The Seasons of Motherhood

New England winters pose a struggle for parents of young children. Each December, I think to myself: "How am I going to make it through the next three or four months trapped inside?!?" Christmas is lovely, and the season of Advent carries with it a certain joyful anticipation that is contagious.

But after Christmas has passed, I must admit that my brain recalls all too quickly memories of being trapped inside with children while mountains of snow piled up on my vehicle, watching the clock, waiting for 5:00 when Mr. U comes home, realizing it's only 8 a.m., and wondering how on earth I am going to make it through the day with these little people who are suffering an even greater case of cabin fever than I am...

I remember the days, not too long ago, when we were living in a tiny apartment with two little boys, ages 2 and 3, and I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy with baby #3. Each morning I was faced with the following dilemma - I could either get everyone dressed, hold their hands as we walked down the stairs, try to unfreeze my frozen car doors with the 2 year old and the 3 year old in tow, making sure they had hats, mittens, and boots...maneuver my very pregnant self through the minivan trying to buckle them in, hoping my newly potty-trained boys would have enough self-control to make it to our destination, and then find a way to scrape and shovel out the mini-van...

OR I could stay at home.

But staying at home meant hours of endless whining, playing referee, learning how to discipline, and "clock watching" until the 5:00 hour.

Oh, those were memorable days!

And then we'd have to find a place to go, stay there until the boys got cranky, and then I'd have to unbuckle them, find a way to get them both up the steep set of stairs, 9 months pregnant...

You see, the goal was the exhaust them so that they might take a nap, so that I might take a nap. But you see, in the process of trying so hard to exhaust them, the pregnant mother with toddlers in tow becomes all too quickly exhausted herself...and that was my daily dilemma.

And then there were those days, I remember quite well, when I would do an excellent job of exhausting them, and even still, these mysterious creatures we call little boys, would refuse to nap. And thus, I was left pregnant, exhausted, snowed in, and in desperate need of a nap, trying to keep my temper, and learn to discipline them effectively, with dinner to cook and still hours to go before I would hear the beautiful sound of Mr. U's key turn the door.

Somehow, we survived.

And then God was very good to us, and gave us our dream house, with lots of space and acres of land for boys to be boys. I remember our first summer here, and the first time they got their swing set, and the first time I said to them "GO PLAY!" and they played out there for hours, while I watched from the window, peacefully enjoying a cup of coffee with a baby strapped to my back.

Little boys do so well outside. It is so good for them to go and play.

But alas, the seasons pass quickly here in New England, and once again, I am faced with winter now with THREE small children.

This year, I have been determined to make the most of it! Instead of looking for the fast forward button, I have been determined to enjoy each minute of it. I have decided to use this time to tackle some domestic organization projects, to *finish* potty training Jules, to focus on my nursing relationship with Joni (who is growing up so quickly! my little girl took her first steps today!), to enjoy teaching my childbirth classes out of my home, to enjoy talking to Leo and watching him grow...I can trust him to help me with small chores now and I can trust him to monitor his siblings for a short time now while I cook dinner in the kitchen, or, umm...go to the bathroom! He is a friend of mine now, and we talk about things...I can finally hear my little boy's thoughts, and they are lovely. What a wonderful little boy he is.

Today it occurred to me that winter is half over.

Soon it will be Spring again, the children will be able to play outside on their swing set while I sip coffee inside of my beautiful home...and then I'll be able to look forward to another Summer on Cape Cod, and scenic Fall here in Apple Country.

This year, Winter is going by quickly, and I am savoring this special time with my family. A time in which I can focus on the people I love most in this world...enjoying playdates over a cup of coffee, cocoa, or warm cider...enjoying a book by the fireside...enjoying the beauty of our snow covered property, and the laughter and joyous screams of the sledders on the hill.

These seasons are here for a reason. God designed them this way...and the weather, the seasons themselves, all of it is really quite similar to motherhood, don't you think?

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.