Dollhouse and Diaper Bag

Well, friends and family, it is time to send out the post about things and times gone by.  This morning, after Grace left for preschool, I was in her room putting laundry away or something...and I saw her little dollhouse.  She has had it for at least 2 years now and it's nearing the time when we will get her a new, bigger one.  As I looked at it this morning, this thought came to me instantly, "it's already almost time to donate her little dollhouse and I haven't played with it with her enough."  Isn't that sad?  I am one of those moms who tries to keep a tidy house, fix halfway healthy food, and likes to "work" with the kids on stuff (letters, colors, shapes, and now, gulp, writing even)...but play?  That one doesn't come so naturally for me.  Free play especially.  I can sit down quite easily for a game of Candyland or Chutes n' Ladders.  I even recently discovered I can really get into puppets...but back to the point...when Grace asks me to "play" how often do I drop everything and join in?  Not fast enough or frequently enough.  To me, the big things I should instill in my children are love of God and love of others.  That covers a lot and it's easier said than done, especially on days when I myself am not showing God's love.  Actions speak louder than words.  And even now, as she plays at my feet with legos, here I sit, one eye on her, listening to her tell me something about preschool...but here I sit and type.  It's almost time to say goodbye to that little dollhouse and to playtimes gone by.  But it's not too late for me to learn a lesson, after this post obviously.  I can always pray and hope to be better.  Clothes will wait, floors will wait, windows will wait...dollhouses though...they get outgrown way too fast.  Then there is the diaper bag.  I don't know what I'm going to do without a diaper bag.  Where will I stash snacks, wipes, and a dozen other very useful kid-things?  Don't say purse.  My purse isn't big enough.  My mother-in-law bought Noah John the cutest little backpack the other day.  It's a mini-backpack and I simply adore it.  When I thanked her for it, I made a sad face :( and said, "we're almost out of the diaper bag stage."  I don't know that I'll ever need another diaper bag in my life, because we may not have more children.  Of course there is freedom there...but there is also the reminder of another time gone by.  Way.  Too.  Fast.  In the meantime, I'll start filling Noah's little backpack w/ the 'stuff' from the diaper bag and I'll smile because he will be so flipping cute wearing it, almost as big as he is, on his back.  So *almost good bye to the two D's ... monumental D's around our household.  Keep me honest and say a prayer that if you were to look, you would see me sitting in the floor in a green and pink room, holding finger-sized dolls, at a little dollhouse, with the most precious 4 year old in my whole world.  And I would bet, if you were to look, a most precious 17-month old would plop himself in the middle of it all with a toy car or tractor in one hand and the thumb on the other hand in his mouth!