My kids are growing up

My boy is turning 7 this month. He is all excited about his birthday. He wants his birthday present to be a surprise. “Mummy and daddy, will you sneak out of the house to buy my present?” He wants to celebrate his birthday on a Sunday. He does not want to celebrate it on the actual day because he has to go to school, then he has to do homework in the afternoon and then he has to wait till daddy comes back from work before he can eat his cake and open his presents.

So he chose a Sunday, not Saturday because on Saturday he knows we have to run around to do chores and buy groceries and such. He wants to wake up and rush to the computer to play computer games. *slaps forehead* We have no idea what to buy for him. The kids have too many books and toys. We overindulge. I think we enjoy buying books and toys for them more than they enoy getting them. They have become avid readers as a result but sadly, they have no time to play with their numerous toys.

My girl will be turning 9 next month. That is the age I was when mum passed away. How time flies. Now I am a mum myself to a 9 year old. Amazing. “Mummy, for my birthday, can you give me RM2. I want to buy the star paper from the school bookshop.” Such simplicity. I am glad its not “Mummy, can I have a handphone, a laptop, an iPod” etc…. We shall enjoy this simplicity for a couple of years more after which, I think, peer pressure will set in and with it some unreasonable demands perhaps? We’ll come to that when the time comes.

Even my girl feels that she is  growing up. Just the other day she told me… “Mummy, last time I was in std 1 and I saw all this big big std 3 students, now I am the big big std 3 student.” 🙂

Children grow up so fast. You can’t say, I will spend more time with them, after I have earned enough money for their education, get my promotion, bought a house, etc. The time is now, right from the time they are conceived. For if you don’t, you will find that the time has come and gone and it can never be replaced and before you know it, they are teens and young adults. I have a few friends who leave the bringing up of their children entirely to their parents. After work, they go to their parent’s house for dinner and to play with the child for a while, then they go home without the kid (the child stays with the grandparents for “convenience”), then they bring the child home to stay with them during weekends.

I am indeed fortunate not to have to rely on anyone else to bring up the kids. I am fortunate not to miss any of their growing up moments. I hope that I will be able to continue to enjoy every moment with them for many more years.