The Wonder Years

My dad was hanging out with me and the kids the other day and we were marvelling over how my eldest just turned 10. My dad asked me if the last decade felt like a bit of a blur and I conceded that, yes, it definitely did.

 In the past, I have likened the period of raising young children as existing in a bit of a fog. It’s been a delightful journey but, at times, the fog was so thick, the journey so harrowing, that I was forced to just focus on navigating the small stretch of road ahead without crashing.

Around the time my third child turned two-and-a-half the fog lifted, dramatically and without warning. I now have three big-ish kids in the house. There are no more diapers. Nobody needs to nap every day (well, unless you count my husband). We all eat the same kind of food. There are fewer tantrums, more agreeable co-operation. One of my favourite parts, though, is the fact that we can do so many more activities together. Of course, we have been doing things together all along, but I’m talking about the kinds of activities that I used to enjoy before I had kids.

Take yesterday, for example. My dad and I took the kids mini putting and even my littlest girl was able to knock the ball around the green, sinking putts on every hole. Afterwards, my dad purchased a bucket of balls and went over to the driving range. My son got a set of golf clubs for his birthday and he has been keen to practice this new sport. My dad and I hung out watching the kids take turns driving their balls. Granted, the baby’s ball only dribbled off the tee, but she didn’t care. And both big kids made decent contact with the ball.

At one point my dad, who was photographing the entire outing for posterity, suggested that I take a swing. My husband and I used to golf before we had kids and I even took group lessons with some of my girlfriends, but I haven’t picked up a golf club in over a decade. Still, I thought, Why not? So I gripped the club, adjusted my stance and took a swing. I heard a satisfying thwock as the ball arched out into the field towards the targets.

“Sweet!” my son remarked, as he watched my ball go. And that pretty much sums up how it feels to have these growing children in my life.

This is an original Canada Moms Blog post.