About this time of year, our preschool teachers begin to see changes in the children. Some changes are endearing and others we find ourselves just enduring:) Ha! The children are a bit more wiggly, perhaps lacking a bit of focus, getting a bit "sassy" although not truly disrespectful. Just "full" of themselves! Sound like anyone you know? Around here... we affectionately call that "Senior-itis". You may not even recognize this phenomenon in them 'cuz they are preschoolers! Actually, this is quite common for many kiddos, especially the older ones who instinctively know they are just ready for the next best thing in their life....aka, Kindergarten.

These transitions of awareness are natural progressions of emotional and social development. How we embrace these phases is the key. Around here.... in our preschool classrooms, we know that this is natural and short lived so our approach is to continue to mentor good decisions, good behavior, kindness, humility, forgiveness, and love from them. And in return, and as part of our Christian education, we give them love and patience, love and patience, love and patience, and tolerance and humor and love and patience!!! At home, keep that mantra going, and keep them "going", too. Not necessarily to a million activities, but constructively busy and engaged in positive things and friends of interest. Every opportunity to pique their curiosity in something helps to extinguish the possibility of becoming disinterested or disgruntled. A disgruntled three, four or five year old is not a fun person to be around!!! It's a good thing we all love these children!

I will leave you with this poem that does, indeed, say it best.

WET OATMEAL KISSES

The baby is teething. The children are fighting. Your husband just called and said, "Eat dinner without me". One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?" And they will. Or, "You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don't slam the door!" And they don't. You'll straighten their bedrooms all neat and tidy, toys displayed on the shelf, hangers in the closet, animals caged. You'll yell. "Now I want it to stay this way!" And it will. You will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out and a cake with no finger traces in the icing and you'll say, "Now THIS is a meal for company." And you will eat it alone. You'll yell, "I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming. Do you hear me?" And no one will answer. No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more dandelion bouquets. No more iron-on patches. No more wet, knotted shoelaces, muddy boots or rubber bands for pony tails. Imagine. A lipstick with a point. No baby sitter for New Year's Eve, washing clothes only once a week, no PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree. No car-pools, blaring stereos or forgotten lunch money. No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks. No more wet oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss or sticky fingers to clean. Only a voice asking: "Why don't you grow up?" And the silence echos........... "I did."

From the book, "Parent on Purpose", by Amy Carney.......Life is a journey, not a destination. Parenthood is a marathon, not a sprint.

Weekly Prayer......Heavenly Father, I am thankful for the journey You have placed me on. Help me to embrace all that it presents to me. I ask that you bless those around me on that journey as well. Amen.