deep thoughts in Dunkin' Donuts

We went to Dunkin' Donuts on Saturday morning. I love donuts and not cooking breakfast on Saturdays, but Dunkin' Donuts is NOT my favorite place. Long lines and bad service (they always forget something) and stomach aches immediately afterward and things like that. But Eric loves it and sometimes I try to put my selfishness aside and love him, so there we were. Rooney yelled "Donuts! Donuts!" the entire one-mile drive there (we would have rode our bikes but our stomachs were growling a little too loud already AND it was a tad chilly).

Anyway, we waited and waited and waited in line and then finally grabbed a seat by a window. (They forgot my juice, of course.)

We had a lovely time watching Rooney eat more munchkins than me. For some reason, watching her eat is one of my favorite things. Maybe because I remember the first time she ever ate, and we had so much trouble with breastfeeding that I still love seeing her get a good feeding. Is that weird?

We were having conversations about inside voices and patience and how this really was the last time she should wear that shirt because her belly is showing and pacis are only for nigh-nigh and we should listen to our tummies to tell us when we're full. That's the stage we're in right now.

And I couldn't help but notice that at the table across from us was a set of parents with their daughter just like us... except about 20 years in the future. Their daughter had a fiance, and they were talking about wedding registries and limos and those types of things. That's the stage they're in right now. I couldn't help but picture that being us someday. We'll no longer be in charge of switching over Roo's wardrobe or teaching her what it means to be full or how to wait patiently in a long line.

My life flashed before my eyes! And it reminded me of this passage I read in a book recently. I sadly don't remember the book because I was in Barnes & Noble on my lunch break trying to get a quick parenting tip and opened up a random book to a random page and took a photo. It said:

Keep in mind that parenting is a temporary job. You have been invested with trustee power while your child is growing up in your care. But gradually, as he becomes more able to take on responsibility, you should be handing the reins of his life over to him. The statement "I'll always be your parent" is true in one sense, but not in another. You will always have that heritage, but you won't always have that responsibility. Your goal is mutual affection between two adults, not a permanent one-up position.

Update: Thanks to Google, this excerpt is from Boundaries With Kids.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is (if there is a point), but sometimes I get really nervous that this toddler stage is going to flash by and we'll miss it later on, and other times I daydream about the day she moves out of the house so we can have our house back to ourselves (disregarding the fact that we hope to have another child).

Oh motherhood...you are awesome, but you kick my butt daily.