Days Go By

Today, I worked on cleaning up the house. It was a wreck due to working long hours on closing our business. While cleaning, I decided to reorganize Abbie's bookcase. We always have a steady stream of new books coming in - trips to the bookstore, the book fair at school, classroom Scholastic book orders, etc. Abbie has more books than toys.
I have actually cleaned her bookcase many times (I like to reorganize), but I have only put books in storage once. Today was the second time that I have removed books that I will put in storage. This made me feel really sad. I removed board books - favorites that we don't read anymore but have read so so many times in the past. Favorites that I just couldn't bear to take down. You hear the saying, "kids grow up so fast" many, many times. And while I've always believed it, I actually felt it to be true for ME today. Abbie is now 45 lbs, mostly too heavy for me to carry for very long. She can now reach the sink while brushing her teeth without needing a stool. And now we are reading chapter books - Judy Bloom - instead of Mr. Brown Can Moo and Guess How Much I Love You. I felt a profound sadness today as I cleaned her bookcase. This will strike all parents, in different ways, at different times. The passing of time in books; that is where it got me.