Don't Forget To Linger

It's a crazy time of year...crazy and wonderful.  Presents to buy and things we can't find so we begin to search at a frenzied pace as Christmas rapidly approaches.  Lights go up and houses are decorated to reflect the style of the family abiding there.  Parties, special church productions, caroling, big dinners and lots of cleaning and lots more family time.  Your holiday days might be abundantly stressful or brimming with cheer but, no doubt we are all quite busy regardless.  

Today I went to the post office to mail Christmas presents, saw that the line was insanely long and knew it would be a nightmare to hold 6 individually wrapped gifts and a toddler so I went to the drug store first to get a cheap yellow envelope to stuff all the presents into one, easier to manage package.  Then when packaging the presents, the sticky part of the envelope tore the wrapping clean off the present smashed on top.  I looked at the destroyed wrapping and all I could do was shrug...there was no way I was going to go home and do this all over again.  Family usually understands these things:).  We went back to the Post Office and Daisy was so cute fluttering her little lashes and gazing at strangers with her beautiful brown eyes.  She kept all the fidgety people in line quite entertained and that was nice.  Then from there we went to the grocery store and I got a few groceries while Daisy drove around in the giant car cart which she loves and when we were done and the car was loaded up in the parking lot she didn't want to get out of her car cart and then she insisted that I give her my keys so that she could better "drive" her fake car.  In that moment, I swear I heard the word linger whisper through my heart as I stood there leaning on the shopping cart return fence. 

Don't forget to linger and soak up these moments especially in all the business of life.  Savor the way the wind is whisking your daughter's golden hair around her cherubim face.  Soak up her scrunchy face smile and the way her eyes turn into little slits when she grins bigger than her face can contain.  Let your heart be warmed to it's core by the friendly little person that sits before you waving at every stranger pulling into the parking lot and then giggling when they wave back.  Linger.  So I did just that and spent the next 15 minutes letting my gal play in her car cart in the parking lot.  She will be 18 and graduating high school in the blink of an eye and will I even be able to remember these precious moments?  Will I remember her soft chubby cheeks that I could kiss all day long.  Will I remember the way she says, "I nuv nu" for I love you and the way she screams with excitement when the blow up Santa pops out of the chimney at Wal-Mart?  Will I remember that when she is scared she holds tightly to my leg in public places and looks up at me frequently to make sure she has the right leg...lol.  Will I remember that she points to the ground and sternly yells at me, "mommy down," to join her on the floor for play time? Will I remember that we spent every warm day outside this Fall because I wanted to watch my little girl push her baby doll and stroller up and down the street one more time before the winter shuts us inside and she grows up even more over night. 

Linger.  Soak.  Gaze.  Take it all in.  Observe.  Breath In.  Breath Out. The whole world can spin around us but, if we take the time to be still a little more this holiday season we just might remember it more, enjoy it more and  have even more special memories to think back on. 

*Her hair is getting so long and it got so light this Fall! 

"Mom, I'm trying to watch The Backyardigans here do you mind?"

Daisy had a good ol' time chucking ornaments across our dining room when Joey's co-worker visited us and let her play on the table.  It was pretty funny to watch the two of them.  Daisy was smitten with her by the time she left.  It was great to meet you and that cheesecake was yum! :)

Could she be any happier?

Daisy has cut 2 of her 4, two year molars..(that was a lot of numbers so I hope you follow:).  She is constantly chewing on her fingers and biting down funny on her jaw as this picture indicates. 

More fun playing with ornaments with Daddy and his co-worker.  Thank goodness for hearty ornaments that don't break easily when fast ball pitched across the room!

A nice bokeh tree.  Makes me happy.