It’s true. You don’t know what you got till it’s gone.
And, no, I’m not referring to the nearly gone strawberry smoothie from Maui Waui that Small Fry milked for all it was worth at the summer festival we spent the day at on the Fourth of July.
Although I could be. She was slightly unhappy* when it was gone.
*(understatement)
Nor am I referring to the ants that scattered across the tar until they were gone, escaping inquiring young fingers.
Nope. I’m talking about something different.
Prince Charming and I learned this weekend that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. In our case, we never truly grasped how laughably easy it was to have three children aged 0, 1 and 2 until we had a fourth child. We spent our Fourth of July weekend missing Big Mac but thankful for a break in the intensity of life. And not because our missing son, off at family camp, is himself intense, but simply because any four young children are intense.
Naturally, I realize that a family with five children probably thinks our simple life with merely four is a cake walk, just like a family of six thinks of them. And the Duggars? Well, they’ve upped the ante on everyone I know, and probably everyone you do, too. I assert simply that you never really know how great/easy/wonderful something really is…until it’s gone.
And this applies to anything, not just children. I didn’t know how simple it was to have one dog, for example, before I had two. Nor did I realize how easy high school was until I got to college. Or how fun Valleyfair is before Disneyworld. I am sure you can relate. We just didn’t know how easy getting around was with only three children, until we had four.
Not that we’d have it any other way, of course. Prince Charming and I love having four young children. We missed our oldest son terribly while he was gone. But I will not lie and say that we did not enjoy an easy, fun filled weekend cavorting around with only the siblings Big Mac left behind.
Our first stop on the Fourth of July with our three youngest was a local airfield and museum. Prince Charming’s request. He’d heard on talk radio that a B-17 warplane from WWII was going to be in town for the weekend, with tours and flights available.
It was pouring rain when we arrived, but we waited out the storm and hit the tarmac running when the clouds parted.
Please note the delightfully appropriate sign hanging on the airport behind MckNugget in this photograph.
It was a sweet (wet) airplane. And sweeter still to meet some of the men who have served our country in years past.
Again, since we only had three children in tow, Prince Charming and I felt as light as feathers and decided to hit a local summer festival as well on the Fourth.
Our children? Not as light as feathers. But it was no matter to Prince Charming who wrangled both Small Fry and Nuggey during the day while I carried baby MckMuffin in the sling or pushed him in the stroller.
We ate (what was probably more than) our fair of fried and frozen carnival food and Small Fry succeeded in her oft attempted but never before successful desire to rip the white flower off her red hat and toss it aside without me noticing. Sigh.
We all danced in the rain and soaked up the sun when it finally came out late in the day. Amazingly enough, we even ran into some of Prince Charming’s cousins and an aunt and uncle we had no idea were in town from out of state!
Today we’re off on a long road trip, something you already know about if you get my Tweets on your cell phone or read them here or in my left sidebar. We’re out of state with a UHaul, helping the Queen Mum move some of her things at her house, and visiting my family in the process. I’ll shut off the comments on this post, the one where you all checked in about what state you live in, later on Sunday and we’ll pick up Big Mac and head home.
But the six of us will travel by car and truck and not by warplane. Bummer.
And once back into our normal life with FSC (Four Small Children), Prince Charming will head back to work. And I’ll have my hands even more full than they were yesterday on the Fourth of July.
Yes, I didn’t know what I had till it was gone. And, to be honest, I’m glad I didn’t, because I still wouldn’t change a thing.
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