On a few hours of sleep and some time zone confusion here, so I’m keeping it quick.

San Diego welcomed us late this morning, and if we would have planned this trip just two weeks later, we could have hit up the National Tattoo Expo while we were here–there are signs for it everywhere. You can’t win ’em all, I guess.

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It seems this entire last week has been full of celebrating and honoring and being aware. Friday night, I joined some friends in my first Stilette Sprint for Breast Cancer. The sun spilled its glory onto Fifth Avenue, perfectly timed to set right as the stampede of pink-wearing, stiletto-strutting participants trotted (carefully) in celebration.

It felt good to be there, surrounded by such passion. I loved seing “Survivor” painted across so many t-shirts. And I have to admit, I loved the shoes–even if they were accompanied by hairy legs.

I ran (walked/hobbled/tripped) for my friend Elizabeth who is battling breast cancer right now. She is a strong, fierce mama.

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The rest of this week, we will continue to celebrate, and there will be much more to share as the events of our busy week unfold.

Today, we settled in though.

Thank you, Infantino, for my shirt!

With a trip to the San Diego Zoo where we held our breath on our scenic tram car ride…

Yes, that’s a sticker on my glasses and no, it’s not the first time.

…beheld the wonder of the polar bear…

…and enjoyed a front row seat, just an inch of glass apart from a very entertaining baby gorilla.

This gorilla rubbed his butt against the glass right in front of Lainey, and she was a hysterical heap of laughter.

The girls have found opportunities to make up for our early morning and shifted schedule.

I, on the other hand, have not.

But before I’m off to bed, I’m dusting off my Twitter handle to join a great Twitter party tomorrow, and we’d love to have you be a part of it.

Join @momcentral tomorrow from 3-4PM ET for the #EverybodyPlays Twitter
Party to celebrate the differences that make every baby unique!

Tomorrow from 3-4PM ET @MomCentral, @Infantino, and @KelleHampton (that’s me–ha)will be hosting the #EverybodyPlays Twitter Party! There will be some great Infantino & Step2 Product Bundle giveaways too!

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Finally, Tea Collection is returning as a sponsor this month, and it’s timed appropriately as their site is full of some lovely fall eye candy right now. Tea continually offers unique and colorful clothing inspired by different regions and cultures.

I am in love with their new Puebla graphic jacket.

And these wear-with-anything funky tennis shoes.

I’m so happy to have Tea Collection on board again–and their value statement makes me smile. Check them out!

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It will be an inspiring week, and I’m excited to be a part of Infantino’s campaign to recognize the beauty of all children. And thank you for your support on Nella’s Rockstars Buddy Walk Fund. I smiled when I checked it today. Your kindness is making a difference. The Buddy Walk Fund will stay up until the end of the month because it doesn’t want the party to end quite yet.

More to come. I’ll try and share some of the shoot on Facebook throughout the day Wednesday and Thursday.

Until then, you stay classy, San Diego. (I’ve been waiting forever to appropriately use that).

It is about this time of year that I crave shutting everything off, trading on-the-go schedules for quiet ones. And while I still enjoy the thrill and the challenge of juggling activities and opportunities, I smile with the knowledge that the last months of the year bring togetherness and reflection. Addressing Christmas cards, searching for new recipes, spending time with friends, decorating the house, and tunneling my efforts into what matters most…our family.

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Soccer was a good experience–past tense intentional.

This is my hide-in-the-trees invisibility attempt that I was sure would change our soccer outcome. Not so.

Despite my friend Andrea’s attempt to run on the field with the kids (Sister’s got balls of steel), after 45 seconds of in-the-game participation, my girl decided Year Four is not the year she’s ready to rumble on the field.

And we applaud her for letting us know, and ourselves for adding another notch on our belt of Lessons Learned in Parenthood: If you build it, they might not be ready for it.

Grandma Colleen was a nice comfort Friday night.

I’ll miss the Friday Night Lights of the big field, but I will love the extended time to stay in pajamas with my coffee Saturday mornings without running out the door with a missing cleat to make it to the game on time.

Little Sister will miss the big field playground.

But both my girls will continue to explore the many things they do love.

Like finding purses and destroying wallets.

And parading through puddled streets with splash performances.

Cape, Pip & Bean

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If celebrating occasions was a karate class, we’d have scored a black belt this weekend. Birthday parties, baby shower, lots of cupcakes.

Any of my hesitation about Lainey’s soccer intimidation was resolved when I watched her make new friends later in the weekend–singing, dancing, and very happy these parties didn’t involve shin guards and boys who kicked the ball away from her.

And this moment?

…happens all the time. Lainey just swoops out of nowhere, squeezes hard, kisses, gets her fix…and moves on. And my heart beats just a little faster.

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Sister patrols shoes at all times. She is the Keeper of the Flats. The Protector of the Flip Flops. The Mud Room Manager. Protecting the innocent shoes of tomorrow…it’s her job.

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Finally, yes, Fall came to our door this weekend. In a white box, taped up with love with from my cousin, Jo, who sends us leaves every year. I get sentimental every time they arrive, especially because it is now accompanied by Lainey’s squeals of delight and the fact that I am so happy she is experiencing a piece of my past. I want her to know how it feels to jump in them, to sort out Oaks from Maples, to smell that crisp earthy perfume that’s locked up in even the dried and withered ones.

