just a small infusion of happiness. pure happiness…because every blog needs a little from time to time. and although our day-to-day life is a little bit prickly right now, there’s nothing that makes me happier than lists of happy things. and i’m not going to number it this time. in fact, maybe never again. because my brain is not the numerical type. no, if this wasn’t set type, this so-called list would be painted and colored penciled in with no rhyme or reason…curling around a stained and torn page with no definition whatsoever. and then i’d lose it somewhere at the bottom of my purse where stubby capless tubes of lipstick and broken pens would eat it alive.
{a list of happies}
*baby bath toes
because i don’t think i could ever reach my fill of baby toes and the way they curl just so. and, really, how delicious is an unexpected little toe emerging from an otherwise tranquil sea of bubbles?
*her little cupped hands curled under her chin. it’s new…another little thing that slowly closes the window between toddler and girl. but nevertheless…it’s beautiful.
*imperfection. i think it’s finding this amazing comfort of arriving in my thirties…but it’s not even that i don’t care anymore. it’s that i love the imperfections and find them beautiful and full of character and the things we remember about people. i like the pictures that don’t always turn out like you want…
i like the little bump i discovered on my nose about six months ago or the constant attempt at full eyebrows i will make while humbly accepting the sweet little hairs of my thin ones…
i like all the lines that come with laughter and happiness and having lived.
i like the pang of guilt that comes with sometimes doing what isn’t right…and the calm of relief and self-forgiveness and learning from our mistakes that comes later…like when i spooned her little jammied body in bed tonight while she fell asleep and whispered in her ear that i was sorry for getting frustrated with her tonight…and that i know she’s only two and is trying so hard…and that sometimes mamas make mistakes…but that i love her so. i don’t know if i did it for her or for me…but it felt so good.
*i love that no matter how tired i am, i am always happy to enjoy a mama/baby pedi. today, i polished hers and she polished mine…and while mine look a bit barbaric, i will proudly flaunt her little handiwork.
*i love the repeated picture i’ve managed to shoot over two years…of her pixie little face looking down with this lucky mess of lashes.
*i love my crazy food cravings. the latest week’s menu consisting of crushed pineapple on ice, raw oatmeal with milk and brown sugar, fresh sqeezed grapefruit juice, canned green beans… and skim milk that’s been transferred from the fridge to the freezer for at least fifteen minutes before consumption. seriously.
*laughing at myself when i go to check the mail and only pull out the stuff i like and shove the rest back in for someone else to find.
*looking forward to something. living in the moment, yes…but i am forever shamelessly guilty of happy little plannings for the next season…the next holiday…and already smiling at visions of halloween and little costumes…fall entertaining…christmasy evenings…and this big growing belly i can’t wait to see.
*just her. and how she’s bloomed into this bigger, brighter more beautiful flower these past few weeks. my favorites: she puts her laundry away. given a pile of underwear in one hand and a stack of pajamas in the other and a little direction (“that hand goes in your unders drawer…and all that goes in your jammy drawer…okay?”), i watch as she carefully sorts the information and marches to her room where she pulls out the respective drawers, smooths the stacks of clothes right where they belong and shuts the drawer with a smile.
and then she says “oh.” now. like, she’ll ask, “where’s gaga?” and i say, “at work.” and she just goes…”oh.” and she does it a trillion times a day…and it makes me smile every time.
she’s craving so much knowledge right now and it’s so satisfying to fill all these nooks in her brain…to quench her thirst for information. and people wonder why i don’t miss teaching.
*and i guess i’m also loving cold clean sheets at night, the perfect refreshing temp of our pool right now, answering the phone to hear my sister already laughing and unable to get her story out, anticipating the arrival of the swiss cotton nightgowns my mama’s making for lainey, my camera, red shoes, finally feeling brett climb into bed next to me long after this tired mama’s gone to bed, letting candles burn all day, pulling out the newborn diaper i have on my nightstand and staring at it.
it feels good to not complain about being sick. and while i shan’t promise another giveaway lest i have one more thing to do right now…i shall invite my favorite responses.
yes, if you shall…do tell what little things you love about life right now.
because there’s so much to love.
