When you’re a kid, you find yourself wanting time to go faster. You want to grow up and do whatever you want, but once you have kids of your own, you find that you wish for time to slow down. It’s true what they all say: It goes by so fast. It’s a strange phenomenon, and I can’t believe we’re already at the end of another year. Trying to look back on it, the whole thing is a blur.
Trying to think back on this year is a strange thing
Life has changed completely since the whole pandemic started. We don’t see people as often as we used to and some family members still aren’t comfortable with going out and about. It’s been so long since I’ve seen some people, which is really a shame, but there’s nothing I can do to change it.
We’ve begun going back out in the world. Some favorite — but chaotic — times include taking the kids to the grocery store. This may sound like a common thing, but they had so much fun since they hadn’t been in so long. Their enthusiastic faces as they took in the enormity of the store and all the things that they could get their hands on (much to my chagrin) made it worth it.
These little moments with my kids were the best parts of the year
We still had birthday parties for my kids, but they were much smaller. We also had sleepovers with Grandma and Grandpa. There were dance parties with the kids and homeschooling my kindergartener. Watching science videos on YouTube has been a particular highlight for both my kids and me. We are all learning so much, which makes homeschooling totally worth it.
This past year has also led to me getting some time back to do things I want to do
Now that my kids are a bit older and can play together without fighting (sometimes!), carving more time for myself has become a bit easier. I can focus on my career again, which helps me feel a bit more like my old self. Plus, my kids are learning valuable lessons about conflict resolution.
Finding the fun in our daily routines has hands down been the best thing about the last year
It’s not always about the extravagant things, but it is about the extraordinary. Even though being a stay-at-home mom can become kind of a blur, taking the time to notice these special moments is what makes it all worth it. I can look back on 2021 knowing that it was a success in the end. Memories were made and fun was had — and that’s really what being a kid is all about.
