Winter Blues

Sometimes I feel bad about all the complaining that I've been doing this Winter.  I am fully aware that this has been a brutal season for everyone.  And I know that consistent temperatures in the 30s and 40s may sound like heaven to some of you in the more northern parts of the country.  However, when I moved to South Texas, this was NOT something that I signed up for.

Nevertheless, we are trying to make the best of our situation, and basically life has gone on as normal, possibly with just a few more layers.  

Mommy Daughter Days

I purposely set the kids preschool days up so that I would get a day to spend with each kid individually.  Isla's days started a couple weeks ago, and she has been taking full advantage of having 100% of my attention, and reveling in the one-on-one time.  From Donut breakfast dates to bike rides to the park I've been enjoying my time with my sweet girl just as much as she seems to be.  

Some days she seems so old to me, and then other times, I have to look no further than the shock of red hair from the Strawberry Shortcake she has been carrying around all day, to realize that she's still my baby girl.  

She still loves cuddling with her Momma on the couch, and she will always need that extra reassurance that there's nothing to be scared of in the dark.  

I'm proud of what my little girl is growing into, but I'm happy to keep her little for as long as I can.  

Soccer

While Isla's not totally on board with Soccer, she is making a HUGE effort, and has shown a ton of improvement since her first try.  She plays nearly every time her coach asks her to, and seems to be enjoying herself, at least some of the time…  

She truly loves the social aspect of running around with her friends, and she is the first to line up to tell the other team "good game".  But, I think her favorite part of the whole experience is running through the tunnel (parents lock arms and make a tunnel for the kids to run through), at the end of the games.

As you can imagine, we likely won't be signing up for another season anytime soon, but I'm thankful for the chance to teach our daughter the value of trying something new, and sticking it out to the end.  

Park Playtime

I rarely bring my camera to the park anymore - mostly because I feel like I have a million and one pictures of the kids sliding, swinging, running and climbing.  But then I realize no matter how many I have, in ten years, or probably next month it likely won't be enough.  They change so much - and I feel like it's happening before my eyes.  I am sure I will always appreciate those two thousand or more pictures I take every month.  

It's my way of commemorating our families story…

And what a great story it's turning out to be.

Holden can go up and down that slide more times than any kid I know. And every time 

produces the same amount of satisfaction and joy.

And Isla could chase those ducks around all day. She always wants to feed them, and since I didn't bring any food this particular trip, she started gathering leaves and grass for them to eat.

I need to remember that these days won't seem so

routine

after a while. My kids won't be babies forever. So when I find myself behind my lens, frustration mounting because my kids won't look at me, or god forbid, produce a smile, I'll tell myself it doesn't matter - just capture them being kids.

And just look at how much fun they are having! I may not remember the exact moments, or specific details, but I will always remember their little faces and laughs. Hopefully my pictures can capture a little bit of this for us to relive over the years.  

Stay warm everyone!