…enjoying the small things. ~k
Heidi Lee says
That last picture of you…is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. OH MY!!!
Keep enjoyin!
Poppa says
Precious pics of my precocious princess…and to have her call me now and say I yuh yoo Poppa is priceless. Ahhhhh, there is nothing better than chidren–and so grateful for their health, their bright minds and their budding growth. I love you both!
Heidi Lee says
OH! The things I love:
Darby singing Hannah Montana songs…cuz she’s way to young to know all the words, but she does.
This is in every “favorite thing” list you have us do…but coffee..forever my coffee.
Watching movies with Chris in our super fun basement..we love it down there.
Having my parents just 4 houses away, and the memories my daughters are making being able to walk down there anytime they want.
mrc-w says
Favorites:
Not to brown-nose or anything (or to be a topper), but reading new blog posts is a favorite!
Summer! It is by FAR my favorite season. I love being able to go somewhere and all I have to do is put on shoes (and not have to fuss with coats, boots, gloves, hats, etc.)
Finishing a run and then taking a boiling hot shower
Harry Potter books! I’m re-reading some of them right now and hopefully going to see the new movie soon.
Visiting Jon at Interlochen!
Kulio says
the perfect temperature and the perfect breeze, that happens only every once in a while, but I NOTICE it and I always always lift my arms up and spin around.
the dog on my lap (right now) that feels like a hot water bottle. (Or a “Hot Water Buffalo” as Michael used to say, inexplicably.)
I love children who can’t say their “r”s.
I love Mondays.
I love mornings when everything seems possible.
I love it when school gets out at 3pm. Or in May when school really gets out. And I love the first day of school.
okay this is endless.
I love being hugged.
I love being held.
Heidi says
these pics are stunning. stun-ning i say!!!!! all of them.
love your words. needed to hear them too!
pics of you…should be in elle or vogue or somethin’ like that…for real sistah!
love the lainey ‘oh!’ so cute.
things i love right now…
the last few months of peyton being 4…LOVING that so much.
beckham and how he says i’m his favorite girl.
my camera.
plans for this weekend.
cold-cucumber water…it’s so good!
cool weather.
peace.
lol on the mail thing. kelle i do the SAME thing.
Amy says
It is amazing how much growing up she does just in between weeks… she is such a little girl now.
Some recent faves:
starting to write again
belgian chocolate toffee coffee creamer
getting through an entire semester getting A’s on every single thing I turned in
old friends who call out of the blue
our first family vacation coming up (even if it is about 20 years overdue..)
Tammy B says
k, just a quick note, I’ll come back later with some “loves” but just had to say: I do the same thing with the mail!!!! I open the mail box, look to see what’s there, and close it right up and leave it there. Jeff thinks I’m nuts. “You take the time to look in there, but you don’t take it out?” Yep – that’s right. I do.
Sage says
I am loving….
watching my kiddo figure out buttons
the hot sun & swimming at the local pool
popsicles on the back porch
“night walks” with hubby, best dog, and kiddo
you and dig… wow I have learned and realized a lot about how I want life to be in the last few months. Love Love
Sage
dig this chick says
oh for the love! Those photos are just beautiful. And your list is great too.
Right now I love eating out of my garden every day. Margot’s words blow me away. My favorite lately is “yep.” And she says the “peh” really really enunciated. She spits at the end. It is hilarious. Her naked streak around our house to dry off after bath. Won’t let a towel near her. All of our nightly social commitments that are wearing me out but so fun. Andy is so cool. Friendships that have developed through blogs!
Brit Girl says
Beautiful pictures, great list. Also, I was pretty impressed with Lainey’s pedi – she does a better job than I do when I attempt to paint my toes (just never quite got the hang of it!)
