I have been buying things and making plans to buy yet other things. And these things all point to the fact that my children are growing. And all this makes me wistful.

On my shopping list (some purchased, most not):

1. training pants
     I haven't decided when exactly I will switch Bronwyn from diapers to the cute flowered training pants, but it will be soon--she seems ready--and, while I anticipate going back to having only one in diapers, I find potty-training to be a very sad time for me. Good-bye, baby... Hello, toddler.

2. bunkbeds
    As I approach the need for Bronwyn to be in a bed so that Jackson can have the crib (for now, he has used the wonderful Plymouth Plantation basket my mom gave to me three years ago, but it won't be long before he won't fit in there), I've decided it makes more sense to get bunkbeds that will one day serve both boys and let Bronwyn have the bed Gabriel currently uses. Good long-term solution, in theory; the only problem is that I'm too sentimental to move Bronwyn into a "big bed."

3. bookshelves
    Gabriel's art supply stash is growing (his 3rd birthday brought quite an increase). I haven't had a place to keep such things, but if I replace some lower toy shelves that are in the family room with tall bookshelves, I can use the higher shelves for art supplies that shouldn't be touched without supervision. I just can't believe I have a child old enough to use fingerpaints.

4. bicycle
    Now that we have a yard, we need some things to play with out there. I looked at tricycles for a while, only to find that most reviewers recommend a full-fledged bicycle (with training wheels, of course) for 3-year-olds. And here I was, thinking (hoping?) that the little 18" tall Radio Flyer would satisfy my rambunctious little boy.

5. The Boxcar Children, Little House, and other similar reading materials
    I've always wanted my children to love books and reading. It's always been my intention to stretch their minds. And, quite suddenly, I am realizing that these plans must take action today, because they are growing. As much as I love sitting down with them and reading a simple and pleasurable book like The Napping House, I'm going to have to move on to more advanced stuff before I know it. Unbelievable.

Once again, today I found myself with that very acute realization that I am a mom. I often think that the days of teaching my children and training my children are yet ahead of me--reserved for that time when I, myself, am fully taught and trained. And then I take a look at my son, and I realize he's a growing little boy; his mind is developing and he is taking much in. I look at my daughter, and I realize that she is not the quiet and smiling baby sitting on a blanket quite contentedly; but, rather, she is entering into her own; she is discovering her will, her preferences, her ideas.

Yeah. Better get on the shopping list.