Does time fly for parents?

Quality

Does anyone else feel that since they have become a parent that the years have just been stolen on you?

My middle child is starting school in September, and I just feel that he has grown up so fast!

Ickle Magoo

Kind of...the day to day goes pretty slowly, especially if we're going through a particularly unpleasant phase - but then I get a shock when I realise another month has passed in a flash.

My youngest starts school in September and I'm not ashamed to say, I can't wait! :pac:

silverharp

first year was like a prison sentance in Quantamino Bay but after that , indeed ,amazing how the time flies.

Deliverance

Yes, time does fly and they change so fast. Someone put up a poem awhile back which made me think.

Séamus Ó Néill: Subh milis:

Bhí subh milis
Ar bhaschrann an dorais
Ach mhúch mé an corraí
Ionam d'éirigh,
Mar smaoinigh mé ar an lá
A bheas an baschrann glan,
Agus an láimh bheag
Ar iarraidh.

Translation:

There was jam
On the doorhandle
But I suppressed the anger
That rose up in me,
Because I thought of the day
That the doorhandle would be clean
And the little hand
Would be gone.

Personally made me think of making the most of now, rather than thinking about how the past is past.

Ickle Magoo

That's a cute poem deliverance...I have something similar up with hand-paintings they did.

Deliverance

It was a poem a poster put up. credit to them, can't think of the posters name. Would like to see the hand paintings if you have them?

Ickle Magoo

They are just handmade by the kids, works of art to us of course! The laminate doesn't like the camera flash so apologies about the quality of the pic!



In case you can't read it, the writing says:

"Sometimes you may get discouraged because we are so small and always leave our fingerprints on furniture and walls. But now we're getting bigger and will be grown up some day and all those tiny handprints will surely fade away. So here's some final handprints just so you can recall exactly how our fingers looked when we were very small".

I have a much longer one with their footprints on it somewhere too!

Awwww!

Deliverance

Thanks for putting that up. They are lovely. Your kids will appreciate it. I have kept every drawing that my child has made as well. To me she is a little artist.

dan_d

Deliverance wrote: »

Yes, time does fly and they change so fast. Someone put up a poem awhile back which made me think.

Séamus Ó Néill: Subh milis:

Bhí subh milis
Ar bhaschrann an dorais
Ach mhúch mé an corraí
Ionam d'éirigh,
Mar smaoinigh mé ar an lá
A bheas an baschrann glan,
Agus an láimh bheag
Ar iarraidh.

Translation:

There was jam
On the doorhandle
But I suppressed the anger
That rose up in me,
Because I thought of the day
That the doorhandle would be clean
And the little hand
Would be gone.

Personally made me think of making the most of now, rather than thinking about how the past is past.

That's a Junior Cert poem!!Haven't seen that in years!

littlebitdull

I think its amazing just how quick the time has gone. My eldest started his leaving cert today - but I remember like it was yesterday the handprint painting he brought home from playschool.

But like others said ... some days last forever

Khannie

Deliverance wrote: »

Séamus Ó Néill: Subh milis:

Bhí subh milis
Ar bhaschrann an dorais
Ach mhúch mé an corraí
Ionam d'éirigh,
Mar smaoinigh mé ar an lá
A bheas an baschrann glan,
Agus an láimh bheag
Ar iarraidh.

Jesus. That's beautiful. And terribly sad. Myself and my wife have both said that we're already not looking forward to the day that the last one leaves the nest (that's probably 20+ years away like!).

Deliverance

Ikle has inspired me to to laminate and gather hand and footprints of my childs art. Cue a thread for childrens art I think?

Wantobe

Ah damn, would you change the heading of this to- don't read if you're not wearing waterproof mascara- please? I've become a right old softy since I had children.

When my two were toddlers/babies I got those blank canvasses and put their hand/feet in paint and just printed the shape on the canvas- with nothing else except their age and the date at the bottom. Used bright strong colours and hung them on the wall. Really cheap and I love them cause it shows how teeny tiny they were.

Quality

Oh god, I dont know what is worse, the thoughts of not having babies in the house, Or being in an empty nest with Mr Quality!:eek:

The Hill Billy

That poem has given me a serious lump in my throat. Beautiful.

Khannie

Deliverance wrote: »

Ikle has inspired me to to laminate and gather hand and footprints of my childs art. Cue a thread for childrens art I think?

We (just the other day) got fingerprints done of the kids which we're getting put in silver for a necklace. pinkyprints.ie I think it was (not affiliated with them in any way).

I like the art thread idea though.

steve22

In a word.... YES!

Nevyn

I have that poem with hand prints as well, it's part of the current art program in primary school.

Time can drag day to day, week to week but the years fly in.

steve22

Thaedydal wrote: »

Time can drag day to day, week to week but the years fly in.

yeah its true. We had 3 years of terrible sleep during which i thought it would never end.... now my Son is finishing his first year of school... :eek:

time for another!!:D

Ickle Magoo

Thaedydal wrote: »

I have that poem with hand prints as well, it's part of the current art program in primary school.

Time can drag day to day, week to week but the years fly in.

That's good to know, thanks Thaedydal! I was going to do something with them at the weekend re Subh milis, I'll leave it if some art-work is on it's way at some point... :cool:

Wantobe

Khannie wrote: »

We (just the other day) got fingerprints done of the kids which we're getting put in silver for a necklace. pinkyprints.ie I think it was (not affiliated with them in any way).

