Lately I've tried to make myself take a second, and capture moments. Not just with my camera, but to remember them. And not just to look for them, but to create them. To ignore the messes that might occur (for the time being, anyway) and do something I might not otherwise want to do, because of said messes. To be patient with all the "whys," because that's how they learn as much as they can. (Did you know the average 4 year old asks a couple HUNDRED questions a day? I do. Also, double that number because I have two very curious boys.)

Those little things are more important than anything else I could put my hand to. My little boys won't be little forever. In fact, Jackson declared that he was NOT a little boy the other day. I have to remember these days, because they won't slow down or just hang around for a while. We make moments while learning how to fold towels (laundry is still a novel thing around here! milking it for all it's worth!) and while making ice cream. Chores haven't quite reached the yucky stage yet...sweeping the floor is fun, so we do it together. We dance to favorite songs together and we read Fox in Socks. Derik swears he's going to marry me when he grows up (I don't have the heart to let him down just yet). Legos get lost and found (and stepped on, ouch!). Drawings get found all over the place, with stick people and swimming pools scrawled on them and wobbly names written on the back, allbymineself.

These moments are the best.