“Look Mama. There’s a hummingbird in our garden.” My four-year-old Katie walks to within three feet of this tiny winged jewel and then turns to me to make sure I am sharing in this wondrous moment. Together we create a memory that in my haste I would have missed. My daughter once again reminds me that while this season of raising toddlers can be painfully slow, it is also delightfully sweet.

Not a day goes by that I don’t lament the tedious and sluggish nature of my life. It’s not that my schedule is not full, it’s just that it doesn’t seem that fulfilling. Diaper changes, laundry, cleaning sticky fingers. These are not the glamorous activities I dreamed of as a child. I had hoped to do so much more with my life. Sure, being a mom was one of the things I wanted to do. But I had no idea that giving life to two children would mean putting my life on hold.

Fortunately I have a choice. I can either let the dark clouds of resentment drown my days, or I can choose to focus on the rays of light that brighten my path. I must admit, my kids often make the choice for me. Their smiles are absolutely radiant. Even their tears shed light on the importance of my being fully present in this season of mothering. At times I go kicking and screaming, but when I finally embrace my life with little ones I am blinded by the joys that surround me.

Take the moon for example. Have you ever noticed its subtle beauty in the glare of the midday sky? At the pace of a toddler nothing is overlooked and everything becomes awe inspiring. A kitten sleeping beneath the daisies, a perfect letter “K” formed by tiny fingers, the fun to be found in an echo, echo, echo. With my kids leading the way these simple pleasures stop me in my tracks and beckon me to linger.

Now that I share my life with toddlers, every day is an adventure. The proud exclamation, “I did it,” has me running to discover the latest achievement of my brood. Sometimes I find the beaming face of James, my two-year-old, proudly standing over a pile of dirt he has carefully shoveled onto the patio. Sometimes I find Katie standing before me in a dress she has put on by herself. Always I find a child who is glad that mommy took the time to cheer her on and share in her moment of triumph.

Yes, this season of raising toddlers is difficult and consuming. It is filled with to-do lists interrupted by endless bouts of waiting. How long does it take a two-year-old to put on his shoes? But beyond the fatigue and routine I have found a world of self-discovery. I had no idea I could be so patient. “Yes Katie. I’d love to read ‘Sleeping Beauty’ to you again . . . and again . . . and again”. I’m actually good at setting and enforcing priorities. “James. Come help mommy put the mop away. It’s time to dance”. And now I know that I too prefer to eat pancakes that look like Mickey Mouse.

I still long for life in the fast lane; go for a jog, write a book, save the world and then stop for lunch. Unfortunately, at that frenetic pace life is a blur. Perhaps that is why God gifted moms with children: at the ambling speed of toddlers the exquisite details of life emerge. So it is here, in these toddler days, that I choose to slow down and savor the moments that are so incredibly sweet.