The days are long, but the years are short

It's taken nearly a full year for us to get back here, 

but after spending a few nights in a row in front of my laptop --

mainly to upload a lengthy backlog of pictures of the girls,

I happened to stumble across the quote:

The days are long, but the years are short,

and I couldn't help but feel some sense of heartache at that sentiment.

I don't know if it was because it was a particularly trying day in the world of little girls and big messes --

or if it was crazy mid-pregnancy hormonal tears --

or if it was just the fact that I've been cataloging more than a whole year's worth of

Nola and Payton 

and how these little forces of nature -- 

who didn't even exist a few years ago --

now define my life and fill my days

with combinations of immense joy, 

smatterings of "Don't touch me with that thing on your finger!!!",

and  lots of time for me to wonder if telling my daughter

not to wipe a booger on my pants

will, one day, land her in therapy.

Whatever it was that got me on here again...

 I realized that I need to start documenting these precious 

(and sometimes maddening) moments again.

We'll be back here, every now and then (I cannot promise consistency), 

but I felt a deep need to share this quote,

because, for me, it was such a wonderful reminder,

as a parent, to cherish each moment

because even though it doesn't feel like it -- especially when

 you're silently chanting to yourself to 

"Breathe, in through the nose... out through the mouth..." 

over and over again,

while watching your toddler take five minutes 

to try to snap a buckle

 that it would easily take you five seconds to do...

It's because of these moments, that seem to fill my days,

and instead of feeling drained by this,

I need to remind myself how very fleeting this small window of time is,

and remember that:

The days are long, but the years are short.