enjoy the little things,
for one day you may look back
and realize they were big things.
- robert brault








that's how i've been feeling lately...that i need to remember to enjoy the little things; however, it even goes beyond that. prior to pursuing photography, i used to photograph my kids like a mad woman. i documented everything. they could barely get out of bed without me capturing the moment.

now...i barely capture a candid, random, everyday moment of my kids. people often comment on how lucky my kids are because they will have so many photographs but that's not true at all. they *had* so many photographs pre-photography. now they just have a few really great photographs. so i'm trying to get back to my roots and begin photographing those 'little things' that really are...big things.

so in honor of remembering...and capturing the little things, the photos above are just random photos from the past few days of those everyday moments.

ETA: rashmi asked me to explain photo number three. that's ryder's spiderman move. "hey mom, look at me. i'm spiderman". he holds on to the door handle and climbs up the wall as high as he can possibly go.

and since i'm now more awake than i was when initially writing the post last night...i might as well add my latest funny skyler story. again, we're sitting at the dinner table. this time, i'm talking about swear words with kiele. i'm all about open communication with her as i feel it was something that was significantly lacking in my own childhood. so i'm asking kiele if she has heard anyone swear at school?
nope.
no one?
no.
you haven't heard any of your friends say any bad words?
nope.
not even d-a-m-n. (i spell it out)
no.
not s-h-i-t.
nope...nothing.
and then, all of a sudden, out from the peanut gallery,
how about a-s-s-o?
yep, that came from skyler. i alsmost fell out of my chair.
what did you say?
how about 'a-s-s-o'?, she says.
i look at steve in disbelief, as skyler can't spell yet. how could she randomly put those letters together while we're talking about swear words. so i inquire.
skyler, where did you hear those letters?
i don't know?
did you hear that from school?
no.
did you hear that from a friend?
no.
kiele and steve are giggling and i'm almost panicked, thinking i must figure this out. i look at steve.
this is not funny. that is too much like 'a-s-s-h-o-l-e'.
kiele: i know that word. i learned it in the traveling pants book.
ugh...this is going from bad to worse. kiele's almost on the floor laughing in hysterics at the whole conversation.
back to skyler.
so sky, really...i'm serious...where did you hear those letters?
i don't know.
sky, just tell me. you must have heard that *somewhere*.
i don't know...
a silent pause, as she thinks about it.
i don't know...my brain told me.
so, i still have no idea where sky heard those letters or how she came up with the combination. i don't swear in front of the kids and i don't spell swear words in front of the kids. i guess someone must have...right? but who? or how else could sky randomly come up with that combination of letters, while talking about swear words. oh my...