Simple pleasures

Kids are so good at reminding us to find joy in the unexpected. Even small, silly things. For instance, remember when it was exciting to see a bigger than normal piece of cereal pour out of the box and into your bowl? Look! It's Siamese cereal!

When I told AJ it kind of looked like a moustache, well, that made it even more cool. He almost didn't want to eat it. (Thankfully, he did.)

Meanwhile, I am enjoying more and more simple pleasures with Sydney. (She's enjoying it, too.) Last Saturday morning, I ran a 5K race that was a fundraiser for a new playground at our local school. I finished in 27:45, which is the fastest I've run since my non-mom days. But my left leg continues to bother me, so when I got home, I announced I was going to go soak in the hot tub.

My favorite little girl decided to join me. And so with coffee cup in my hand, and chocolate milk in hers, we enjoyed some quality girl time together.

We talked about bubbles and birds, mermaids and, of course, Dora the Explorer.

Parents often talk about their kids' growth spurts in terms of how much their bodies have grown. Sydney, lately, has been having a personality growth spurt. Her vocabularly and conversation skills, not to mention her imagination, have blossomed in the last month. It's good entertainment to listen and watch her play. (And even more fun to play with her.)