My summer evening reminiscing

After the a long day of scorching temperatures and humidity that makes my hair limp as a noodle, I come out with a nice glass of lemonade or ( these diet days) a protein shake right about 7:30 ish  I, lay on my hammock and swing while watching Tealyn play with her daddy.   Our summers are hot, sticky and humid, but our evenings here in South Texas are the best they are breezy and sometimes really cool they truly make up for all the fussing during the day. 

 As I lay on my hammock I hear the sounds and smells of summer kids playing and neighbors BBQing , and it takes me back to when I was a kid when we visited our grandparents during those hot summer days we would wait for the sun to set to go outside and sit in there front porch . We would sit there in those retro glider rocking chairs the kind that had two seats waving at people who drove by. My grandparents lived in a corner lot of a busy intersection and catty corner to St Mary's Catholic church.  Across there home lived my three great aunts, so sometimes they would see us gliding our rockers and would cross the street and join us, we would stay up talking till wee hours of the night. Sometimes other relatives who lived near would see us and  stop. It was nice no formal invitation just a causal stop and visit. Those were the best times... Of course I didn't know it then, but I do appreciate them now. Life is so different now. We live in a society where you have to call if you want to visit, and people just don't stop to say hello even if they see you outside. It is really sad.

Getting back to my evening.  I really enjoy our summer evenings with my little family. I want to create memories for Tealyn just as I had growing up , I want her to remember and appreciate the breezy summer evenings  swinging from the hammock singing and enjoying naming the birds that fly by, and helping her dad put water in the St Francis bird bath then filling the bird feeders. They will be the memories that will fill her precious heart.

playing

I have read that play is very important part of  brain development, it helps with their imagination, helps them cognitively, promotes creativity helps them explore and learn from their environment and oodles of other good stuff their little brains need and plus it's fun and way better than any device app designed to attract our little ones from real play

So, I  take play and activity time seriously every morning after breakfast we do some sort of play/learn activity. We have lots of fun together she looks forward to it and I secretly do too, it beats folding laundry any day.

I have different bins set up with all sorts of activities crafts, sand play, playdoh, blocks, etc...

Here she is exploring with cake batter. Oh the fun..

She really enjoys all these activities, and I really enjoy watching her explore and play. There are times we just lay on the hammock and read books, take a walk and talk about our surroundings. Two is such a fun age. Any activity or play makes her so happy.

On Motherhood

                                                 Tealyn at 7 months

Without a doubt, Tealyn has been the greatest blessing in my life, I have learned so much about myself, babies and life in these short two years then I have in all my adult life. She has brought so much joy into our lives and hearts and because of her I strive to be a better person. Our bond is pure and connected like a mother and daughter should be.

She is a happy toddler content with the most simple things. She could blow bubbles and play with the garden hose all day and that would be just fine. Her innocent and free loving self doesn't  care If I have makeup on in the morning or how many times I've worn my trusty black ( now torn) yoga pants that week. She just wants to play, learn and have fun.  I sometimes remind myself when I am tired and feeling over whelmed about getting all my chores completed by the days end that, I will never ever get these days back EVER. Once they're gone they are beautiful memories to cherish . So I purposely  leave the clothes in the dryer till the next beep and sometimes It gets done and sometimes it does not.

The most important thing for me is to be completely present in her day not distracted not moody and not preoccupied with whatever the day has thrown my way. It is hard and not an easy thing to do especially when their attention span is short, days seem long and Facebook is a click away. ( which personally I think is the biggest distraction ever) During the day I am the only influence she has so, she needs me to be positive, calm, nurturing, understanding, patient, encouraging and most of all loving.

There are days I feel completely unattractive walking around here with my hair pulled back in a pony, no make-up in a unmatched outfit desperately needing a shower  playing with blocks and puzzles then suddenly all those feelings disappear when she tells me she loves me and I am reminded that she doesn't need a super model mother just a mother who is completely present willing to play and have fun.  I strongly believe that all these little moments with her will one day come back and reward me.

I know this is a little early , but in case I don't log on I would like to wish all the mothers out there
a happy and very blessed  MOTHERS DAY.

Tealyn turning two

I can hardly believe it's been 6 months since my last post. Wow time flies. It's been in the back of my head for weeks while folding a load of laundry, while doing an activity with Tealyn or in the middle of the night I always think about this blog.. I just truly haven't had a chance to myself. It was much easier to blog when she was little during naps and while she played by herself , but as a toddler it is much harder . I don't like to leave her unattended while I am on a computer or phone. So, I just wait till my husband gets home from work to do that, but then I have dinner, dishes, bath time and good night books to read that it leaves me exhausted by nine no joke and just want to get to bed.

Tealyn is now two and is at a fun stage. We actually have  conversations back and fourth now and its really fun to hear her little sweet voice talk to me as she expresses herself. She tells me what she wants, where it hurts and if she doesn't like something...ha ha... I have her do some sort of learning activity in the mornings and she really, really loves it. She is smart and above average for for age. We still have not encountered " The terrible twos" or at least I don't think we have. There are days she may have a melt down about wanting to use the I-pad longer (YouTube videos which I need a whole blog post about) or wanting a snack instead of lunch but, nothing terrible so, I am grateful for that.

Here is a picture of Tealyns Pig cake . Isn't just the cutest? We had

a small family and friends hot dog party for her. She really enjoyed it and talks about it often. 

Here she is with her daddy who Id like to thank for giving me these few minutes to bring you up to date.. 

Thank you friends for the emails asking me to update.

I promise I will keep it going.....