Invaluable Time

This morning Gabby & Braly had a really hard time getting up for school.  It seems that instead of enjoying these last days of school they are wishing they were already gone & that summer was already here.  I am biding my time trying to finish getting things taken care of since Bonnie & Martha's grease fire in the kitchen on the evening of May 14th.  So much running around to do, cleaning, sorting, & hauling.  I've been completely exhausted the last several days & trying to catch up on some rest when possible but that seems nearly impossible.  Anyway, back to the story I was about to share.

Morgan was outside waiting with the kids for the bus & talking to the neighbor girl for a little while.  When she left for daycare I told Morgan to take her bike to the backyard & then come inside.  She did it ever so slowly enjoying the beautiful morning.  The sun is shining, the sky is a bit hazy but so beautiful, the birds are singing their brilliant songs & the temperature is just right.  She decided to enjoy God's beauty a little longer & hopped onto the swing.  Did I mention before that my 3 year old can pump her legs to get the swing going pretty high.  Yeah, that's right!  She learned earlier than the other two most likely because she has had access daily to try it out & watch her brother & sister so she got the hang of it.  Woohoo!!! No more having to push her all the time & I think she loves the Independence.  So I heard her talking a bit & then didn't hear anything & went to check on her.  I have almost ALL the windows open in the house so I can hear her no matter what side of the house she's on & still let her play outside.  No sounds makes a momma a little concerned so I went looking to see where she was & what she as doing.  She was swinging on the swing.  Then she hopped down & walked over to the neighbors fence, the vacant one.  I thought she was looking at the super long grass & all the dandelion puffs & thought she wanted some puffs to blow but instead she was starring a the tree.  I had opened the window & was standing behind the lace curtain so I could see her through it but she couldn't see me.  She started talking & shook the fence a little and then I saw it just as she had....it had a fluffy tail & came scampering down the tree...it was a squirrel.  It froze with her rattling the chain link fence & then she talked to him & he started moving again.  She got up & walked toward our shed following the path of the squirrel & watching him intently.  I ran to grab my camera & before I got it ready with muting the sound, she was done with the squirrel gazing & had opened the door to come inside.  Photo-op lost but not the memories of what I saw.  Standing there watching her for several minutes could have been considered time wasted but that time is fleeting from me too quickly already with how fast these kids are growing up so just as she sees things in a different light, I am too.  I don't think that I could put a price on those moments of time...they are invaluable.  And my goal this summer is to live in the moments & enjoy them.