Blessed

When Helena wakes from her nap and I am busy, I send Bella to roll her over and spend time with her until I can get to her. Today, they spent 10 minutes together before I made it up, and I found Bella reading, book in one hand, Laini chewing on the other hand. Too cute.

I love them spending that time together. The relationship and bond that they are forming is priceless, and I feel so blessed to watch it develop.

While Bella was getting Laini up from her nap, Maxwell was oofing his lamb. Of course, to oof your lamb, you have to find your oofers, which is a process in and of itself.

But, once you have found the oofers, you can latch that lamb on and get down to business. Oofing a lamb is serious work. And yes, such serious work can be done whilst wearing no pants, as can just about any other task in this house for Max. 

Pants or no pants, I feel blessed to know that he is picking up the proper care and feeding of lambs from me. I'm not just doing me and my babies some good, but hopefully their babies and generations of their babies to come.

Helena spent a lot of time being cute today, and chewing on her fingers. And I finally got a picture of her that shows how bright those blue eyes really are. I have to try to capture them now, as they will most likely eventually turn either green or hazel. At least that's what our track record has shown so far. What a blessing to be able to watch and see what she develops into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Kane spent his day doing tons of fun stuff at his Pap and Nan's house. I know for certain that he spent a lot of time loving on his cousin, D, playing with bam trucks, riding his bike and building lego buildings. We all miss him terribly, but he is getting some much-needed individual attention which will hopefully help to calm his recent temper tantrums. I definitely count my wonderful family on my list of blessings.

 

Through it all, their Papa was just 5 minutes away at his office, working his tail off on a bid for his new job back in the contractor sales field. What a blessing this new job is for all of us.

 

Are you wondering what I did? Well, I did no gardening (sigh), some laundry and cleaning, but mostly a lot of holding of a little miss someone who was crying herself silly unless I did just that. And some days that is just what I have to do to keep the peace. And on those days, maybe it's exactly what I needed to be reminded of my countless blessings.

Baby Love

Helena is nearly 4 months old now. As that reality is sinking in, I am trying to take the time to appreciate every little thing about her. Like when she wakes up from her nap and you walk in to find her pushed up, craning around to look for you. I know before I know it she will be turned over when I walk in to get her. She is so close to rolling over. And I'm all ready for all of her new steps, her growth. I love it, because it means I have a healthy, happy baby, but knowing that it is coming makes me pause and appreciate the now, the moment that we are all in.

I take time to nibble on her toes. Her sweet, petite little girl toes. They are nothing like the hulky bear paws that Kane was born with, or the rolly pudge that Max had by this age. They are slender little girl toes, just like her sister had. And I love them.

I take time to take her picture. Like last week, when she and her big brother (covered in marker chicken pox) were snuggled on the bed after their naps. He loves his sister so much, even though he has to share his oofing with her. He is so gentle, so loving, and she soaks it all in. I love what all that love is making her, and I love when I get her reactions in photo (I almost said on film in a knee-jerk reaction).

Seriously? All this touchy feely loving right when I wake up? He's lucky I'm so amiable...

I'm soaking it all up, minute by minute, moment by moment, before these moments are gone. Amidst the cleaning, gardening, cooking, laundry, this endless list of everyday mundane responsibilities, my biggest responsibility needs to be loving my children in their moments. My camera helps me do just that, as does this blog. When it's hard to remember to savor every moment, I am reminded here to do just that. And for that I am thankful. 

TinkerBella

Bella went out with her wings on yesterday. TinkerBella.

A Toothless Fairy instead of the Tooth Fairy...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're easier to catch on film.

Growing

We grow good things around here: veggies, herbs, flowers (our gardens are doing wonderful this year), and kids....

We also grow imaginations.

Bella, with her play horse on the blue part of our area rug: "Kane, he's in the Uncling Pool." I ask what an Uncling Pool is. "You know, it's the pool that is only for uncles."

Bella comes to me with a story of Kane: "Mama, Kane said that the things he is making up are called The Gooeys, and that they ALWAYS have to mess things up. They put the TV to where it will never come off of pause and they're messing up our pterodactyl's nest!" I claim ownership of that idea. No one gets to write a book about that but me.

And Max, as we speak, has escaped, bare-bottomed, into the back yard, where he's walking around with his foam pirate sword doing a perfect weed-whacker impression. He has always been so good at imitating sounds. And Bella and Kane are following to look for Blue Beak and Pink Legs, our two newly-fledged and aptly-named Mo Does (Morning Doves).

Welcome!

For those directed here from my old blog, I promise I will get to posting here soon. For now, I'm going to share a few photos that need few words. Just know that at our house, right now, while Mama gardens, children play in the mud pile. How much more fun can you have?