How My Kids Don’t Listen & a Geocache or Two

Our first geocaching trip of the season happened this past May long weekend. I was fed up with being inside my messy house, surrounded by literal mountains of “stuff” that has to be sorted, cleaning, organized, given away and moved to various areas of the house. Our basement renovations are done – hurrah!- but that means there is so much work to be done, we turn around in circles, try to figure out where to start and them just collapse in a heap of defeat.

Yes, a heap of defeat. That’s exactly what it feels like, a heap of boneless, no idea where to start,would scream at the sky but have no energy utter defeat.

So when you feel like a heap of defeat, it’s time to get outside and I mean fast.

I am amazed at the bounty of natural areas that we have in Edmonton. Time and time again when I find a new spot to enjoy I shake my head at how lucky we are to live here, snow and all. I’m sorry Calgary, but your natural areas just can’t compare.

This right here, a  beautiful little creek that we came across while geocaching in MacTaggart Sanctuary. MacTaggart Sanctuary might be completely unknown to most Edmontonians, but not to geocachers. There is treasure in them thar woods!

The arrival of a new season always reminds me that my children don’t listen to me worth a hoot.

I keep asking them to slow down, to stop growing up so fast, to please stay little  and do you think these adorable little devils will listen to me? Not a whit.

That’s not even including when they don’t listen about cleaning their rooms, being nice to each other, watching too much TV…the list is endless with examples of their selective deafness.

You’d think I wouldn’t need reminding about how they don’t listen, that it would be obvious day-to-day.

Alas, as a busy mom I tend to ignore the day-to-day signs that time is passing too fast for my liking. Then all of a sudden you turn around and your nine-year old looks about a foot taller than he did in your pictures from last spring.

Oh, please don’t make the mistakes that I do, looking back a year and comparing pictures of your kids from then to now.

Your heart can’t really take it. Mine has a couple of new cracks in it just from editing these photos.

Time waits for no mom, no dad, no girl nor any boy.

They all turn seven…eight..nine… and every season that rolls around I wonder, where did it go?

If you’re lucky, that time was spent sticking all sorts of sticks in the mud.

If you are super lucky, it was spent sliding down dusty hill on your bottom in your good jeans that Mom didn’t catch you wearing until it was too late.

If you are lucky beyond measure, time will while away full of laughter, hugs, kisses and photos of those memories. Trips and travels, holidays and more, time flies so fast and the seasons serve to remind me of this more and more every year. Gee, thanks spring, for reminding me how fast my kids are growing and that what your parents said was true, the older you get the faster time flies.

My oh my, this post was more maudlin than I intended it to be.

I think I owe you all something chocolate, maybe in a cookie form. That’ll cheer us all up!

Off to the kitchen I go!

Love,

Ah Spring. The Time To Be Wistful Magpie.