I bumped into a former student’s mom today, years and volumes of big life happenings filling the gap between her fifth grader and now college sophomore and my planning-our-wedding days and now pushing-three-kids-in-a-cart excursion.
The catch-up happened quickly: How’s she doing? Where’s she going to school? What have you been up to? My, your kids! They’re getting so big.
We exchanged answers.
Oh, you know. Things are great. She’s happy. Going to take classes right through the summer. Spreading her wings.
Oh, you know. Things are great. They keep me busy, these ages. We’re in the trenches right now–cleaning messes, preschool, first grade, keeping this one from breaking his neck.
I looked down and suddenly became aware of what a mess we were. A missing sandal, pretzels crushed into Dash’s pants, half of my purse spilling out over Nella’s legs that were crammed into a loaf of smooshed bread, a bag of green beans that couldn’t hide the box of Cap’n Crunch peeking out from underneath, wild hair that escaped from this morning’s French braid.
The 5:00 Unraveling Hour, and we had braved the grocery store.
She smiled warmly, genuinely, nothing “You poor thing, you have your hands full” about it.
Seems like just yesterday. You all look so well. Was good seeing you.
Dash pulled another wrinkled receipt from my purse behind him, and Nella pushed her knees deeper into the bread loaf beside her. I smiled as I walked away.
Seems like just yesterday.
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Enjoying this past week…
Her WOW, OH MY GOD, AMAZING! expression.
A Little Girl on a Little Dock on a Little Lake.
Curls.
The Beach Store.
Mid-Day Beach.
Chasing Rainbows.
Chasing Dragonflies.
Water Hose Entertainment that Could Go for Hours.
Pool Feet.
Sweaty Curls.
Driveway Chill.
Kewpie Face.
See?
Happy Monday.
******
This week, I’m over at BabyZone with accessorizing tips for toddler girl style (like shop the boys’ section)
…and over at eHow with fun, inexpensive ways to turn photos into usable art.
Oh how I love to share watching your kids grow up. I feel like you’re an old friend. I loved your book and I love your blog as well. Thanks for keeping up even though you have such a busy, busy, life!
Love seeing pictures of the kids.
The one of Lainey in the water, any pic of Nella & the one of kewpie Dash…he looks so small in that pic. Just beautiful.
The boy is damn cute! And the girls just keep getting cuter! Still madly crazy about Nella! Those eyelashes! What a cutie pie! Have a great week!
Can’t wait for my little guys to have some of our big girl’s teachers – such fun people! Love your blog and Insty Mama 🙂
My favorite part of this post is the picture of Nella in the blue dress chasing rainbows; but specifically the little dimples on her elbows that just hint at the last remaining bit of baby chub left on her giant growing-child body.
Oh Kelle, I just loved this post so much that I had to read it twice. We are also deep in the trenches with our 7,5 and 1 year old. Sometimes I think that I will go crazy from all of the noise, mess and chaos. I regularly feel ashamed of the mess we are. But then I feel heartbroken that it will pass so quickly and all of it will be a hasy yesterday. Life is whipping by so fast! Thank you for this beautiful post. It helps to know that we are not the only ones out there who are a mess right now. I can only hope that my mess is as beautiful as yours is from a distance. Much love. xx
Oh my goodness…that third picture of Nella and her curls…absolutely stunning! She is so beautiful!
And talk about “seems like yesterday…” my first class of 2nd graders will graduate high school in a few short weeks. I cannot believe it. It truly does feel like yesterday! 🙂
Oh my goodness…that third picture of Nella and her curls…absolutely stunning! She is so beautiful!
And talk about “seems like yesterday…” my first class of 2nd graders will graduate high school in a few short weeks. I cannot believe it. It truly does feel like yesterday! 🙂
That conversation when you say ‘Doesn’t time fly’ and you look at each other and the realization hits home. Yep….time really does fly and our children grow up in the blink of an eye.
Gorgeous photos 🙂 x
I always enjoy waking up, fixing my coffee and turning on my laptop. The first place I always visit is Kelle’s blog to see the kids. Today’s photos are just adorable…they always are! I think everyone wants to move to Naples and bump into you and the kids on the beach!
I always enjoy your pictures. Adorable!
Beautiful. Where did u take the last picture with the kids walking and those beautiful tree around them ? Just love it.
Love the picture of Lainey in the water! It’s a framer!!
What a beautiful posts. I love Dash’s curls. So sweet. Nella’s green monkey shirt is the cutest! The dock picture is lovely!
You are a burst of sunshine on this rainy day. : )
Kewpie? So kute!
