Wednesday night Brent and I spent the evening with some friends watching their son play baseball. This little 3rd grader and his teammates were so adorable on the field! I couldn’t take my eyes off of them for one second.
I found myself drifting back in time when my own children were that age. I had to fight back the tears several times as I sat there longing for those moments to return.
Every stage with my kids have been my favorite! But when I saw all those little guys running around so awkwardly with half their teeth, playing in the dirt and picking their noses without concern of being watched, I began longing to go back in time.
It went so fast. One second my littles were begging me to take them to Sonic for a treat. Now, my littles drive me to Sonic for a treat.
Even though I do miss their younger days; I do love so much about their older teen days. I truly am soaking it all in!
All this to say…Moms and Dads, breathe in every moment with your children. Document them all. Dig in. Make memories with them. Be a child with them. Throw mini marshmellows up into the ceiling fan that’s set on high. Be spontaneous. Laugh. Laugh a lot.
Dads, court your daughters. Treat them the way you want a young man to treat them. And treat her mother like that, too.
Moms, have your son take you on a date and show him the proper ways to treat a lady.
Love, struggle, forgive, stretch, confess, dream, pray, play, take risks as a family.
Be their parent over being their best friend and in doing so, I believe, you are being their best friend.
Are you a mom or dad of young children? How do you soak in the moments?
Are you a mom or dad of older children? What advice do you have to parents of young children?
One of the first posts I ever read on your blog was about you and your relationship with your kids. I just adore the relationship you all have as a family. I commented on that first post so long ago that you inspire me. And you still do. Love you guys.
you have no idea how much that means to us all. thank you, christy…so much!
Ive got to say that this made me tear up. I remember Kass as a baby and changing her diapers. I remember when Dakota was born and how complete you told me you felt just weeks later.
I remember you and Brent and how you loved them. I told myself I desired to be a parent with the same ideals. You and Brent made quite an impression on me. I believe Iam a better parent today because of you both and still consider you both in high regards in many areas of my life not just babies.
I also told someone just yesterday how I desire to be transparent w Gibson about my past bc I learned from you guys and how living that way brings about trust & truth in God. I thank you for that bc I got to witness Tam w your testimony. THANK YOU!
Lastly,
I close my eyes Iam sitting on your floor in the home in Cp that belonges to the Crawfords and I see you start chucking marshmellos at the ceiling fan with a big grin Kota & Kass jump in giggling. My heart was so full in that moment. I told myself one day I will throw marshmellos too with my kids.
Thank you for that too.
All my love,
Chey
i commented to this on FB. chey…i am still tearing up.
i love and miss you. that picture you took of the kids when you had a playdate with them years ago…it still adorns our home. you will always be a part of us.
i love you deeply and am so proud of you!
My girls are 6, 9, 12, & 16. I love what you said about loving every stage. It's so true. They're each very different, but very similar. They're themselves, but so me, and just like their father. I love connecting with them individually. Chasing 6 in circles around the house, filling canvases with paint with 9, sharing ear buds and music on the kitchen floor with 12, and trying not to be terrified while 16 drives me around. We pull pranks, hide in the dark to scare each other, and settle disputes with living room dance-off's. I cry on "lasts" the same as I cry on "firsts". The heart of a mother breaks and overflows simultaneously. 6 is losing teeth, 9 is reading Judy Bloom, 12 is wearing lipgloss, and 16 is wearing my shoes. And I am hanging on to every moment.
and this is why you should write a book on this! SO beautiful, friend!!! i admire you as a mother. so very much!!
I love this! You're such a constant and good reminder to me that parenting can be done well – thank you for that!
well, thanks. and i've cried myself to sleep many night begging God to erase their memories of my stupidity of that day. such a crazy and amazing journey!
Love you. Love Brent. Love the kids… like I always say and still hold to, I never loved any kids more until I had my own. My heart swells with pride at who they have become. I count myself so lucky to have the Hodge stamp on my heart forever. Love you guys!
and you will always be our little girl, bran muffin.
gosh, the kids loved you so much!! they still do =) but when you would watch them for us i remember them hating when it was time for you to go home. i loved that!!!
and you are such a good mommy, bran! brent and i are more proud of you than you will ever know.
i love you, crazy.
