The Days are Long, but the Years are Short.

I don't know to whom to attribute this saying, but it first got really drilled into me by Gretchen Rubin in her book, The Happiness Project (and corresponding website). 

Today is an example of a day that was just LONG.  E is at a point where his inability to communicate (despite trying and trying to teach him to use sign language, he got as far as signing "more" at about 6 months, and hasn't done any other signs and won't even do "more") is becoming increasingly frustrating for him.  As a result, there's a lot of screaming around here.  Further, the boys communicate with each other in giggles, taps, pats, hits, and... the volley of screetches.

Meanwhile, A is at a point where he's a major dawdler.  It has become so frustrating to M, A now has five minutes in which to get dressed into his pj's or he starts to lose his bedtime privileges.  Tasks that he's been doing for months become things that "I caaaan't" do, such as putting on his (Velcro) shoes.  Tantrums are seemingly constant (though I KNOW they aren't at ALL, you know how it is when you're frustrated).  A and M had a talk the other day after a particularly bad day, telling him that we really only get upset with him when he doesn't listen and doesn't tell us what he wants.

It's amazing that this is all we want from our kid, to be heard and to hear him, but there it is... at least for now.

On the other hand, here we are, mere weeks from A's fourth birthday and E is on the verge of walking (yet to get video, but he's now doing the crab walk on all fours).  I blinked and we're well past the midpoint of 2011.

So, some of the days are really long, but the years truly are short.