October 28

When I went back and looked through my phone this evening, I realized I'd taken a LOT LOT LOT of photos today, of everything from Brady and his friend Elliott holding sticks and tan bark bits for their respective nature "collections" (you're welcome, Valerie!) and my newest pair of shoes (I am a shoe ho and I own it) to the contents of a big box of Campbell's products I received in the mail to test out and scenes from Abby's Halloween routine at dance class.

But in the end, I settled on this one.

We were at Costco tonight and she saw this big ceramic Kris Kringle in the electronics section. Just a moment later, she was hugging it and asking me to take her picture with Santa. So I did.

I know that some people don't like letting their kids believe in Santa, but I've never taken issue with it. She still believes, but I know it won't be long before she doesn't; before that magical element of her childhood is over and life becomes, well, real.

I embrace these moments. After all, she'll turn 10 next week. And I know enough to realize that these times of single-digit simplicity and wonder are woefully limited.