Yesterday we were scurrying around finishing Quinn’s school valentines, baking treats, playing hide and seek games (love the squeals of delight even though they hide in the same place every time!) and just attempting to fill the day. With three kids I find we keep our sanity by keeping the day busy.
During a lull Quinn put his head down in my lap. As I brushed the hair off his forehead he looked up at me with those same baby blues I’ve known for four years. In that moment I realized that in my attempt to stay busy I had not taken a moment to truly gaze into Quinn’s eyes that day. The way a tiny amount of gold was peeking through his blues, the small scar on his forehead from when he fell into the coffee table. He looked up at me, and I stopped to see how old my little one is starting to look.
It is easy to get caught up in keeping our life busy, but this moment solidified an important lesson for me as a parent. Sometimes it is less about what we are doing with our children and more about how thoughtful and present we are in the moment. In that moment the toys and projects vanished, and Quinn peacefully lay in my lap neither of us ready from him to grow up quite yet.