Yesterday was spent saying farewell to summer swimming in a lake with about a billion other people. While Labor Day has always marked the unofficial end of summer, it’s even more so here as our new friends and neighbors finally head back to school this week.
But as we wrapped up our Labor Day weekend, I was reminded of the start of that weekend three years ago. We began our journey as a family of 6 in the early hours of the Friday leading into Labor Day weekend. And we’ve spent every Labor Day weekend since celebrating the little life that was brought to us.
And while I may not have labored on Labor Day of that year, the significance of Pipsqueak’s birthday being around that weekend (and actually on the day last year) is not lost on me. Because he may be the most exhausting kid we’ve got and every day is an adventure to keep up.
I wake up many days to the sound of him asking to get up. Proclaiming he needs to pee-pee. Yelling at his brother. Or simply giggling uncontrollably at whatever silliness he and his big brother are up to.
And while I want to be able to say I hop out of bed each morning, eager to see his sweet face, the truth is most mornings I wake up completely unprepared for the day ahead. Already exhausted at the mere thought of another day with Pipsqueak.
He’s loud. And he’s busy. He’s energetic. And he’s non-stop. He’s stubborn. And he has no fear. He’s always doing something. Into something. Creating something. Destroying something. Exploring and experiencing his world.
But Pipsqueak is not a bad kid. He is silly and loving. He likes to read and loves to snuggle. He adores music, unable to keep himself from singing and dancing and constantly demanding for me to put “ba-ba-base” on YouTube (and has his own hilarious, and inappropriate, version of “Uptown Funk”.) He is in awe of our world, delighted with the small things and in tune with other people’s feelings, always first in line with a hug or an ice pack.
And on our good days, when I take the time to see the world from his point of view, I can see all the glorious possibilities that exist in our world, just as he does.
Life with Pipsqueak is truly a labor of love. He doesn’t make my mommying job easy and rarely gives me a break. And the days often pass by in a blur of activity. But it’s easy to convince myself that all the struggle and exhaustion now will be worth it in the end because when I look at my littlest guy, I see so much potential goodness in our future.
I can see how his curiosity will lead to learning and experimenting and making something great of himself. I can see how his never-ending energy and determination will carry him through whatever struggles life may present to him. I can see how his charm and concern for others will help him to build deep, lasting relationships. And how his fearlessness and fire will make achieving his dreams easy.
This ride I’m on is certainly a crazy one. And though I may long for more sleep and hate to admit that sometimes I spend way more time crying than laughing, I know that putting in the work with my little Pipsqueak now will pay off long into our future. I just need to continue holding on and holding it all together!
