a steady diet

I found myself wondering recently why the boys like to read the same books over and over. There are bookshelves full of options here, and yet they often return to the same familiar pages.
It may be that the repetition is mostly mindless and the routine is relaxing.
When everything around us seems to be changing on a daily basis and we barely know ourselves, when we're worried about the state of the world and about our very own neighbors, it can be a great comfort to have book friends who are the same every time.

celebrating the magic, and the meaning

leading up

practice makes better

And my heart was made for these moments.

Here's to handling the week ahead.

From the backseat, the week before Christmas, in heavy traffic:
Tucker: I think younger generations might learn a lot about driving by riding along and watching their parents handle it. 
Tolliver: It’s not that hard - you just keep both hands on the wheel and press the gas and look straight ahead.

amazing and wonderful

Everything is amazing and wonderful when you're three. A helicopter in the sky, snow on the ground, a bright red bird flapping its wings, an animated movie, a spoonful of peanut butter, a trip to the store. Even a bath in the other tub.

I think this might be called love.

My friend Juliet surprised us with family pictures last weekend. She literally showed up, camera in hand and huge trademark hugs, just as we were getting home from the zoo. At first all I could think about was how I should've taken a shower / fixed my hair / painted my nails / gotten Tuck a haircut (or some sleep - he'd spent the entire night before awake, at Hide-a-way Hills, celebrating a birthday). She promised none of that mattered. Also, she was clearly strategic about framing shots so that piles around the house were cut out *and* she brought the boys donuts for special fun inside. Everybody needs a friend like Juliet.

It didn't take long for me to relax and realize what a gift she was offering, capturing an ordinary day with all our real-life imperfections. Her photos give permanence to the most delicious details of right now. I know that someday I won't notice lack of lipstick or untucked shirt tails, and I will be so grateful that I can revisit these.