Coming up for air.

Did you know that when your kids are three and four you start to sleep again? It's magical. And even if one of them wakes up at 5:30am and starts loudly singing the Iron Man theme in bed, you can ask that he sing a little quieter and stay in his room until 6:00am, because 6:00am is an easy one ("It looks like this, mama," they say, sticking their arms straight up in the air), and he says,"Okay" and you GO BACK TO BED.

And then did you know that the other one will wake up and they'll start playing, usually pretending they're police officers or superheroes or dinosaurs or bad guys, and they'll become so absorbed in their play they don't even notice that it's 6:25am?

This is a big deal.

Like most parents, I can't believe how quickly the time is passing, and I wish I could bottle the many beautiful moments. Also like most parents, I've frequently lost my effing mind - especially when navigating snow suits and neck warmers and 1:00am whining sessions with a two-year-old. Every stage is both special and challenging.

But I am finding it especially enjoyable to be at the part where they are still little and adorable, and think their parents are super interesting, and say the funniest things, all the while beginning to be people you can reason with who SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT.

Sigh. These years really are golden.