Snapshot Moments

When Abby started reading, I found this cute little book about a girl named Cam. She wanted to remember things without having to write them down - so she would say, "Click" and take a picture with her mind. Cheesy? Yes. Clever? YES! There have been many times, since reading this great literary work, that I have used Cam's technique to capture an image which was especially sweet. Saturday, this happened with each of the kids. Here are my "pictures":

It was a beautiful day in Denton, Texas. Abby and I were there for a flute festival. Flutes are beautiful instruments and the effect of numerous flutists practicing their various pieces of music gave a very ethereal feel to UNT's campus. Abby and I walk away from all the "action" so she can practice her music before her solo. Here's the pic - We're sitting on an iron swing in the canopy of very large, old magnolias. I'm holding Abby's music while she practices. At this very moment I'm thinking how amazing it is that she's learned so much in so little time as well as how proud I am of her and how special it is to be her mother. Here she is, in the cusp of young adulthood - half little girl with sparks of the beautiful woman she will become shooting out at the most unexpected moments. Just then, the clock begins to chime. All of it together was so special - I could hardly hold back tears. It was just one of those moments.

Recently, I've found that Noah feels loved through time & attention. He loves to run errands with me alone or sit with me for awhile and chat. My picture with him is one that happened during one of these moments. Our latest was in the car. We were laughing about some joke he and I had made up moments earlier. Suddenly, he looks at me, smiles crookedly, and reaches out to pat my arm. I can tell he's thinking how much he loves his Mommy and he's happy we're spending time together - so I reach over, rub his head, and say, "You're my special boy! I sure do love you!" His face lights up from the inside. He lays his head on my arm and says, "Love you Mom."

Lily is very busy these days ... and she's a little toot! Now that she's an official toddler, the kid is into everything! If Lily is conscious, she's moving, moving, moving. She is a pretty confident kid when it comes to security. She's not clingy or afraid of people - if she doesn't seem interested in someone it's usually because she's tired. Otherwise, Lily is walking into the room with a smile and greeting for anyone who will be greeted. With that backstory, it's easier to understand my snapshot and why it was so precious. I laid her down for a nap on Saturday morning and she wailed. They type of wail that tells me she's not going to sleep. I went into her room, scooped her out of the crib, and sat in the chair to rock her for a minute (because some times she needs an extra amount of cuddle time from Momma). Sure enough, she was asleep within minutes. Here's my shot - our sweet little bundle of giggles and energy snuggled into my chest, baby doll securly cudddled close to her, Lily's fingers gently kneading that poor baby's hair - just as it should, Lily's breathing becomes rhythmic and relaxed. I push back the curls on her forehead and give her a little kiss.