Slipping Through My Fingers

My mom was over the other day, and while the boys were both napping we curled up downstairs and watched Mamma Mia.  The movie was this happy little piece of theatrical fluff, but one scene had me slyly wiping tears from my eyes.  The two main characters, a mother and daugther played by Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, sing a duet titled "Slipping Though My Fingers."

Here is a sampling of the lyrics...

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(slipping through my fingers all the time)
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why I just don't know

Change a the pronoun from "she" to "he," and the song mirrors my own emotions about this summer, and maybe even the past few years.  It seems like just yesterday I was cuddling with a baby Anthony, or bringing a baby Jimmy home to meet his big brother.  And while there are similarities with those moments (Anthony still loves to cuddle, and Jimmy always welcomes his brother with a bear hug), they "keep on growing, slipping though my fingers all the time." 

Summer is slipping by.  August is just a few days away, and with it comes the routine of work and daycare and preschool.  This summer has been a precious escape from reality, and while I like routine of work and daycare and preschool, I will miss our morning coffee on the front steps, and our family naps that can last an entire afternoon. 

The baby days are slipping by, too.  With the exception of diapers (as potty training is a work not quite in progress), Jimmy lost his baby looks and baby personality this summer, and has turned into a little boy.  And while he still likes to pretend to be a baby when he needs some affection, he would much rather wrestle his dad or drive cars with his brother.  And Anthony is growing every day.  Our conversations are fascinating and enlightening, and I can see him trying to make sense of the world around us.

The lazy days of summer... and childhood... are slipping through my fingers.  I suppose all I can do is enjoy them as long as they last, and take lots of pictures to look back upon.