sometimes there is only time for living

Sometimes I feel like the most productive human on the planet. Baking interesting things with secrets flaxes and chias hidden inside and planning thoughtful activities and keeping my children clean(ish) and my hair brushed(ish) and taking neighborhood walks and all the while doing some dishes and putting the laundry away and taking pictures to boot. Sometimes I feel on top of it all. Kinda. Sometimes.

Other times, like lately, I feel like there is just time for almost all of it. A little baking, a board game, a bath, a walk, dishes, laundry... I try to keep my phone out of reach when I'm with the kids but then I find myself running for it to take pictures pretty regularly and that alerts the kids that Mom's about to take a picture so they of course stop doing whatever cute thing they might have been doing. So documenting the moments gets patchy, which feels patchy in this nonstop documentation world of ours.

Moments like this, though. So perfect. Just all together and laughing. Smelling feet and snuggling and sharing something special. You can't plan for that. It just happens. Just living. These moments are the reason for the life we're building and all the other "busy" stuff falls away. Even on the days that seem like they won't end. Toddler teething days. Big kid running on jet fuel days. Mom about to lose her marbles days. These moments make it all totally and completely worth it.