Giving my kids a bath is one of the things I really loved as a Mom. The toys, the playing, the splashing…so much fun.

Noticed I said loved…past tense.

Yep, that’s right, my girls have moved on.

Both my 5 and 3 year-old daughters are now all about the showers, the showers, no bubble.

Let me rewind a couple of months ago when I introduced my 5-year-old to the shower. I told her this may be a better option on the nights when we wash and condition hair. Since her hair is getting longer it became a real pain in the bubble to get all the soap out.

We did it. My 3-year-old took one too.

They liked it the first time. After that they missed playing in the bath. So we went back to the bath. I went back to hunching over the tub to make sure every nook and cranny was clean and every bubble of shampoo was rinsed.

Of course I complained about it. But, deep down I loved it. It was our little quiet time to talk without interruption. At times I would learn an aspect of their day they didn’t bother to tell me earlier although I was around for hours. That time was sacred. Not anymore.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when my 5 year-old requested a shower totally out of the blue. Her sister followed. I wasn’t going to say no, but I saw the look on rubber ducky’s face. He didn’t like it. Neither did I. My girls didn’t give a quack.

Ever since then, each girl has taken her turn stepping into the shower. They pull the curtain closed and tell me they’re going to get washed all by themselves…even my three-year-old.

Sigh.

So, I stand on the outside, shut out of our otherwise special time.

Did you wash your face? Did you wash your ears? Did you wash your butt?

Yes. Yes. Yes. That’s all they tell me. I do sneak the curtain back to make sure they are scrub a dubbing all the essential parts and everything else in between. Believe it or not, they do a really good job.

Sigh. Sigh.

You would think I would be happy because it’s one thing to cross off my “To Do List”. But, I’m not. Truth be told, I’m sad. It’s just more proof they are getting older. You would think my 3-year-old would indulge me and let me at least give her a bath. Nope. Instead she reminds me she’s getting bigger every day. Geez, can you throw momma a bubble? Afterall,  I did lug you around in my uterus for nine months. Isn’t that the least you could do? Guess not.

It seems as though there’s no turning back now. It looks like rubber ducky and I are on our own.

That’s right little yellow guy, it’s not about us anymore. It’s all about the showers, the showers, no bubble….or ducky for that matter.