OASAP top c/o// eShakti skirt c/o (no longer in stock but option here)// Target Phillip Lim purse (similar)// Chic Orchid necklace// Timex watch c/o// The Shine Project bracelets//Famous Footwear shoes (similar here)
We've been watching a lot of "Hook" around here lately and apparently, this skirt made me look like Tinkerbell. He proceeded to have me spin in circles and prance around (which of course I did) and it made me miss being a kid again.
He radiates innocence; he has no idea there's a big world out there that is getting more corrupt by the day. He has no idea there's a legal system that doesn't always work the way it's supposed to. He has no idea that there's a war still being fought. He has no idea people kill, steal, or hurt others for no reason.
But he knows the feeling of jumping off the edge of the pool into my arms. He knows that he loves baseball, soccer, and football. He loves to buckle himself in his carseat and watch movies on his DVD player on road trips. He likes to play action figures and cars, eat mini pancakes in the morning, and wear clothes that don't match.
My goal is to let him be little for as long as I can. I spent so much time trying to grow up more quickly and saying "I can't wait until I can drive" or "I can't wait to graduate high school" and now I'm not sure why. Being a kid is one of the most beautiful gifts we could have ever received. The toys, the games, the imagination. One thing I never want him to lose is his imagination and need for adventure.
I wish I could protect my children for the rest of their lives but we all know that's not possible. But the best I can do is let them be little; let them stay up late on vacation and roast marshmallows. Teach them to play Ghost in the Graveyard and catch fireflies.
Teach them to read, act, sing, dance, play, whatever. I can't prepare them for what the world is going to throw at them but I can educate them to be good little humans and let them be little in the process. One of the best parts about being a parent is getting to act like a kid at times. I want to be "present" as much as I possibly can and enjoy every second I get to spend with them.
I sometimes forget that Nolan is only two; he's blown us away with his intelligence and independence from a young age and I guess without even realizing it, I've held him to higher standards and responsibilities. But at the end of the day, he's still my baby. He's still a toddler, he's still learning right from wrong and the ways of the world. We all lead crazy lives and are super busy but I think we can all afford to take a step back and engage a little more with our littles.
Ask them how their day was, what they want to do tomorrow, what they would like to eat for dinner. Start a water balloon fight with them or a hide-and-go-seek game. Turn off the TV and have a puppet show. Turn off the iPad and play a board game. We have to teach them these things and at that point, it becomes our responsibility to let them be little. For as long as they can.
So here's to not only looking like Tinkerbell, but acting like her too ;)
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Be sure to check out eShakti; this skirt was totally customized to fit me (how cool is that?!). You can customize length, size, style, etc! And you can receive $25 off your first order... go now!
