Simple moments

Sweet little girls out for a walk with mommy. Aubrey in a striped terry hoodie, Claire in polka dots. The sun shining down, a gentle breeze blowing just fast enough to send feathery hair flying. Aubrey sees two pigeons waddling down the drive and squeals with delight while pulling her little hand free from mine. She runs after them, sloppy steps catch her up and - tumble over and down on the pavement. And she cracks up laughing at her stumble; gets up, and holds hands with mommy again.

We hear a noise overhead, and Claire scrunches up her tiny hand, points one pudgy finger out and exlaims loudly (and deliberately), "BBBBBBAAAAHHHHHHHHH!". Apparently, Bah is anything that flies. A plane, a bird, a balloon. This time, it was a plane. She cranes her neck back to follow its arc across the sky, grinning from ear to ear. She is content to hold mommy's hand the whole time.

We proceed to the flower beds, where tulips entice and fascinate. Chubby baby fingers stroke velvety soft petals with sheer wonder. The curb is painted a vibrant yellow. We step up. We step down, and up again. Big steps, nearly half their little leg length. This is serious exercise!

Around to the pool, which is closed for the winter but we gaze and dream and reach down to pet the fuzzy grass. Feel that grass! Look how it moves when I pull on the ends! We're waving at the big bushes now, the same wave as nigh-night or bye-bye and it makes mommy a little creeped out that there may be someone in the bushes that she can't see and we move on.

Aubrey the Independent runs 20 paces ahead, stops, turns around to make sure I'm still tracking her, and just smiles mischieviously. Three "come to mommy"s later, and she's holding hands again. Claire just likes walking with mommy, watching Aubrey be adventurous.

We spent an entire hour walking one loop around the complex. There is something so beautiful and right about letting these little ones be little. Not to rush them to and fro, but to watch them in amazement as they explore their little worlds in the safety and love of mommy's gaze. My life is now made up of these simple moments daily, and it is a miracle. My heart truly breaks for friends and family who are content to leave their kids in a daycare center and miss moments like this. They are lived once, and we won't get them back.