Moments

Lame Motherhood Moments

and "Stop-Time" Moments

Lame Moment #1

So a couple of weeks ago we had a ward primary talent show.  Happened to be the same day as Daphne's birthday.  That day was jam-packed with activities and I had everything all worked out so that we could squeeze it all in.  Dallin had been practicing his piano piece for weeks and was really good at it, and the other three were excited to sing "Scripture Power" together.  So at 6:45 we loaded everyone up and pulled up to the church five minutes early.  We were doing awesome.  Remarkably, judging by the number of mini-vans in the parking lot, everyone else was early too.  We got inside and proceeded to find a seat, when my friend Kellie said, "Sharee--it's over!  It started at 6!"

I think my jaw dropped as I inwardly kicked myself for not verifying the start time.  When I told Dallin that I got the time wrong and we'd missed it, his face just fell.  I felt very small and very awful.  We were about to just load the kids back in the car when a member of the primary presidency spotted us, and had everyone bring their refreshments to their seats to hear the Gariety kids' talents.  I was so embarrassed they had to do that!  (I admit I don't have it all together a lot of the time.  But it was pretty embarrassing to have it out there for the whole ward to see.  And besides, we missed the great talents of all the rest of the primary kids!)  But once I got over being embarrassed, I was really grateful, because Dallin & Daphne had really been looking forward to performing their talents, and it didn't seem to phase them too much in the end that they missed the actual program.  All's well that ends well, right?

Lame Moment #2

The other day I noticed that it had been awhile since I'd seen Hayden running around.  I asked Sean if he'd seen him, and Sean said he was upstairs.  But it's not like Hayden to be hanging out by himself for long. So I went up to check on him.  I didn't see him in any rooms.  After looking all over the house and in the back yard calling his name, I decided to check the garage.

To my horror, I found that the garage door had been opened.  So I asked my neighbor to come stay with Sean & Sydney while I spent 10 terrifying minutes checking at the park and up and down my street looking for any sign of my 2 year old.   With the worst possible scenarios running through my head, and praying like crazy, I decided to come home to call Arthur and then the police.  But then I thought to look upstairs once more.

I found him asleep in a corner of the playroom that was obscured by the couch.  I swallowed, and tried to slow my breathing while the pounding of my heart echoed in my ears.  I can't really describe how wonderful it was to see him sleeping peacefully in that corner.

As my neighbor left, she told me that I need to "escape-proof" my house.  So true.

"Stop-Time Moments"

On a more upbeat note,  I read this article that a friend had linked to her blog.  It is so good, and made me remember how grateful I am for the time that I have with my kids, and that I want to treasure each moment because it won't be long before it's gone.  Here are a few excerpts from "Bittersweet Song of September" by Beverly Beckham:

September whisks kids away and entertains them and beguiles them, but returns them not as they were but changed and in a different size. That’s why parents cry as they stand and wave goodbye. Because first grade becomes fifth grade becomes high school becomes college even as you watch.

How is this, I wonder, that a day alone with a colicky baby and an I-don’t-take-a-nap-anymore 2-year-old can feel like a year? But 18 years can go by in a blink of an eye? 

Time won’t stop. It won’t even slow down. That’s why we’ll pay attention and take pictures. So we’ll never forget the day. So that even when it’s passed, it will remain.