Remember

We have been fighting some sort of illness around here. We were exposed to strep throat, #6 had dual ear infections, #3 brought home pink eye and allergy season is ramping up. #1 is fine (as usual, sheesh), #2 came home from the backpacking trip complaining of a sour throat, #3 is getting over pink eye, #4 is starting pink eye (or allergies, he isn't goopy so I am leaning towards allergies), #5 pink eye and runny nose, #6 is happy as a lark cause her antibiotics are working. DH didn't work at work today cause he is feeling crummy. BUT instead after his nap (and he was recharged) we worked on the garden plot. ALL THE BIG PIECES OF SOD HAVE BEEN MOVED.

ALL THE BIG PIECES OF SOD HAVE BEEN MOVED!!!!

(this is a big deal folks-we moved over a half acre of sod in a few weeks)

And since it was a family project it was not without its moments. I started the project because it looked like rain was coming. I knew I had to keep prodding the big boys at it because each time it rains the pieces of sod double in weight. DOUBLE is not an exaggeration. Last week the pieces of sod weighed close to 25 pounds each (how do I know? cause it is close in weight to a bag of rice from Sam's and I have hefted a few of those). After drying out for a few days, the pieces of sod had shrunk and they didn't weigh any more than 10 or 15 pounds. The thickness of the pieces also shrank. When originally cut they were about 4-5 inches thick. Today they were closer to 2 inches. So, since the work had literally evaporated I kept pushing everyone to keep going. I drove the tractor, DH started on loading with #1, 2 and 3, #4 and #5 were playing around and would start a sodball fight every now and then. #6 was napping (at first).

I just love watching my kids play outside. I especially love watching the older ones with #6. I watch them and think to myself, "Oh, you have to remember this. You have to mark this in your memory bank to remember how #6 just bolts across the back pasture to sit on a pile of sod with #4 to wait for her tractor ride back. You have to remember how she made you stop the tractor while driving to pick up her binky. You have to remember how #5 says her new jeans are Fawma Jeans and how cute her little tushy is in them. You have to remember how #4 leaps out of the moving tractor trailer and how he is so competitive with #2 to release the trailer so all the sod dumps out. You have to remember #6 cuddling with you on the tractor while the boys loaded the trailer. You have to remember how #1 shortened the swing chains so that the swing was 5 feet in the air and #4 was brave, brave to swing up there so high." I see the pictures of today in my mind--the green grass, the golden pastures with green underneath, the blue sky, the brown dirt and my kids sometimes rolling in it. The wind was blowing their hair all around, their cheeks were pink, #1 and 3 were not necessarily smiling but #4,5, and 6 were overjoyed with tractor rides over and over and over again. #2 was so amazing. He was helpful with his baby sister over and over again. Picking her up, putting her in the trailer, helping her through the fence panels, walking with her. I never had to ask him to help her-he just did it.

As a mom I have those moments all the time. I see the joy in family life. I try to take photographs. I try to write about our life. I want to remember it. I want to embrace this part of my life that moms of older children say goes too fast. I see joy so many times a day. I say to myself, "Take a picture in your mind. Remember. Remember. Remember."