When I started this little blog for my girl (now girls), I set a reminder in my calendar to update it weekly. I didn’t want to go too long without capturing the ins and outs of our daily lives, sharing the latest photos and recounting stories or events that felt meaningful.

My last update was in May….

Needless to say, I’m not sticking to my original plan! I was never good at keeping journals either, despite trying to start them many times over the years. A positive way to look at it is that I’m always living in the moment! The reality is that I probably don’t take enough time to reflect. And that was the real purpose of this blog – to make sure I captured the little things that I was afraid of forgetting!

So, with that in mind, rather than talking about our summer (which was fun!), I’ll just focus on what is feeling super special about our time right now.

Chloe and Clare are finally starting to play together. Rob let’s them run around before bed each night, chasing each other and doing some (light) wrestling. Chloe loves to make Clare giggle, and Clare just wants to copy everything that Chloe does (for better or worse – I’m convinced she will break her neck trying to do the summersaults like her sissy). Their dynamic is just very sweet right now.

Clare has been a mix of sweet and sour lately. She really always has been, but it’s been EXTRA these days! In the morning, she tends to be a bit of a grouch, further confirming that she is her father’s daughter. She only wants me, and even still will try to hit or kick when I hold her (it’s fun!) But then other times, she gives me the biggest hugs and kisses.

The other night, we went out to celebrate Will’s birthday, and after she was done eating, she wanted to sit on my lap. She would then stand on her tippy toes, smother me with a hug SO tight, and then kiss me. It made me crack up, so she just kept doing it. Action shots below!

Chloe recently started Pre-K (how is that possible??) and takes the bus to school every day. On day 1, she was very excited and didn’t even blink an eye when she left us! Mom came to help out that week (a godsend), and I think we felt more emotional than Chloe did, haha!

She also recently got a new haircut after months of tears about brushing our hair out. She asked if she could cut it short, and I told her it was her hair and she could do whatever she wanted with it. So, we went to the stylist, and she chose a VERY cute cut. I’m completely obsessed with it (and her)!

Are you kidding me??? She all of the sudden looks so grown up!!

I’ve also found myself wanting to do more bedtimes with the girls. For a while, I had to recuse myself because it was too intense and ended in lots of tears and yelling. But things have calmed down a bit, and Chloe seems to do OK when I leave at the end.

I’ve really tried to reframe my mindset around bedtime because, while everyone is tired and I’m usually starving for dinner, I realize that one day, they will be older and they won’t want stories or cuddles from me. And then I’ll long for those nights when all they wanted was that time with me (and dad, but mostly me haha).

When we do our cuddles, Chloe always starts with, “So, how was your day?” which makes me smile because she is mimicking me. We talk about our days, with me often ending up a little confused about how much of her day is real or made up. Then, she will sometimes give me kisses on my eyes, nose, BOTH cheeks, and mouth. Other times, it’s just a “big huggie” which means I pick her up, squeeze her, and then give a big kiss. Either way, I’m delighted.

Overall, I am just very much enjoying this chapter. With kiddos this small, things could change next week! So, I’m trying to lean into the goodness now, let the low moments roll past, and soak up as much of my sweet girls as possible.

When Mom Band played at the Farmer’s Market this past weekend, the girls were front and center most of the time. After we wrapped, Anne, our keyboardist, said that watching them dance and since along was her favorite part, adding, “You really have the cutest kids. Most kids are cute, but yours are REALLY cute.”

I couldn’t agree more!