Time Flies when you’re having fun. Don’t blink and they will be driving and moving to college. You’ll look at each other and wonder where the time went. There will be a time you’ll look at your child and they are growing up so fast, cherish the moments.

We’ve all heard these before, right. Until you have had a chance to live through them, it’s just a phrase. I had a moment, actually quite a few lately as we are winding down the summer. Maddox and I went to a local zoo this past Saturday and it was legit just him and I as we walked in right at opening time. We walked in and looked at all the animals within the zoo. Just a little child looking in the cages and asking his questions of why; why is the monkey pacing, why is the monkey making those noises, why did the monkey drop his blankie, why does the donkey look sad, why aren’t the goats awake yet, why is the kitty cat black (you get the idea). Just a curious mind, trying to comprehend everything that I am telling him. Some of it sticks, some of it he doesn’t understand.

Watching him in his grown up clothes, walking with his hands in his pockets like a little man, but still wanting to hold mommy’s hand, I saw Maddox grow up before my eyes in just a second. It was just earlier this summer that I was carrying him everywhere or pushing the stroller. This adventure, we didn’t need the stroller. Earlier this summer, he was very timid around goats or any big animals (scared of the giraffes) and this zoo, he walked right up to this huge animal talking to it and walked among the goats like a ‘goat whisperer’ never looking back to mom. He carried on a full conversation with the giraffe, asking him why he popped the green kick ball in his pen and asking him to kick the blue one so they could play together. I’m hoping he finds a career with animals that makes a ton of money ;).

This afternoon I was cleaning our shoe closet prepping for winter to see what I all needed, the boots that were huge last winter are just the right size already! I am not ready for this! This weekend was a trying weekend of emotions as we had a lot going on. As I watched him struggle to get through it, I was glad that he still looked to his mommy for comfort. I know there will be a day on the field that he will get hurt, he’ll shrug it off and play while my heart will hurt that I wasn’t able to kiss his booboo.

The nights are long of trying to keep the house clean, making sure that he has his favorite pair(S) of undies for school tomorrow, taking care of our pups, catching up on emails and taking care of myself, it’s exhausting. Thank goodness that I’m not in school anymore. But when he asks in his sweet tired little voice, “mom, can you lay by me for a few more minutes? I need you”. You bet buddy. In this big scary world, know that mommy will be there, whether you are tired, itching like crazy from the bug bits, want to talk about the day at the zoo or how a classmate was not behaving and got a timeout I’ll listen. Internally, its a struggle as there are nights that it’s the fourth glass of water or the third trip to the potty or the 10th book to read and the night is getting later and later and my eyelids are so heavy. And then there is Maddox, ready to roll until you actually put him in his bed and then he’s out, like he doesn’t want to miss anything around him!

I understand he’s 3 and we have a long way to go until homecoming, prom, college, new house, and the first girl friend, but for now I will cherish the conversations we’re having of how the baby monkey dropped his blankie and how Maddox wanted to help him and our conversations of how excited he is to pick out his new undies as I know our conversations are going to evolve as he continues to grow. I’m just a mommy, having an emotional moment of he needs to stop growing so fast, but I appreciate that we are able to do all the things we were able to do this summer. Cheers to the thousands of pictures and hours of videos so that we can go back and cherish the memories we have made so far. Onto the next season of pumpkin patches and leaf piles.