Capturing moments

Twenty years

March 26:th I can celebrate - and will celebrate - having been a mother for twenty years. Twenty years!!!

As unbelievable as that sounds, as fast did those years pass by. 

This weekend we're going to celebrate with that boy, going out for dinner, going shopping together and presenting the boy with a special gift.

I like to think that I'm all about Carpe Diem. Capturing the moments is one of the best things we can spend our time doing. That becomes apparent when you are the mother of a 20 year old while you're also the mother of a five year old. Teaching a boy how to ride a bike wasn't as much of a wonder when I was 24 as it is now, at 40. You need experience and something to compare with, in life, in order to fully appreciate certain things.

I do appreciate running alongside a bike now, I do appreciate those precious days with the old son so crazily much now that I don't get to do it very often. And those ten days we had in New York this passed autumn? Pure magic!

I can hardly believe I was there to experience it, seeing this photo in retrospect, it was that wonderful having the year's first breakfast outside on Sunday!

The dog really captured the moment of sniffing in what's on those plates...

The evening before we had premiered the brand new grill. And Boy, was it good!

Being 40 doesn't mean a thing, if you haven't lived those 40 years. 

I have. 

There has been so many days that weren't fun but there were also good days and nature is good about this: you seem to remember the good ones more vividly!

The Dog sure doesn't regret being courages enough to take the leap to board the plane to our country and exchanging a life as a street dog, in order to become a family dog.

He's got the typical, ever so cute, underbite, that spanish street dogs so often have.

I sure don't regret pursuing a relationship with the cutest, kindest man I had ever met. In spite of us both being in somewhat harsh times in our lives. I love him regardless and it proved to be so: our love is strong enough. There is nothing we can't survive together and we know it for sure.

It's a good thing The Boy knows what he means and how the lego he wishes for, works...

King of cool!

So, I know how fast the baby becomes a lego playing boy and how fast the lego playing boy becomes a computer game playing boy and how fast the computer playing boy becomes a..... big boy. 

A young man. 

It happens like a blink of an eye and you're never ready for it. It just happens and it just works somehow, even though you thought you might not be able to endure the change.

The hop mat

Yes, the hop mat occupies almost our entire garden, I'm the first to admit that. Hubs dislikes it and I'm softhearted enough to keep repeating how much The Boy dreamed of having one.

So, yes, the garden would be small even without it. But still... It's worth whatever, seeing this boy, my last child, getting to live his dream. We'll just make sure we fit anyway and our relatives will have to squeeze in this summer!

One more jump picture: you see how the boy and the mat belong together?

Like others did, we took the opportunity also, this passed Sunday: we took the bike out in order to teach The Boy. Daddy felt somewhat strained, running so furiously...!

The Boy bicycled here and there, enjoying every moment.

He took a well deserved break at a nearby playground. He loves playgrounds.

Back to it, with mommy this time.

How crazy this is: how hard he finds it to be!

But it sure was a terrific day and time, in our lives. 

Here we are, together, teaching our son to ride his bike. We are the parents, there is no other parent causing trouble - this is it: the two of us. 

I was moved to tears feeling how remarkable life can be. 

There it is again: true happiness can only exist in the absence of fear.

Here lives absence of fear and not a day goes by when I don't love that fact and cherish it.

Here's to life: cheers! 

Soon it's time to celebrate my son's being in the world for 20 years. We're leaving today, going to hop into the car, we'll be putting a DVD on for The Boy and be off. It'll be date time and it'll be a whole lot of fun and I'm feeling like I usually did as a child the evening before Christmas: I can't wait!