My 4 year-old, Jace, and I went outside to experience this beautiful event together. He looked and said 'BEAUTIFUL' then quickly turned away and started playing with his Freesbie trying to get it caught in the tree! I tried my best to get him to enjoy the sight much longer with me, but, a 4-year old's attention span is not the greatest when your looking at a stationary object with no remote control attached or fast moving motions. So, as he continued to toss the freesbie talking with the neighbor watering her tomatoes I sat on my lawn and captured the moon it one of it's most beautiful states. It was 99% illuminated and the sky was perfect for viewing.
After about 30 minutes of camping out on my lawn staring in awe I decided it was time to get the little one in for his bath. Of course, this included chasing him around the yard bartering with him to get him in the house. after a promise of not 1, but 2 cookies we finally got in the house with little to no resistance.
I filled the tub and Jace climbed in. Within a few minutes I hear tremendous laughter and splashing. What I find when I re-enter the bathroom can only be described as something a 100% boy would do. He likes to play with shaving cream in the tub, so he gets a can of his own every other week. Our motto on this is "When it's gone, it's gone!" Well....he didn't care about this motto last night.
I enter the bathroom and he has the shaving cream can horizontal with the spout up. You can imagine what this may have looked like. Shaving cream is shooting up in the air atleast 3 feet and he is laughing thinking it is the coolest thing ever. I am standing there shaking my head looking at my flooded bathroom and shaving cream EVERYWHERE! It was in this moment that I could have done 1 of 2 things.
1. I could have disciplined him for making such a mess and crushed his creative soul and experience of the world through a child's eyes. Or, and what I did do,
2. Laugh, throw a towel on the floor to soak up the water, and joined in the fun.
We painted the shower walls with shaving cream and created 'shaving cream volcanoes' with the can. We shared an everlasting memory that I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life!
I did not caputre photos as I am not a believer of photographing my children after a certain age in the tub, plus, this little guy is very demanding when it comes to his privacy (mom or dad must face the wall in a public restroom while he does his business...do NOT look at him, you'll hear it from him if you do!).
I got a glimpse of the wrold through my child's eye. I am often up into the wee hours of the morning catching up on work and homework often letting life pass me by. It was a fresh of breath air to see what it would look like to stop and enjoy life. My innocent son didn't care about the mess or the fear he may get in trouble. He merely took the time to enjoy life and have fun while doing it. Such an awesome thing to witness.
We witness these events in our children everyday, but do we really comprehend the moment. We often sigh, yell, discipline, or grit our teeth in frustration as we are left the clean the mess. Now, after really opening my eyes and enjoying the world from my son's eyes, I vow to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy life, and be as silly as possible with my son as he grows.
Of course we cannot do this all the time. Children need to learn right from wrong and when it is appropriate to forgo all the rules - but, I challenge you to make an effort once a day when you catch your child doing something that you may otherwise be frustrated with or have an instant reaction to shame them for it - STOP! Smile and join in. I guarantee you will relive your youth from your child's eyes AND, you may just get a different view of life we often don't save time for as busy parents.
Joyfully,
Their Mother
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