;o)
These truth statements are truth moments etched in my heart. Sis, you brought us in the fam, allowed us to experience life and savor memories…
Now, I need advice how to document the little when I don't blog (anymore), journal, or scrapbook. Help?
you are our family, cath. more than some of my own family actually =)
i think you do a great job of documenting. your pics, your captions…they tell the best stories and make us feel as if we are there in that moment. thats exactly what you want when you look back on them.
but more importantly…document link in your heart. there are treasures, moments and memories that will be made that are only for you. hold on tight to those ones.
i love watching you mother link. you make me want to go back and do it all over again!
i love you. to the moon…
Hey friend! I haven't surfed the blog world in awhile, but your husband's tweet about this post drew me in. SO glad I read it. Right now MY kids are the third graders on the ball field. (Actually the 5th grader and two 2nd graders, but I digress). This was a great reminder to SUCK IT UP right now and enjoy all the moments I can. I loved your statement that "every age was your favorite." I get that. But I have to say, we are especially enjoying our 3-year-old's craziness right now. Nothing's more funny than a 3-year-old cranking out "Party Rock is inda house to-NITE" from your back seat. Good times. God bless you and your great worship-leading kids. And high-five Brent for me, too. If we lived closer to you, I think we would eat good food and laugh a lot. That's my guess from up here in Minnesota. Thanks again for the great post.
hey there!! good to see you!
ok…please, please, please get video of that youngin singing!!
but seriously…its hard to suck it up sometimes. i remember! and it still is from time to time.
and i say come visit nashville and lets put that eating food together and laughing a lot guess to the test, yes? =)
Mine are all grown up and made me a Grandma (yay)! Two words: BE PRESENT. So many times I'm quite sure I was in the same room but not mindfully present, even in the days of no cable and 3 channel choices. It's more important now as technology distracts us from being there when we *think* we're being there, just because we're in the room. If you're staring at your phone or laptop, you're not "there." Children sense that at a very young age and it's heartbreaking to watch.
yes. yes. yes. and yes!!!
thank you for adding this. very important.
love you, candy.
GOOD GOOD GOOD stuff Tam.
I try to soak up everything but sometimes try to look for it in packages like "vacation or "day at the lake" instead of during times like watching tv together.
Sad part is that time moves so fast when you have kids I think we sometimes forget what is really important.
I'm probably not great at advice but I will say this as I speak from much personal experience. Your job is just a job, your family is everything. So many people think they are uber important and are so career focussed. Not that career focus isn't important, it just isn't that important.
After all, do you think you will ever utter the words when you are 70 and playing with your grandkids "Man, I wish I would have worked that extra Saturday or closed that one extra deal." Guarantee you won't.
Bet you will say however "I wish I could have done (X) with my child while they were younger."
Okay, that is all!
"Your job is just a job, your family is everything."
YES!! a thousand times, yes!
such a great point.
Ahhhh! I have a 16 year daughter and a 5 year old daughter. So I'm actually enjoying both of those areas right now. But I really think having this last baby 11 years after the first has really opened my eyes to how fast time flies and how much I need to cherish each moment. I find myself putting my phone down, laptop away, tv off and trying my level best to be present – really present – with them as much as I can. Thanks for the reminder. Love your heart, my friend! X
i have heard those two words, "be present" so much this year. i think as our generation and society get more and more preoccupied with technology we are letting personal touch and attention die. we have to be mindful and intentional of being present.
thank you for this, friend!
I'm a new dad (just over 3 weeks in) and I can't wait for all the phases, but this is a great reminder to cherish every last second of every single moment in each phase!
Thanks, Tam!
It bothers me when I hear "Christians" say that parents should quit trying to be their children's best friends. For God's sake, people, you're giving up the most powerful influence you will have in your kids' lives when you separate parenting from friendship. I HATE the mentality that kids should have a slight fear of their father in order to be "properly obedient".
Great stuff, Tam. Thanks.