According to my son, a few moments ago, we as a family move every year. That’s not necessarily true. It may be perhaps 1.5 years or 8.5 months. Yes we are moving again. However, this time we are moving into a house that we are purchasing. Fingers crossed everything goes as planned. Since 2015, I have lived in five different residences. That can be a tad much considering we are only in the year 2017. As we prepare to pack again, I’m feeling a wave of nostalgia.

I sat with my son in his closet this morning going through all his toys. I felt such an ache at how much he has grown. Or rather, I ache at how much he has outgrown so many of his toys.  His old Wonder Pets toys are going out to the bin. I felt a pang seeing it put aside. It almost felt like a scene out of the movie Toy Story. That little toy was one with which we would sing about teamwork. Then we started throwing to the side his toys from many years ago that were associated with the TV shows of Dora the Explorer and Diego. Those toys reminded me of how from very early age we tried to inculcate in him a sense of wanderlust.

And while I felt some sadness as we went through his toy bins, I also felt a sense of pride. He is growing up. He is my little man. We saved all his Legos as he wishes to build more and more imaginative structures. How could I not feel some sense of happiness at that?

He also requested to save his artwork, his stories, and his Spanish workbooks. I love that he’s keeping his stories. I’m looking forward to framing some of his artwork. I am sure that once he prepares to move on to college, that artwork will remain with me forevermore. I save these items now do that they will console me years from now. Or perhaps so I can auction them off once he’s Mayor of New York City.