Pretty

There's a lot of ugly shit going on in the world. What's new, right? But with the realization that my kids are growing up way too fast being the cherry on top of this crap sundae, I decided that I need to share these photos from our recent family beach vacation with you. They make me smile, chill, and relax, and I hope you do the same.
















(OK. That last one wasn't taken on our vacation but rather yesterday before we left for the first day of kindergarten and the first day of the last year of pre-k. Lord help us.)

End... and Begin

For five years and eleven months, I've been schlepping my kids in and out of car seats.

I HATE car seats. I know they're designed to keep my kids safe and that's all they're meant to be, but seriously? I have cussed my way through many days of travel with these things. Last summer, the kids finally gained enough strength in their hands to clip themselves into the seats, but they never mastered getting themselves out. And all summer long I have effed and bs'ed my way through numerous errands.

The kids start school today (twins are in kindergarten - O.M.G!!!) at the same Montessori school, but with two new teachers and said teachers are keen on all the kids being as independent as possible. This means no more mama unstrapping kids; they need to be able to do it themselves.

On Sunday evening, Ty-man switched out the old car seats for the new booster seats and set the blasted, evil, hated car seats on the curb for landfill fodder.* As I stood outside and watched a stage of my kids' lives end, I talked to Neighbor Jodi.

Jodi: Aren't you going to take a picture of those?
Me: Hell, no!
Jodi: But this is an event! They're not little kids anymore! They're growing up!
Me: Jodi, I hate those fucking seats. I'm not going to cry over three pieces of kid equipment that gave me nightmares for five damned years!

And then she berated me and made me take a picture.

So, I took the friggin' picture.

I'm not sad the car seats are gone. I'm ecstatic. What I'm sad about is that my daughter wanted her hair much shorter for the beginning of school. I'm sad that my twins are just a year away from elementary school. I'm sad that J-man is almost two years younger than the twins but is just as mature as they are.

I'm sad that sooner rather than later my weekend morning cuddles will stop, that the hugs and kisses will slowly disappear, and that the unsolicited I love yous will quiet.

The car seats? Pfffft. Please. I hope they find a new home, protect some sweet kids, and continue to get cussed at every day by tired, harried parents.

I just wish I could keep all the great parts of my kids being this age and never see them go.

* SERIOUSLY! Why can't I sell my damned car seats?!? I hate this litigious society we live in. I should be able to have the damned seats inspected, certified that they're still doing their job of confining little humans, uncomfortably, in a minivan, and sell the damned things for 50 bucks a pop. INSTEAD, I have to set them out for the garbage man, only to catch some random woman in a pickup truck picking them up FOR FREE from MY CURB WITHOUT EVEN ASKING!!! Bitter? Yeah, just a bit. I told her she better not sue us for taking property THAT WASN'T HERS! OK. Fine. I'll let it go now.