*ornithology*

the kids are teaching me to appreciate life in a way only children can :) ...by sitting still and watching the world go by...

we've been at Nonna & Papa's house, and they have a hummingbird feeder. every afternoon, we hang out in the backyard and wait...and then he visits. barely able to contain their excitement, they point and smile and keep their gasps silent. he hovers, takes a long drink and then rests on the feeder. he's beautiful...brown, green, a little red and keahi has named him "snow white," of course...because he's beautiful. he comes back again and again, bringing a wave of joy with him each time.

i rarely take time to settle, to relax my mind. i am always running...in my head, on the road with errands, or in the house with the kids. mom told me to appreciate "the now," for it will soon be a memory. i try to absorb that thought. i don't want the kids to grow up and get too big for hugs and kisses. when i am frustrated, i can't seem to wait for them to be older, be able to do more, not take so long to get dressed or buckled into the car. i hurry them, push them forward, make them rush through their slow paces.

will mom whisper and tell me to settle into "the now?"

love it. embrace it. cherish it.

my "now" is pretty good.

settle in.