Oh to be young again

I've felt a little discombobulated lately. Maybe it's the time of year with all the Christmas hubbub. Maybe it's being a new mom and figuring out the new normal. Or maybe it's just this phase of life. Who knows. While I've been loving being a mom, I also find myself longing for the simpler days of childhood.

Why is it that when life is the simplest, you can't remember it? I tell Lily (half jokingly, half seriously) that this is the only time of life that rolls are adorable, sleeping in church is preferable, and pooping through 3 layers of clothing is acceptable (albeit not desirable).

Today I was doing dishes and Lily was sitting in her chair in the kitchen with me. I heard something behind me. It can best be described as "rumbles," and simply put, I knew I'd have a mess to clean up when I opened that diaper. I turned around, and this is what I saw:

Pure innocence. You'd never know she could produce such nastiness!

I've been thinking a lot this Christmas season about Mary and baby Jesus. What was he like as a baby? He had to have cried. He had to have pooped his diaper. But was he a perfect baby? Did Jesus sleep through the night? Did he keep Mary up like the angels kept the shepherds up? Did Mary and Joseph ever have to tell Jesus to do something more than once? What was it like to parent the children that came after Jesus? Did Mary and Joseph know from comparing Jesus to their other children that he was the Son of God? So many questions!

These are adult questions. When I was young, I never thought of such things. And perhaps I'd be better off this Christmas focusing again on the Christmas story like I did when I was young. Like Lily is:


Liliana received this nativity as a gift. (Thank you Kendra, Ross, Ethan and Lydia!!!!! We love you!). It reminds us, not only of the fabulous friends who sent it and of the true reason for the season, but also of the beauty of a child's innocence and the wonder of the first discovery.

This nativity scene was made for children to play with. I love that about it. It was made for children in the same way the world was made for humans. Made for us to experience, learn, and discover exactly what the most important thing in life is. Here's to being young at heart and discovering things all over again!