Things on my list right now:
C breaking into her lolloping toddler run when she spies her Daddy coming home from work.
That first cup of tea in the morning – made just so…
My new Cath Kidston stationery set.
Going to the park this afternoon for an impromptu picnic lunch with my girl, and her beaming face making me almost cry with happiness.
Writing a daily “to do” list. I’m lucky if I can cross one thing off it, but writing it makes me feel better!
Glad you conquered the nausea enough to post! Take care.
April says
wow, it’s been awhile since i’ve commented. so much swirling through my bubble right now.
first off, i’m glad you’re feeling better, or at least have bouts of feeling better.
love lainey’s little cupped hands curled under her chin, oh so cute.
and the mail thing, me too!! seriously, i thought i was the only one. and to know my own sister does it, too. how i love this little blog world.
lastly, the pictures of you, just awesome.
happy weekend to you, kelle.
MY LIST, I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT MY LIST!!
loves …
mornings, when eli and i share magical moments together, just the two of us, before the rest of the house awakens.
scratching myles’ back just the way he likes it, as he drifts off to sleep.
ella singing taylor swift’s love story, with the words just a little off, so stinkin’ cute!
knitting, can’t seem to get enough.
cardboard egg cartons. random, i know, but i was having a hard time throwing one out this morning.
jen says
my loves.
… full days of time with the girly-girls. realizing that soon it will be me and 3. and that much more wonderful (and busy).
… seeing my newest little on the ultrasound screen. heart beating and wiggling like crazy. insta-tears.
… having a local photographer tell me she might need some help with a set of sessions in october (and knowing that i might be able to do it – and ask her all of my burning questions and learn something)
… the cool breeze that i have blowing through my house and the kids are wearing sweatshirts in july.
… olive juice.
and more things than i can ever bombard your blog with. but thanks for letting me share.
Wilde says
Especially nice photos! I do the mail thing too-and the “raw” oatmeal! Thanks for the song–love Eric Clapton’s music.
Early morning clouds rising from hay fields
Cheerios with fat blueberries and fresh coffee for breakfast
Eclectic music stations (WYCE)
Frog sounds
Soft summer breezes
Campfires
Freely sharing “deep thoughts”
Building sand castles
People’s hearty laughter
Waves splashing
Falling asleep smiling
:o)
Anonymous says
Mmm, bedtime kisses…with my my guy on one cheek and my puppy love on the other! What’s better than that?
P.S.- When are you due?!
-Nicole (from Bella Sol Bebe on Etsy)
Anna says
First you call her a baby, then you say she is almost not a toddler anymore? Well, in this post, she is still most definitley a baby, not a toddler yet. And she will still be a toddler until about 5 or 6. She is NOT a “big girl”
Val, Mike, Brax and Harper says
ok first of all, it was a little bit of a relief to know that you get frustrated with your toddler too. i was beginning to wonder if a) my toddler is abnormally frustrating or b) i am abnormally easy to frustrate… reading your blog SO inspires me to see the good in all the small things, but some days, between the endless chores and the difficult kid, i fail to see it. so anyway, it made me feel just a tiny bit better to know that even someone as positive and patient as you gets that way too! but i love the way you summed it up-the self forgiveness part.
i am loving your blog… it’s my nightly reading as i try to get caught up from the beginning! seriously, i read it instead of books!
everpresentlove says
Kelle,
I’m not sure if you even pay mind to words left by followers on older posts, but I’m going to leave one anyway. Wow, what a big week for you. You’ve been in my thoughts often, and I can’t wait to pick up my copy of Bloom this weekend. When I’ve caught up on your current posts, I like to look back on ones like this that I haven’t yet read. They are a reminder to me of why I began following your blog in the first place. Your words, photographs, and spirit are beautiful. Thanks for reminding us all to stop in the chaos of our lives, and just breathe in all the happy moments God gives us. You are an inspiration.
Peace and love, Nikki