Kings & Wild Things

a few snapshots from this rainy / windy morning

to prove that we are alive (hah!)

and to serve as a reminder to savor the littlest of things

like these two

and their paper crowns leftover from yesterday's homeschooling*

*we made the crowns a part of a "K is for King" lesson and they were SUPER easy to make:

just cut a zigzag pattern down the middle of a sheet of construction paper, 

then line up the two pieces side-by-side & tape / glue where the two ends meet

let the kiddos decorate then wrap around their heads to measure crown size

once you've determined how big the crown needs to be, use tape to secure the ends

sit back and make dinner in peace while hours of imaginative play ensue.

***

p.s. i've written countless blog posts in my head lately & have been stockpiling recipes to share

hopefully soon we'll figure out enough of a groove for me to post more consistently

until then

hope you are all well!!! 

(assuming anybody still reads this!)

dear baby girls, 

this letter is long overdue, and i mean loooooooooooooong overdue.  i've written it time and time again in my head while drifting off to sleep, smiling over the things you said and did that day; while listening to you and daddy giggle and play; while watching you learn new skills; while stepping into your room and tucking you in long after you've fallen asleep...  there are so many little moments that i want to remember so that i can tell your stories back to you when you're older.  

the last time i wrote you a letter was exactly four months plus one day ago.  you had just turned 18 months old and were starting to say a couple of words - and now, four short months later, your vocabulary has grown so much!  i think you ask "what's that" about a hundred times a day, if not more - that's one of my favorite of your phrases.  you love barnyard animals (and making animal sounds!) and your rocking horses are a big hit.  we talk about birds and where they live, apples and the trees they grow on, bugs and fish and caterpillars too.  

you're so curious and it's amazing to watch your eyes fill with wonder as you learn so much each and every day.  you also love to play dress up.  you put on hats and layers of jackets, vests, dresses, socks - whatever you can get your hands on, really.  there's usually lots of giggling involved...and then you applaud yourselves.  it's really cute.  sometimes, if i'm lucky, you'll even pose for me to take a picture or two.  

another new skill you've been working on is using your very own silverware.  daddy and i went out and bought you a bunch of forks, spoons and even little knives made for toddlers (although you've not tried those yet).  you've really started to get the hang of using them though - such speedy learners!  speaking of learning, you've also gotten pretty good at building forts and climbing stairs - two of your favorite things to practice.  

ooooh, and here's another exciting thing that's happened lately:  your hair is kinda/sorta/almost long enough to put in pigtails and ponytails!!!  you have no idea how excited mama is about this...you, on the other hand, aren't so keen on having bows in your hair.  you love the idea and ask me to put them in over and over again, but it never lasts long.  oh well, it's a process, just like everything else about this parenting / growing up thing.  

on that note, i'm really loving being your mama.  as always, there are days and moments when i'm so frustrated, i want to pull my hair out; but they're outweighed by all the fun we're having along the way, all the moments when i feel like my heart would burst if i found a way to love you any more, all the times you say and do sweet things that turn this mama into a gigantic, cheesy puddle of mush.  

i'm nowhere near the mother i thought i'd be, but that's ok - what matters is that i'm your mother, and some of the best advice i've been given for this journey of motherhood is this:  "you are the best mother for your baby."  i can't place when or where i heard it, but it's comforted me in those moments when i wondered if i was "doing it right" or struggled with those insecurities that so many mothers face.  if you have your own babies one day, i hope you remember these words.  i hope you know that the Lord will never give you more than you can handle.  that He will strengthen and sustain and encourage you through His word, through those He's placed in your life, and yes, even through old letters and strangers' advice.  you just have to focus on those things when you're feeling down.

i love you, girlies.  daddy and i both do...so so so much...all the way to the moon and back, in fact!  but seriously, we pray for you all the time and hope so many good things for you. 

until next time, with much love, 
your mama

it's the little things

last week was a busy one for us,

my sister and nephew stayed over

and we all had a blast 

and took about a bazillion pictures of  B boy

(love that kid, by the way - see more of him here and here)

this week we have family visiting, 

and a big birthday party for two special someones on the weekend

so we hustle and bustle about, 

with to-do lists the size of montana

(is montana really that big? ...i actually don't know where i got that phrase from, or if i just made it up...?)

but we've also made sure to take a few minutes

to enjoy the little things

like celebrating my first newborn photoshoot being booked (hooray!)

and having surprise dance parties (the girls particularly enjoy jackson 5!)

and dressing up as leopards, just to giggle and be silly

what about you?  do you do anything to brighten up / get through busy seasons?  i'd love to hear