Learning to let go...

It's that time of year, schools in!  This is Addy's second year of preschool.  Addy has a new teacher and she is attending preschool three mornings a week for 2 1/2 hours.  She loves it!  I'm glad I sent her last year because she is thriving this year.  Last year we had some rough patches, this year, she WANTS to go.  The very first day she walked into school smiling, excited and didn't even look back.   It didn't hit me until I was in Meijer with Brenden.  We stopped to look at the fish, Addy's favorite thing, then I started to cry.  She is ready, I believe this is good for her, this is what God wants and I have to let her go.   I had a friend tell me that your raise your children to let them go, not to keep them.  So it begins...  

At the end of July we decided it was time for Brenden at 18 months to get rid of his pacifier.  He started chewing the ends of them off, nice huh?!  So we began the process, which was not easy.  He didn't sleep really well for about three weeks and one of those weeks we were on vacation.  It was actually harder on me I think than him.  Not because of the inconvenience but because it meant that he was not a baby anymore.  My little man is growing up.  It's time to start letting go. 

Now I realize that these are small things,but it reminds me that each stage my kids are in I will have to continually let them go.  I'm not raising them to keep them, I'm raising them to let them go and give them to God.  I've been praying a lot about this the past several months that God will help me utilize this time I have with them.  I want to use this time to pour into them, teach them and develop a healthy relationship with them.  My mom always tells me, the best thing I can do with my kids is develop a relationship with them.  She's right of course!   I need to do it now and God will have to help me with all of it, especially the letting go part! 

First day of preschool, not enjoying the pictures!

Playing mini-golf  on vacation, my big boy, no paci!