We raked them. We laid in them. We laughed at the way they danced in the air when we kicked our way through piles of them.

And my girl can now spot out the rounded edges of the Oaks and the jagged tips of the Maples. We talked about all the different names for colors. Fancy terms for yellows and oranges and reds like maize and russet and garnet. Who says you can’t have Italy and Holland? Who says you can’t bring Michigan to Florida? Not I, my friends.

Behold, the evidence.

And that? That makes me very happy.

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If you noticed the new header, let me introduce the talented illustrator, Truly Yours Design. Sisters Beth & Jess e-mailed me the illustration they created, and I immediately smiled, A: because if my waist and hips looked like this drawing in real life, I’d run naked through my streets every day, and B: because they captured my girls–Nella’s pigtails, my favorite striped jammies, Lainey’s tiny braids and whimsy. I fell in love with it and am happy to incorporate their talents for a nice fall header. (I was kidding about the naked part. You know that, right?)
If you’re interested in blog design or personalized illustration for your family, check them out HERE.

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Giveaway winner for the Every Scrap Countz gift certificate is: Comment # 35, Jesse– “I absolutely love the very last picture. Makes me miss nursing my babies so very much.”

Congratulations, Jesse! Please send your contact info with “GIVEAWAY WINNER” in the subject line to: kellehamptonblog@comcast.net. Thank you!

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Tomorrow, I’ll be back with a Hallmark post on Making Time for Friends.

It’s Monday.
We’re off to a good start.

It happened again. Remember the first ballet class when I couldn’t let go? The cut-the-cord incident of 2010 repeated itself with yet another performance on the soccer field Friday night.

Brett was out of town this weekend for some boys fun with Brandyn, so I pushed my way through single mom duties and managed to make it to soccer practice with two girls despite the fact Lainey didn’t want to go without Brett. And when all her teammates followed the coach’s coaxing and lined up on the field, Lainey clung to my hip. “Come with me, Mama.”

I whispered I’d be watching, nudged her out, promised it would be fun, but no go.

And then, without even realizing it, my propellers came out. Inappropriately hovering.

“C’mon, get out there, let’s go,” I say as I inch myself closer into the field. Closer. Closer. Guiding Lainey’s shoulders and standing two steps behind her with Nella on my hip while all the other parents sit in beach chairs behind the line. And while I’m shadowing my kid, I’m shrinking my shoulders and avoiding any eye contact with coaches–like toddlers who play hide-and-go seek and hide in conspicuous spots but with their eyes closed because surely, if they can’t see you, you can’t see them.

But they saw me. And what followed was something to the effect of “Parents, it’s important you stay off the field. We’ve been doing this for a long time and we know what we’re doing. It doesn’t help us if you accompany your child out here.” And I froze like a deer in the headlights. Didn’t even step back or say sorry or anything. I couldn’t move partly because I felt so stupid and partly because my kid was crying and running to me in the middle of the whole thing. And in case you wondered what makes one rule-breaking parent feel better when you ask them to leave, throw an “s” on the end of “Parent” to pluralize it so that maybe it sounds like you’re not singling one person out even though everyone knows damn well you are.

Yes, this is funny, yes they’re good coaches just doing their jobs, and yes we’ll give it a few more shots and respect our girl no matter what she ends up choosing. I went home rethinking the whole thing though. Wishing I would have handled it differently, wondering why I didn’t. And as silly as those moments of reflection are–especially over something as meaningless as a four-year-old’s soccer practice–they are good, even if it’s just for a laugh.

When these things happen, they initiate good conversation in home. Conversations on how we want to raise our kids, what’s important to us, and the challenges of letting go that lie ahead. And sometimes, you realize the things you thought were priorities aren’t very important. It is important to me that my kids learn tools to adapt to new situations and blaze their way through challenges, but it’s also important to me that they aren’t pushed too hard and that we let their own interests guide them.

While soccer didn’t interest her this weekend, planting did.

Nana Kate is a master gardener, often found pulling weeds and pruning plants in her yard before the sun even rises. I love the way she enthusiastically teaches my kids about the outdoors–how she talks about leaves growing and roots stretching as if they are elements to a great action-adventure plot.

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Nella’s sharpening her mothering skills these days, tending to babies and Elmos and plush animals who need her care. She feeds them bottles, covers them with blankets, and pulls them up to the crook of her neck where she gently pats and kisses them.

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And Lainey missed her daddy this weekend, evident from how she ran into his arms when he arrived back home last night. She lays her head on his shoulder and then pulls it back and looks at him–no words, just smiles.

Daddy’s hopscotch moves are hot. If you like that leprechaun dance sort of thing.

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In case you were wondering where the National Ibis Convention was this weekend, I’m pretty sure it was in the Target parking lot. This wasn’t even all of them.

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Finally, we enjoyed a lazy morning this morning. Slippers and sticky buns and sun stripes from the open blinds all over my girl’s pajamas. I’m craving more of these as October ripens.

I love lazy days.

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If you’re still in need of some last-minute Halloween attire, don’t forget to check out sponsor Happy Camper’s adorable tie-dyed candy corn knits! There are a couple fun new things in her shop, perfect for the season.

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Happy Monday, Friends.