As I sit here watching my two boys running around on the bright-colored foam mats, sliding down the bright red and green slides that end up in a ball pit full of giggles, I can’t help but wonder how much longer I will enjoy this sight.

They’re both growing up so fastT-shirts with their favorite characters have been replaced by plain colors. 

Curtains with Paw Patrol now invite an “Eww, cringe!” reaction.

Slowly their boy bedroom decor has been updated to reflect the cool gamers they so want to be.

RELATED: He’s a Boy For Just a Little While Longer

No more toy cars, remote control robots, and light-up shoes.

Now it’s all about game controllers, graphic cards, and YouTube. 

As I watch my babies grow up, the feeling that every mother knows all too well creeps in.

It’s bittersweet.

It’s exciting yet terrifying.

It’s holding on while letting go.

It’s looking toward the future while being afraid to forget the past. Afraid to forget the little milestones like the first lost tooth or the first time they recognized a traffic sign. Everyday kind of stuff that’s still so amazing to my mother heart.

RELATED: There’s Just Something About Mamas and Their Boys

I wonder if it’ll ever get easier.

The navigation of this road toward a different kind of motherhood. 

No longer needed as much for the hands-on, yet needed more in other areas. Being needed to help navigate the rough waters of becoming a teenager and growing into a man who can look at himself in the mirror with pride. 

Especially in this fast-changing world, it’s a task that’s daunting, and undoubtedly, will take everything I’ve got. Maybe even more. 

But for right now, at this very moment, I will watch my boys giggle in the brightly colored ball pit while soaking up every single second for as long as it lasts.

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Jennifer

Jennifer is a Montessori teacher who left the classroom to focus on homeschooling her two amazing sons. Married to her best friend for over a decade and living in the Caribbean on a tiny island, which has its challenges and its perks.

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