A few years back I took many of my old blog posts and bound them into a book. They were mostly cute stories of the kids when they were young, interspersed with their baby photos. My kids love flipping through this book, especially my middle daughter, who will often pull it out. It makes me really happy that we have all this family history written down, a one-of-a-kind story of their lives.
Gal Smiley has been on another tear through the book this week and it does make me nostalgic to see their smiling little toddler faces looking out at me, next to tales of adorably mispronounced words and hijinks at the park. But up until now, I’ve never really felt a true longing for those baby times. To me, the real Golden Years were when they were old enough to be out of diapers and naps, free to travel and explore and to have thoughtful conversations about their world – and yet, not quite old enough to be sulky or embarrassed by hanging out with old Mom and Dad. It’s been a great few years.
Now things are starting to turn a bit – just little hints that someday the kids will move on. The older two like hanging out with their friends after school, and no longer rush home to tell me all about their day. They still like to be tucked in at night but most of the time, I’m too tired to make it there so I give them a quick kiss on the cheek and they end up reading long after I’m asleep. They’re still willing to come to the movies with us, and on family trips, but they grumble if we ask them to put their screens away, and they’re long over quiet little outings to the park or a museum. It’s still good – at least now we can talk politics at the table and freely watch PG rated action films with them – but I can tell change is in the wind.
This week my youngest sister announced she’s pregnant with her fourth child – an unexpected, but not unwelcome, surprise. It’s made me set that all aside once and for all – nothing too heavy or depressing, just a quiet, official acknowledgement that yup, we’re done with all that. Baby time is past. I know I won’t miss midnight diaper changes and the challenge of figuring out how to pick up the others from school when you’ve just finally gotten the baby to sleep.
But I do, ever so slightly, miss the promise a baby brings of a second round of the Golden Years. Another round of Curious George movies and sandcastles on a beach vacation and family bike rides.
Deep breath, and head up. Now that I think of it, the Silver Years look pretty good, too. They’ll be additional bodies around here to make dinner, shovel snow, drive over to the grocery store for something I’ve forgotten. Kids who have their own surprising senses of humour, who like my Instagram posts, who enjoy board games that are more complex than The Game of Life (and who handle it better when they lose).
Kids who are becoming people – people I’m excited to get to know. Welcome to the Silver Years.
TurtleHead 
This is really lovely Lynn, thanks for writing
Do you think there’s any coincidence to the Silver Years arriving about the same time as silver hair? Just wondering… 🙂
You take the words right out of my mouth.
It wasn’t that long ago when I heard of news from family or close friends and new babies that there was a slight twinge, a small ‘oh, what if..’ sentiment that would creep up to me. But like you said, nowadays, this is not so.
I love looking at facebook pics of people displaying their toddlers full of berry juices or chocolate smears, but do I want to be the one to clean up after one of mine now? Uh, nope. Rather sit in the cold arena and watch someone elses cute toddler attempt to climb the steps while silently sending positive vibes to the harried parents chasing after their offspring… 🙂
Been there, done that. I like my young tweens (mostly) and their abilities. Let’s see what the older teen years bring, in a few years, and compare notes.
The memory book from blog archives is an awesome idea! I might steal it 🙂
I’m completely on the same page. Honestly, I don’t miss the baby stage. I was just too close to the action, too involved and too tired to enjoy it. Yet, some days… I *mostly* don’t miss the baby stage but there are unique moments and emotions that I may miss.
I love the current stage though, more independent, talkative, less drama. Phew.
Congrats to your sister! Four kids… nope, can’t imagine it 😆
I’ve been having pregnancy dreams, as I do now and then, and this was the first time that even in the dream I was more aghast than anything – “I’m forty-seven! This child can’t possibly be healthy! I’m just starting to look for a job! This is all wrong!”. So I hear you. Also, for a split second i thought you said your youngest CHILD was pregnant with her fourth, so that was entertaining.
Nice piece, Lynn. The early years are fascinating – they’re changing so fast and learning so much. But with two boys 8 and 10, I’m so much more well-rested; they’re fun, and interesting! Maybe as a male it’s hard for me to appreciate the draw of having a little one, though. But whatever you want to call the years right now, I’m happy to be here.
I’ve been feeling very much the same. I stumbled upon a few baby videos the other day and looked at them with a giant wistful grin on my face. man he was an adorable baby. but we are having fun, his personality continues to reveal itself, little glimpses of what his future self will be are caught every once in a while. I don’t even want to think about where he will end up (although he is still saying he will live next door to us), but I also have to remind myself that there are lots more times together before he flies the coop.
For me, every age my children were were the golden years!
Oooh – I love the idea of turning my earlier blog pieces – selectively – into a book of memories for my kids. I also like the idea of still blogging when their older and having that experience and our thoughts along the way captured like you have here.