When I was 19 years old and a newlywed,  I felt overwhelmed by our lack of stuff.  If I wanted to have more than two friends over for coffee, I was going to have to send out a bring your own mug memo. I vividly remember our first Christmas together in our new apartment, and I couldn’t imagine the holidays without a tree + tree decorations + presents under the tree + wreaths, lights, garlands, oh my! I was impatient and hated the idea of waiting for a few years of shopping after Christmas sales and filling our attic bins with decorations little by little.

Back in those days we were both working jobs we didn’t love, and paying the bills was about all we could manage most months. The highlight, was that we had evenings off and weekends off together. We shopped together, cooked together, cleaned together, and slept in together almost every Saturday. I didn’t appreciate it enough.  I remember my mother in law telling me at some point when we we’re struggling to make ends meet, “I know these times can be tough, but many people look back on the days they were just starting out as their happiest days. As simpler times.”

I was head-over-heals in love (still am) and happy, but I had been so busy looking forward to collecting more stuff in our new household, and stressing about a job I hated and never having enough money, that I hadn’t even considered that right could be our happiest days.

Fast forward five years,  we have a cabinet that boast some 20+ mugs, that have been collected from friendships, weekend getaways, cutesy impulse buys and sale steals. We have a storage closet filled with the ornaments, garlands & wreaths, oh my!  But best of all, better than I could have ever imagined,  we have a gorgeous, rambunctious, curious, precious, girl.

Guess what? I do miss those simple days sometimes. I miss the quality time I could spend with my hubby, and lazy morning hanging out on our mattress on the floor…

But I’ve wizened up since then. I’m not gong to spend time now missing those days, or looking forward to everything we may have or might do in the future. Right now, rapidly flying by, are my “good ol’ days”. Days that we don’t have to get up early and rush to school, the days I don’t’ have to clock in a set amount of hours every week. Days when we don’t have too many commitments or demands. Days that can be spent baking, painting, playing in the mud,  learning to ride bikes, and learning to read. Wednesday, or Mondays, when we can have hot chocolate with breakfast, and stay in our pajamas all day, because why not? I. LOVE. these. days. Just me and my girl, taking on the world, one slow-paced day at a time.

The past 1,460 days since Mia was born, went by in a flash. I know that her childhood won’t be over when she turns 5, but preschool will be over. Lately I have been painfully aware of this big milestone. No more baby, no more toddler, no more preschooler.

 

…hang on, let me go grab a tissue and I’ll meet you at the end of this post.

Just THINKING about her childhood days being over, makes my heart ache. I want to soak up every magical, wonderful, challenging, and messy childhood moment that is racing by.

What are your good ol’ days? Are you fully embracing them?