when my kids get older I will...

I've read a lot of parenting articles/advise over the years that kept repeating the same thing. Basically, "don't spend you're time wishing away these labor intensive ages and phases - they will be gone all too soon as it is." I've tried hard to follow this line of thinking and enjoy the moments we're actually living in.

However, I just have to take a moment to acknowledge that FOR THE FIRST TIME (!!!) I really, actually, truthfully, do love the ages and stages of my kids right now. Potty trained? Check. Can get their own snacks (and sometimes their own breakfast)? Check. Dress themselves, read to themselves (almost) and play outside alone? Check, check and check. Still want a hug and kiss goodnight? Yup. Hold my hand to cross the street? Uh-huh. Giggle, tickle, cuddle and tease? Sure do!

Sometimes a phrase or look jumps right out of the Junior High onto my 7 year-old's face. My 5 year-old runs around singing, "weeeee are neber, neber, neber getting back togeber!"

I guess I'm saying, that for as hard as I've always tried to live that great advise, I'm finally understanding it.

where were you last week?

A few Facebook friends commented on the snow in the neighborhood behind our kids in the picture in my last post. Just for documentation purposes, here is our neighborhood today (about the same time of day).

It's like a second chance at all the unfinished fall clean-up I didn't get to a month ago!

hallelujah

I love that my kids chose to wear the same costumes as last year, aka "the best costumes ever"!

They are Mario and Luigi, if you can't tell - with kids this cute, I'm gonna rake in the candy tonight!