Just had a look at that website, they have some cute ideas. Pity they don't do dog tags though.

deisemum

My baby will be finished primary school at the end of this month so that phase will be finished and the secondary school phase is shorter. He'll be going to his first and only disco for a few years on Friday that the school organises for 6th class.

His older brother was dropped off at the gaeltacht last Saturday and we haven't heard as much as a peep off him apart from one text on Sunday to his dad telling us not to phone and that it's better than home, cheeky beggar one of his friend's mum got the same type text.

I guess the cailini that are sharing the same house are a big distraction.

I'm a hoarder and I've kept so many things from when they were born, all mother's day cards, ribbons from frowers, first shoes, lock of hair from first haircut, baby teeth, first outfit allsorts including their artwork.

Reading back their "News" copies from primary school is very entertaining.;)

RIRI

Wantobe wrote: »

Ah damn, would you change the heading of this to- don't read if you're not wearing waterproof mascara- please? I've become a right old softy since I had children.

+1 - thank god I'm not in an open plan office seeing as I'm blubbing away here!

Yes the time flies, my little lad is almost finished his first year at school & I swear I have blinked & missed it!

really nice idea re: a thread for kids art work by the way

Khannie

Wantobe wrote: »

Just had a look at that website, they have some cute ideas. Pity they don't do dog tags though.

I thought they did.

We're expecting our finished necklace back in about 3 weeks. I'll report back how it turned out.

Cookie Jar

Khannie wrote: »

I thought they did.

We're expecting our finished necklace back in about 3 weeks. I'll report back how it turned out.

Interested in how it turns out. Looks good on the website:)

Khannie

God almighty.....I can't get that subh millis poem out of my head. Every time I go to correct the little one it jumps in! Aaaaaagh!

LittleBook

Ickle Magoo wrote: »

"Sometimes you may get discouraged because we are so small and always leave our fingerprints on furniture and walls. But now we're getting bigger and will be grown up some day and all those tiny handprints will surely fade away. So here's some final handprints just so you can recall exactly how our fingers looked when we were very small"

My daughter's creche did that too ... she's 14 now, can't believe it

pickarooney

The first year with my son time just seemed elastic, days (and nights) were really long and months were really short. He's three now and the youngest is 11 months and time still seems to be racing by. That said, I can't believe it's been nine years since I left Ireland, so it's not just the last three that have flown.

Rubberlegs

I really don't know where the last 17years have gone since becoming a Mammy! When I was a kid it seemed like my birthday or Christmas would never come. Now the years just whizz by like I'm on some crazy merry go round. I find I measure the years by the various school holidays, can't believe the summer hols are upon us again. Can't believe I have one child starting 4th class in sept, and the other 6th year, this time next year she will have left school altogether. Its so scary how quick they grow up, one minute they're in your arms, the next they are wanting to be put on your car insurance....

stovelid

Deliverance wrote: »

There was jam
On the doorhandle
But I suppressed the anger
That rose up in me,
Because I thought of the day
That the doorhandle would be clean
And the little hand
Would be gone.

That's really nice.

I sense sometimes that now (23 months) is one of the ages that I'll miss most: his bumbling little walk and his babbling; the emergence of his personality; the trail of destruction and his unguarded affection.

tinner777

not at the moment, trying to potty train twin boys

Dudess

That poem's gorgeous - I think it would have me in floods if I was a parent as I'd get very sentimental/nostalgic about that kinda stuff...

There's another lovely poem in Irish about a child's first pair of shoes - An Chéad Bhróg I think, by Máire Mac an tSaoi. Can't find it online - anyone know it/have it?

Deliverance

Searching like mad. But cannot find much. Is it about 'little shoes'. I found one but not sure if it was the poem.

The first line goes:

In the top drawer of her dresser is one pair of little shoes,
And a pair of little booties from which her Mom can choose.

Is that it?

Dudess

Doesn't ring a bell, Deliverance.

Splendour

I have this framed in my kitchen:

'I hope my children llook back on today and see a parent who had time to play
There will be years for cleaning and cooking-but children grow up when you're not looking. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.'

So true, babies don't keep; my youngest has just finished his first year in secondary and I can't believe how fquick the time has gone! He's beginning the 'pulling away' process and I never thought I'd say this but it kinda hurts...
If we could have kids 'backwards', teens first, I think we'd be more appreciative of the toddler years.

Quality

This thread is making me appreciate the happy times with my kids. smelling them, holding them tight.. and trying to remember little moments... i seem to b forgetting the moments from my eldest.. hopefully i wont forget the youngers as easily

KittyeeTrix

The time does indeed go slowly when you have little children but then all of a sudden your oldest is 16 as in my case and you wonder, god where did the years go????

Khannie

Cookie Jar wrote: »

Interested in how it turns out. Looks good on the website:)

Well it just arrived (literally about 10 minutes ago). I'm well impressed. Looks lovely on my wife too. Here's a pic.....




Obviously the print is more defined for the youngfella because he's that bit older. Still though, it's lovely to have.

Ickle Magoo

Dudess wrote: »

There's another lovely poem in Irish about a child's first pair of shoes - An Chéad Bhróg I think, by Máire Mac an tSaoi. Can't find it online - anyone know it/have it?

’Agus mé im’ greachaile,’ adúirt sí,’
’Chreidinn go raibh na Flaithis
Lán de chumhracht na meala
Agus na mísmín
Agus d’aer na farraige.
Anois gabhaim leor le grá Dé!

Dudess

Thanks Ickle. Now, is there a translator in the house? :pac: