in the world and now we have children that we are literally in charge of keeping alive each and every day. It could have been the discussion that Steven and I had the other day as we debated the probability of trying to go away for a weekend this year to celebrate our 10 year anniversary... without the kids (GASP!). Either way, I have been spending a lot of time reminiscing to those times before kids.
Steven and I didn't have too many worries back then. We both worked, so we had that, but I was done with grad school which we never took any loans for, we bought a house but did it at the best time possible and were financially set, and other than a dog, we didn't have anyone else relying on us for their safety and security every day.
We had season tickets for UCF football. We went on trips. We took a 10 day cruise to the Southern Caribbean and were cut off from our world for the duration of that trip. We went to Sin City and won back all of the money we lost (plus quite a bit) on our final night before coming home. We took annual trips to Key West and actually walked down Duval Street. We ate dinner at "nice" restaurants (sometimes). We went to movies almost every Sunday for a while because the theater near us did a Sunday special. We went to the beach on a whim and only a beach bag with sunblock and towels. We did what we wanted, when we wanted to.
Those times have changed, though. For the better? Of course. Does it mean we don't sometimes miss those experiences we had just the two of us? Of course. We think back to those things and remember the fun we had together. But, life is different now.
Steven and I were talking the other day about being parents. We both agree that this is the greatest thing we have ever done. We love those two little ones more than life itself. We are better people because of it. We are still Steven and Kristen... but we are also Momma and Daddy.
I know one day we will sit around after our kids are out of the house and reminisce again. Remember when...
When we took the kids to Disney for the first time? Will didn't really remember, but Kenzie was enamored and it just increased her love of all things Disney (especially princesses).
When Will wore that cranial helmet and we thought it must be the worst thing ever for him but he never missed a beat just to show us that kids are resilient?
When Kenzie "rode" her first wave on the boogie board in the ocean and thought it was awesome?
When the kids took their first steps without us by their sides and then eventually started running and truly became their own independent people?
When Will thought tackling his sister to the floor while laughing hysterically was the best game ever?
When we had dance parties and couldn't help but "shake our sillies out?"
Yes. I know one day we will have all the time in the world to do things like go to dinner at 7pm or binge watch Lost (which we never finished). And we will enjoy those things... but we will also remember fondly those times with the kids because we are not only a son and daughter to our parents, brother and sister to our siblings, husband and wife to each other, but also Momma and Daddy to the two greatest kids we know.
I'm okay with taking time off from doing those things that are solely focused on the two of us all the time (though we do believe in taking some time away just the two of us to be a couple) to watch these kids grow and learn. It's cliche... but it goes fast and I'm already realizing that one day, we will miss these moments.
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