Where is Neverland?

There once was a little boy named Peter Pan who said “Little boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older.” And this statement proves true in the Kramer household. Somehow through the continuous moments of changing, feeding, caring, loving, teaching there have been two little boys who have been taking it all in and growing at a fairly fast speed. And we have found that while one minute we find ourselves immersed in all the baby duties and thinking of how slow the days seem to go, the next minute we are looking back and wondering where our newborns went. Because the days are slow but in some strange way they add up to equal weeks that fly by leaving a little boy who is determined to enter toddlerhood and another little boy behind him doing his best to catch up. And as a parent you find yourself wondering where is this magical Neverland when you need it because you aren’t quite ready for your little men to become big men just yet.





Sure, they are only eighteen months and six months and saying they are almost men is a bit of an overstatement but you know that time will arrive much sooner than you are ready for.



The emotions that come with parenthood are a paradox. For while you hate to see them grow up so fast you also find yourself cheering them on when they reach those milestones and accomplish those big things that they have been working toward. You look forward to when they can crawl, walk, talk, learn their alphabet and numbers. You look forward to when they’re old enough to go on family adventures and they can experience the world and the joys it brings. You aren’t looking forward to when they discover the sorrow the world also offers and as much as you may want to shelter them from any cruelties life may bring, you know that in order for them to grow they must experience and learn all of it. So yes, watching your babies grow does bring a bit of sadness with the joy but as Peter Pan also said “to live is an awfully big adventure” and what parent who loves their children would ever want to hold them back from that?

 
Thankfully we do have at least eighteen years and the milestones start out small. Before he can learn to drive a car he must first learn to crawl. Your little boy is doing his best to get there as he now reaches forward and one time managed to get on all fours and you know what they say, once they start it’s all over.



Before your little boy can climb mountains figuratively and literally speaking he first discovers he can climb up on tables, on the couch and into his little brother’s walker all by himself. He is even learning that there may be day when he can climb out of his crib and he shows you this when he sticks his little leg over the rail when he feels you take too long to retrieve him. You realize in that moment that the milestone of sleeping in a big boy bed might not be as far away as you thought.




Before your little boy can experience new cuisine and possibly learn to cook his own meals one day he must first transition from bottle to solids. And though he isn’t a fan of commercial baby food you learn that big people food, while it may cause some uncertainty, seems to be more up his alley.

 

That is, if he isn't too interested in eating his bib.



Before they can learn to hold their own they first learn to hold their own bottle.



As they grow they will learn about the changing seasons even when the seasons, particularly Winter, doesn’t want to change. They will learn about the holidays and began to look forward to all of the traditions and festivities that accompany them.



And at a young age they take delight in music and attempting to create their own.




And you love seeing them enjoy something their Dad also loves so much and you hope and pray that they have inherited your husband’s music ability and not yours since yours seems to be nonexistent. If they inherited anything along that line they have inherited you and your husband's love of music. Your oldest enjoys all musical instruments, dances, sings often and can’t hear a song without bobbing his head. He is definitely his father’s son as even his father’s toes dance when a song comes on and he can’t help beating on the steering wheel in the car while driving and listening to the radio. And your youngest is also starting to show he is noticing music and he loves watching his big brother play or sing at any time.



And before your sons learn to help others they learn to help each other. Even if the recipient isn’t always happy to receive the help, you don’t want to discourage them from trying.



They’ll learn to play well together in preparation for the day they have to work well with others.



But most importantly of all, they will learn to love.

  
It’s a lesson that takes time



and practice,



but the moments where you see it click are beautiful.



It doesn’t seem fair that little boys should have to grow up into men, or at least as fast as they do but it is all part of God’s design. Those little boys are meant to be warriors and defenders of the faith, providers and protectors of their families, soldiers for just causes, victorious in battles they will face and conquerors of new experiences brought their way. They will make mistakes and they will fall but they will also learn to fly. You’ll take delight in seeing your sons accomplish things as men and you will always cheer them on but for now, you can hold his hand, snuggle him close, tickle him until he giggles, dry his tears, kiss his booboos away and thank God for every one of these precious moments and know that maybe, just maybe, not having Neverland isn’t so bad.