Beautiful writing in this post! And so very true from another Mama who is a hot mess come late afternoon with a 1,3,and 6 year old! You do such a great job truly capturing the small details of your kids’ days. I find it so much harder to remember to pick up my camera with my third now, but when I do, the photos seem even more treasured… Great post!
Your babies are to die for! I could seriously eat them up! Have a great day!!!!
Oh, so funny! Love the grocery store scene!! By the time I get to the checkout lane, our bread is always smashed as well! Every time.
Dash’s expression at the beach store is so adorable, and I love the picture of Nella chasing rainbows, with her perfect little braid!
Thanks for sharing!
Dear Kelle,
I randomly found your blog two years ago when I was browsing Pinterest and there was a pin about Nella’s birth story. I was so moved by it that now I keep coming back once in a while to check up on her and the rest of your adorable family (I am not a mom myself so I don’t usually read mommy-blogs). I’m in college in Denmark at the moment, and my biggest dream right now is to get into Journalism school (which is a highly competitive major here). They have an admissions test that is known to be one of the hardest and most challenging tests in the entire country. Anyway, I was at the test a few days ago and I suddenly realized I was sitting next to a girl my age (I’m 20) who looked like she had the characteristics of a girl with Down Syndrome. I think it was probably Mosaic Down Syndrome?? (from what I know about the various kinds, she fitted these characteristics the most) but regardless, she was right there next to me, at one of the toughest admissions tests in the country and from what I could tell, she was KILLING IT. I obviously thought of Nella and her cute little smile. She looked so much like this girl – same blonde hair and beautiful face with almond shaped eyes. She was so elegant and polite, made friends with everyone in the room during breaks and was so far from what I used to believe about Down Syndrome.
I don’t really know why I’m telling you this but I felt like I had to. I saw so much of Nella in that girl (without even knowing her) and I realized that a few years back I might have been frightened by who I thought that girl was and how she would act, but now I looked at her like I looked at everyone else in the room – I saw her as a possible new friend. I didn’t grow up in a house where Down Syndrome or any other syndrome for that matter, was looked down upon, so I’m guessing I got my preconception of Down Syndrome from the media and that really is just quite sad 🙁
I guess I just wanted to say thank you for opening my eyes about this syndrome and thank you for teaching me and the rest of the world that these children are not defined by this syndrome, but by their amazing personalities, their hopes, their dreams and their bright futures. I also wanted to let you know that I’m sure Nella will grow up to be beautiful and so very special and unique in her own way, just like her sister and brothers will, and that she is going to move mountains and follow her dreams, just like the girl I met is doing right now. I mean, how could she not with such an amazing support system behind her?
Go Nella, Go! I’m rooting for you and I’m excited to see where life takes you xx
Love, Emma
Adorable pictures.
I love watching the kids grow up. I can’t imagine how intimidating it must be to know that so many people are impacted by your life, by your children, by your honest and open words. There’s a part of me that can’t wait for my family to visit Florida, just on the off-chance that we’d bump into your family and I’d feel like I’m bumping into an old friend. There’s another part of me that hopes that never happens because I’m way too introverted and shy to not just sit there on a towel on the beach and sneak glances and your family, breathing to my husband “that’s her, that’s Kelle. I love that woman and her kids and I’ve never even met them.”
Your children are so beautiful…I love every photo you post of them! The kewpie one is too cute! I still have my kewpie doll from when I was little and yes, Dash’s expression really is identical! 🙂
I know you know this because obviously you’re a sentimentalist like me… It goes so fast. I was at the park with my girls eating peanut butter sandwiches under our favorite tree a blink ago. Now we are shopping for her first dance dress and talking grown up things. It’s a blur. A happy, emotional swirl of good things. So glad you are in the trenches:-) Enjoy every second.
Fun time at the beach! Oh how I wish we had a beach near by! In OK that just isn’t the case! Your sweet little ones are getting so big!
I know this seems really mundane, but what color is your wall paint? PLEASE answer and say what brand, color and finish you painted your walls. Think of all the frustration you can alleviate in the world, because that is perfect color and then we can just all get on with our lives. :0)
Your pictures ALWAYS make me smile. Just beautiful.
Oh.My.Gosh. I love this post!! It made me crack up and smile!
I usually can’t stand it when folks tell me or look at me like I have my hands full. Your words were graceful and remind me to have a little more grace, especially during that crazy, messy, got to cram in that trip to the grocery store hour.
On a mundane note, where did you find the striped socks?! I have been looking everywhere.
LOVE the two Kewpie pictures. Especially the second one titled “See?”
LOVE IT!!! lol
ALWAYS love these posts! Could enjoy “enjoying” all summer long. Bring on flip-flops, swimming, & popsicles 🙂
All these pics are SO good & “kewpie” certainly is a cutie too 😉
Tejas hugs,
Melissa