my these pumpkins are growing!!!

Yesterday afternoon I took the boys to the Cedar Valley Community church for their annual Pumpkin Town! They've done this for at least 5 years now, because as I was downloading pictures I put them under "pumpkin farm" and up came old pictures from past pumpkin farm trips :) My goodness, Jaxon has grown! I had to include my little pumpkin picture and my big pumpkin picture :) Jaxon has done so much the last 4-5 years... he's grown in so many ways! I think maybe I have too!!!

When I think back to the Pumpkin Town visit we took back when the old picture was taken I was probably filled with the concerns of "do I have the diaper bag packed, enough snacks, can we squeeze it in between nap and dinner, I hope the big kids don't knock into him in the jumpy thing, I hope he holds my hand so I can keep tract of him, I hope he doesn't see all the cookies and just ask for them the whole time, etc."

Today I realized we are long past many of those concerns when it comes to him. Of course I was thinking that as I took Austin, but Jaxon is a whole different playing field these days. Instead I was concerned with... "I hope he is polite, that those big kids will let him play football and not leave him out, that HE won't bump into the little kids in the jumpy thing, that he will know without asking that he gets 1 cookie, that he will let the little girl on the hayride go first and offer to help when it's time to climb off, that he will tell me when he's going to the next center and not just disappear, etc."

Both times I wanted him to have a wonderful fun time, yet I wanted him to know his boundaries and expectations too. Both times I was ready for a fun visit, yet took different precautions to make that happen for everyone involved. Parenting continues to challenge me as I enter new seasons with each child. It's nice to be reminded that in the moment of whatever you are dealing with- it is very short term. I am reminded of this when I look back at the old pictures of Jaxon and then see how big he is today. My stages with him really are moving along each day. It may not seem that way at the time, but it really passes before you know it. I could easily get swept up with my "seasonal moments" for the time being or I could embrace the challenge I'm in and know we'll be through this one and into a new phase before I can stop to think about it. My little pumpkin is growing so fast and he's teaching me so much as I go. Poor kid has to be my guinea pig, but hopefully he'll gain something from that later in life! Jaxon- just know that as you do all these things for the first time, I'm doing them for the first time with you too buddy! Sooner or later we'll pefect this parent/child thing...maybe? ha! But while we're waiting I'm going to enjoy seeing my little ones sprout and blossom into each next phase in life!

Jaxon 5 years old at Pumpkin Town

Jaxon 2 years old at Pumpkin Town