The Little Years

Life has really picked up speed lately.

Much of the day is chaotic and abuzz, but it really is a welcomed change of pace. And although I'm still trying to get the hang of working from home with a toddler and a baby, I really like it. I'm in my element - home with my babies while still flexing my brain muscles and social skills.

But I must admit, I've lost my patience more than usual. I'm constantly going. And many days, it feels like Gabe and I are passing ships in the night. Sometimes, it's 2:00 in the afternoon, and I truly have to think hard to remember if I ate or not that day. And I have had to completely let go of the fact that the house always has at least one layer of dog hair and dinner is more often than not something that requires less than 3 ingredients and a crock pot. {Oh. and the fact that the chalkboard in our living room still says "have a holly jolly christmas"}. I bring that up not to say, "look how busy I am", but to remind myself that I've come so far in my journey to slow down and be more intentional. And I do believe it's possible to be fulfilled by working and having a full schedule from time to time, while still being intentional with my time and focusing on my family.

Addie's lovely Sip and See thrown by special friends

And that is exactly why it is so important for me to continue documenting these "little years". But man is it hard to have enough creative energy to sit down at the end of the day to pump out a blog post. However, it is a priority for me because we so quickly forget the everyday.

Have you read this post that's been circulating lately? I loved it. Great advice from empty-nesters. I especially loved that they talked about recording the ordinary, the mundane. Because those really are the things we forget too quickly.

I never want to forget...

- the way Lyla says "eh" before every sentence. "eh, that's dad's oatmeal. eh, there are bubbles on it. eh strawberries in my yogurt."

- how the girls already seem to have a secret language. Lyla sweetly tells Adaline, "Ok. Don't drop it" when referring to the pile of toys she sat on top of her. And Adaline adoringly looks up at her big sister, cooing and gurgling.

- the way Lyla exerts her independence by putting her palm up and saying "No MOM, leave. I'm playing." Or how she tells me "leave mommy" every morning so she can finish reading her books in bed.

- how Addie has been dishing out deep, belly laughs. They make the entire room light up with laughter - big sis included.

- how Lyla wants everyone to be happy. If I say, "you're making mom sad", she quickly responds with "NO. Mom is HAPPY."

- the moment anyone makes eye contact with Addie, she breaks out into a smile that makes my cheeks hurt.

- when i ask lyla how school was, she always responds with the simple word, very confidently: "fwiends."

- how Lyla asks us to sing Jingle Bells every single night before bed. {Maybe she's taking cues from our overdue chalkboard?}

- and begs us every night to "snuggle, Dad. snuggle, Mom."

- how peanut butter crackers and vitamins are Lyla's most favorite things on the planet right now.

- how Lyla loves to cover Adaline with any material she can find, mostly fabric squares and bubble wrap

- how the world stops when I sit in bed and read with my girls, both of them warmly snuggled on both sides of me

- - - - 

These little moments are why I exist. And I'm going to document them, even if it means I lose more sleep than I already am.

c'est la vie.