"Moments"

Inspired by another Blogger I follow, I loved her idea of "moments". She captures these seemingly innocuous  few seconds that, for her, leave a lasting impression. I often overwhelm with photos and forget to elaborate on the feeling of the picture...mine, hers, ours....

That said, here are a few recent moments I found to be really special or just stand out in some way:

This was a recent trip to the beach. Bella and Maddie had just made "sand angels" and as they were running to the water, Maddie stopped and said "Look at me sandy butt, Mamma!". It cracked me up, as she so frequently does but it also made me realize she has really picked up on the word butt lately. Admittedly, I say it alot, while pinching hers, mostly. Whoops :) She does have the cutest little hiney though....

This one was just this past weekend...I decided to let her "make" cookies (I made, she decorated).  She grabbed this icing and just suddenly got this crazy, mischievous grin...as though she realized the complete havoc she could wreak with it. She has this super sweet side but boy is there a naughty side that I can't help but think this face captures perfectly!

These two were on the same night, but I chose them for different reasons.

The first one, I mean, is just so her. This child lacks nothing in self-confidence (she was the only one on the dance floor) and her lack of fear and playful spirit are some of the things I most love about her. She is certainly challenging with her strong will but I also think it is her intelligence and confidence that forces her into conflict sometimes. While we work tirelessly to keep it in check I also know that one day it will behoove her to speak her mind and be strong and independent. I wish I were more like her as a child...heck, as an adult sometimes. I hope to always keep her self-assured and fearless.

The second I just love because it is three generations of women, not caring that everyone thinks we're nuts, dancing to German polka, squealing and laughing like hyenas. My mom, Maddie and I all have this major  love for music and dancing. And we're all sassy and don't care what other people think of us making fools of ourselves! I love that we are just lost in a moment, feeling the music....just enjoying each other.

This past weekend, my friend Trisha and I took our kids to the Lowry Zoo in Tampa. Maddie spotted the "pony" rides and instantly dragged me over. Um, this was a full-grown horse, no pony in sight. I was a little nervous...parents couldn't assist so she had to go, alone. I'm not a nervous mom typically but it was big and she's, well, not. The lady in charge of the rides put on her little helmet, placed her in the saddle and strapped her in. I kept telling her to "hold on tight" and she just flashed this grin as if to say "I've got this Mom". Again, so telling of her strong personality. She is incredibly independent and was not the least bit afraid. She had a huge smile the whole time while I smiled back trying to disguise the sweaty palms and nervous butterflies inside. I was so proud of her willingness to try something potentially "scary"! She is getting so big....