I walked through the house looking for my little girl. She had just gotten out of the bath and I was hoping to catch her before she “fixed” her hair.

I spotted her in her bedroom pulling apart already matched outfits and creating her own. I wasted my time pairing those up, she dances to her own beat. Her sister, however, always chooses the properly paired pieces. It’s funny how different two little girls can be.

“Come let mama brush your hair and put it up for you,” I pleaded.

I knew this would be met with resistance but she looked so grown sitting there and I just wanted to brush my little girl’s hair.

“All of the other girls do their own hair, I don’t need you to do it, Mama.” Her words were kind and careful but that didn’t lessen the sting.

I am a firm believer that baby girls turn into big girls overnight. I promise you it was just yesterday that I had two little girls, just 17 months apart, that needed me for everything.

I just wanted to brush my baby’s hair.

Reluctantly, she followed me into my bathroom where we spent the better part of an hour brushing and curling her hair and painting her nails. She let her mama pretend she was little again, just for one afternoon.

And I treasured that hour.

When the kids were all little I thought I’d never be free of them. I thought it would last forever. I was overwhelmed by their neediness. I couldn’t enjoy it, I just wanted to survive it.

But yesterday, I got to enjoy it. Every little second.

You can’t savor the moments when you have a house full of toddlers and infants. Some days I tried too. Some days I rolled my eyes when someone reminded me of it. Some days I just wanted to make it to nap time.

It’s the irony of parenting. You know you’ll miss it, but you’re too tired to savor it.

Yesterday God gave me the opportunity to enjoy my big kid. And that big kid gave me permission to treat her like a little kid.

So don’t worry, mama, if you can’t savor the moment. There will be another one, one that’s a bit less needed and much more wanted.

Today she probably won’t want me to pick her clothes or curl her hair but I thank God, that yesterday, she let me do it one more time.

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