Trick or Treat?!?!

Finnley chose treats. All day long. Guess she is just a treat kind of girl! Can't say that I blame her!



Added as a special Halloween treat...my new favorite holiday photo of all time:

When there are just no words...pictures will tell the story

A pinch of autumn. A smidgeon of fall.

That is what we embraced the other day. It was sunny and warmish, but nowhere near muggy nor hot. The sky was blue. The clouds were a hazy streaky mess above. It was a near perfect day in my book. And there was no better way to spend it than with my little girl breathing in some seasonal moments with great gusto.

We skimmed the playground briefly. We rode the hay. We tripped happily among the twine-like vines at our feet. We kicked some dirt, just for good measure. We perused imperfectly awesome pumpkins and gourds among the mixed variety fields. We talked to towering flowers. We picnicked outdoors. And, we did it all with a smile and a bit of a skip in our steps.

These are the kinds of days that seep deeply into my memories...miniature treasures to revisit on a sleepy rainy afternoon. I am ever so thankful for them, and for my little girl who helps me to create these beautiful snapshots in time.

A Born Natural

Finnley loves to be like her mommy. She likes to wear boots like mommy. She likes to eat whatever mommy eats. She likes to repeat the phrases that mommy says (which usually is ok). She generally just likes to copy whatever mommy is doing. How else do you learn, right?

Today was no different. I was taking pictures, so Finnley decided to search for and find our "point and shoot" camera. If mommy was taking pictures, then she would, too! From there she proceeded to walk around the first level of the house analyzing all of her potential subjects and setting up her shots (all 112 of them...no joke).

Now, although she could use a bit more practice, I do believe that Finnley is a natural when it comes to photography. She is innovative and uses inimitable techniques to capture a moment. And, please don't tell this little girl that the camera is facing backwards or upside down. Uh-huh. That is a part of HER vision for the art of photography, apparently.

See for yourself. The girl is a genius!





And, here is a peek at her in action...(photo courtesy of her mommy):

To Parent a Toddler...

Oh, to parent a toddler is many things. Predictable unpredictability is the one consistency, I believe. Finnley never ceases to surprise me with her growth of knowledge or grasp of language. Or her abundance of creativity.

Pretty much every day while I take a shower, Finnley is left to self-entertain. I am not one of those parents who will lock their child in the bathroom with them (ours simply isn't big enough for that). I am also not one to gate her upstairs. Am I too trusting? Maybe...but, how else will Finnley learn to manage without mommy for a minutes? Most days she does amazingly well. She "reads", plays, terrorizes the dog, finds a snack for herself in the pantry, etc. Other days? Well, other days I am left with little traces of evidence of how she occupied her time.

Like the traces of evidence below.

Now, when confronted with that evidence...Finnley said, "I color, mommy!". She couldn't have been more proud. And, when I told her that we don't color on doors or furniture and that we needed to clean it up, she quickly (and logically) went to find her eraser to do the job. Thankfully it was just chalk this time. And, thankfully "mommy" is smart enough to keep the pens, crayons, and markers hidden. For now, anyway!