Sweet summer perspective

I can't help but feel more connected to myself, the earth and my family in the summer months. The winters edge is long gone away and we're no longer cooped up trying to stay busy all day without getting too edgy with each other. To have our bare feet in the grass, the wading pool keeping us cool and the shade of the trees is the purest enjoyment I can think of in the summer months.

Each summer has been so different and while I think extremely fondly of the first summer with my girls it was still so hard, balancing the needs of two six month olds while trying to figure out exactly what we were doing! This summer is going to be so different, I can tell already, as I balance out my busy working weekends with the sweet rhythm of our weekdays. The girls get so much pleasure out of playing both with each other and independently. I love watching them delight in the water, running free and knowing that their rhythm was built around their very own needs and wants.

Royce and I still have so much peace and happiness in the fact that I am home with them during the week to be with them and for them to be with me. I have scaled way back with teaching them what I thought would give them an advantage (ie sign language, numbers, letters and words) and allowed the development of their minds at their pace with my priority on their play. They will learn to read and write at some point and I'll continue to sign with them but they need music, dancing, art and free time to play and learn to play. I feel passionate that these are the very most important things for them both mentally and emotionally right now. I truly feel that when you scale back and simplify you make way for the most important things to blossom and develop. To be able to be, and just be, is a skill they have but lose as we bombard them with toys, tv and too much of everything!

I hope this summer you will take pleasure in the simple things too. Being together, talking, reading, dancing, playing and enjoying your present moment. The mess will be there when you have time for it. The laundry mountain isn't going anywhere (though I wish the laundry fairy would make a pit stop here once in a while!) but your babies are growing quickly and even if they are already grown they will still delight you with who they are right now, at this very moment.

Happy Summer (a little early) to you all!