The Baby Season

"Do you have any baby toys we could get out for Abby?" my sister-in-law asked me.

" Um...." I looked at my eight year old. "Do we Maddie?"

She stared blankly back at me and shrugged her shoulders.

"How about a doll for her?" my sister-in-law suggested.

I vetoed that idea before the American Girl dolls or Barbies were handed over.

We managed to dig up some plastic animals from the bin that used to hold baby toys but now holds Legos.  We managed to find one lonely board book from the book shelf that used to hold nothing but board books.

This exchange had me thinking.

There was a time when there were only baby toys in our house.  There was a whole shelf full of bins that held baby toys.  There was a whole shelf full of nothing but brightly colored board books.  There was a time when the dolls were soft and squeezable and there weren't Barbies with thousands of tiny accessories.  There was a time when the bins didn't hold Legos and tiny Playmobil toys.

There was a time when I didn't have to think about finding a safe toy or place to play because everything was safe. 

My how times have changed. We are in a different season in our house these days.  We are in a season where we don't have to worry about small pieces and parts.  We don't have to worry about plug covers or breakable items on low shelves anymore.

I think, as a parent, I was aware of the seasons changing.  I celebrated and enjoyed each season and each change to a new season.  Today it hit me just how far we have moved away from the baby season.  It's a little bittersweet.