Grasping for the Small Things {photos}

 

Baby T has been teaching me something important lately. He loves playing with awfully-close-to-being-a-choking-hazard items. He doesn't have much interest in big toys. He likes Baby E's hair clips, medium-size bouncy balls, pieces of paper he discovers, rocks that fit his palm, grasshoppers (!), you get the idea. This is turning me into a hawk, trying to get all the little stuff out of his way.

It also got me thinking about...

small things

Some days I get so wrapped up in thinking big that I forget to notice his tiny feet and chubby little hands that will not be this way for long.

Some days I just have to force myself to stop and look at Baby E's haven't-been-cut-since-birth hair, the way it shimmers in the sun, the way it falls on her face. Sometimes I have to let go of the fact that this girl loves to play in the dirt and just let her be. 

Sometimes I stop focusing on how many times they 'fight' and instead savor the moments that they share and laugh together. Savor the fact that they even have each other to grow up together.

So I am on a quest to downsize. When it comes to slowing down and enjoying the little moments, the small things. I love to dream big - but sometimes we need to focus on small to eventually realize it makes the big that much more enjoyable. Otherwise we'll just drive ourselves insane trying to be super parents. To have the biggest, smartest, latest.

Stop rushing. Hug your little people and remind yourself once again that they matter and small moments matter. Everything else can wait. 

Photos:

1. Baby T really wanted to grab that grasshopper, don't worry, no insects were harmed.

2. Love his pudgy hands!

3. At our fall family photo shoot, caught this moment as I was getting the camera ready and set up.

4. Playing with leaves by our house.