In the NOW!

At the preschool there is a clock that has the word NOW in place of every number on its face.  Lately this sense of a 3 year old's need to live in the now has been more and more apparent. When I am driving Ellie in the morning and we begin chatting about her day and what lies ahead, she tells me how she doesn't want to go to preschool because a particular girl will call her names.  When I am getting ready to say goodbye and leave for work, she cries for me to stay.  When I arrive to pick her up at the end of the day she is first thrilled to see me and then cries that she doesn't want to leave and stomps her foot as she tells me she is staying. Her story from preschool the other day was about how we would be going on our trip the next day and she would be sad because she would miss her friends and she would not be there.  She would miss her friends.  These same friends that she didn't want to see the other day.

The common thread...she wants to fully embrace the moment.  She is not comforted by the thought of what fun could be coming her way in the future.  It isn't that she doesn't like the other places, people, and things she will be doing.  It is the change of it all. Switching out of the current fun or time she's spending with someone she cares about, that is hard part. She wants the NOW, and when you're 6 it isn't much different.

Yesterday we got up, packed our bags, ate breakfast with Daddy, and then took off on our mini-vacation getaway.  The kids and I on our way.

Today we set out on an adventure.  We drove west and as Grandma said, "We're almost at the ocean." It was decided.  Our "NOW" was the ocean.  Nothing would stop us.  The wind? No.  A snack? No.

"Mommy follow Mason's footprints," Ellie called.

The sand was calling our name and we kicked off our shoes and headed toward the waves.  The wind was strong, but our will was stronger. We stopped along the way to take some pictures to share the fun with Daddy and capture the beauty of the NOW. 

Hair by Windy Day

Two buddies 

Hangin' with my bro

Grandma and Mason paved the way

Why of all days had I left the house without extra clothes? As we neared the waves I worried about how cold it would be when the NOW wore off, as I am a mama, and not 3 or 6.  At first I attempted to forge on ahead and simply roll up pant legs and hope that the chill of the water would be enough to send us up toward dryer land.  They dipped into the sand and the joy on their face exploded throughout their whole being and it was contagious.  That is the thing about living in the NOW.  When you really find it, everything else disappears. Your only worry is how to keep it going.

Fingers dipped into the wet sand and we were hooked. There was no turning back.

Dipping my toes in the ocean in November. Priceless.

Jumping for Joy. Priceless.

Playing without a care in the world...

Sand stuck to your feet? Nope.

Cold wind to worry about?  Nope.

Wet clothes to spend the afternoon in?  Nope.

All of that worry can wait.  We are living in the NOW!