Joy!

I created a new subfolder in my main photography folder today. The title of this new subfolder is....SPRING 2009! It felt so good to create that, to type those warm sunshiny words!

Today was a great day. I bathed 2 little girls, and then directed a shower of one small six year old by yelling through the shower curtain.
"You still have tons of bubbles in your hair."
"Are you finished?"
"Why are you still in there?"

Then Simone sat in her swing while I got ready. The phone rang....a showing at 4:00. I loved having plenty of time to get the house ready. I made three beds, and got the upstairs totally ready. When I came down to finish up the kitchen my maid pulled in the driveway. What?!!!!! She was supposed to come on Friday! She was a sweetheart and cleaned out my fridge and organized my shoe/coat closet since I had done a part of her work. I folded three overflowing baskets of clothes, nursed a baby, and did the cha cha to a song called "Iguana" with the kids while my house was cleaned. Everyone needs a maid!

We made the trip down to Brookside gardens. Such a charming place. I have never been there in the spring. The air was the sweetest smelling I have ever experienced in my WHOLE LIFE! I kept inhaling, and would make my children do the same. I wish I could bottle that smell!







The kids pet a huge turtle, chased geese, I got a handful of photos, and then Talia needed to go potty. That is the story of my life. Someone always has to go potty when the bathroom is very far away.

We are going to go back to try this one again. I needed to switch lenses, but she was DONE. =)

We went home and turned on all the lights, and the classical music. We went to the park to wait for Lincoln to finish his commute. The park we went to brought back so many memories. When we first moved to Maryland we lived in a condo for six months. They have a little tot lot and today I needed a playground where I could park (sleeping Simone in the car) and see the kids playing. I thought of this little playground. After Simone woke up I took her up to have her first real swing. She loved it! That giggle will be forever etched in my mind. I took pictures on my phone, and played a little Elizabeth Mitchell thanks to my phone and it's tiny speakers.

During all this gooey happiness, my mind went back to the last time I was at this tot lot. I was pregnant with Natalia, and Wyatt was 2 and a half. He loved to bring his tractors to this spot and dig in the sand. ("Scoopa the dirt....DUMP it in the dumptruck.") It was September 31, 2004, and we had gone on a walk to try to get our baby to come! We walked to the playground, and on the way home Lincoln would say, "Walk to that tree as fast as you can and then come back to us. Now walk to that sign as fast as you can. Now that corner....." It was quite a work out. That night Lincoln was snoring loudly. I wacked him with the back of my arm and my water broke.

To be standing there this evening, with THREE children instead of one was so overwhelming. A good overwhelming. Four and half years have passed, and I FEEL so different. I can not explain it, but I like where we are in our lives. I love having three kids. We are so blessed to have each other. I pondered a little about what the future may hold for us. I smiled...and then went back to taking pictures.

Wyatt and Talia were playing and chatting with a Mother and her little girl. They were so well behaved, and kind. The Mother smiled at me as they walked home, and they said some cheery goodbyes to the kids. I was proud of them, and so proud to be their Mother. Then they started a sand fight, and we left....and not easily I might add.