March 20

As Brady and I waited for the second bell to ring this afternoon, I stopped and looked at him; like really stopped and looked at him as he splashed from one puddle to the next underneath his little Planes umbrella.

I don't think I spend enough time just watching my kids be themselves. I do try to make a conscious effort to be present to them, but I don't know that I just sit back and observe as often as I should because somehow, seeing him with darker hair and that sprinkling of freckles across his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose --the one trait he obviously got from me-- took me by surprise. I mean, I'm well-aware that he's seven years old, but in the same breath... wow, seven.

So today, I'm thankful for the reminder that I should pay more attention because before I know it, he'll been eight and nine and 10. And I can watch video to remember and recapture some of the feelings, but I'll never live in these moments ever again.