Motherhood in the Sweet Spot

My children are no longer babies. While they will always be my 3 Beans, we have reached what I like to call the sweet spot in parenting.

That's right. It can happen. Everyone can get dressed by themselves, feed themselves, respond to and follow simple demands (although this might take some repetition), and for the most part function normally in society, with the exception of them running through hotel hallways and Target aisles like gazelles being pursued on an African plain.

The transition from newborns to toddlers to tweens did not take long. And while I miss the sweet, smelling newborns against my skin, the inquisitive toddlers exploring their world and the toothless smiles of kindergarten and first grade, I am grateful for this time that I find myself in.

This is the best I got of all 3 of them!

The Lady is 11. While she is a full on tween who is navigating middle school, social media and the expectations and changes associated with her age, she hasn't quite reached the point where she has sequestered herself in her room. She still allows me to hug her, tell her how much I love her, and dance terribly in front of her without too much embarrassment or rolling of her eyes. She is the most introverted yet independent of my children and demands the least attention from me, for now.

The Little Lady is 9 going on 19. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, is quick to lash out, but loves, loves so freely. She is social and funny and wants more than anything to spend time with her family (when she isn't staring at a screen of course!) playing games, watching movies, baking and creating. She does roll her eyes--frequently, but what she wants most is my attention and time, for now.

QT is 7. How did my baby get so old? He asks the most random questions that I can tell he has been thinking about and then just kind of starts to speak as if we all have been part of the conversation going on in his head. He loves video games and hanging out with his friends. He is always coming really close to the proverbial "line" and can still for the most part get away with it by batting his long eyelashes and smiling, for now.

For now, what I want is to recognize this time, take advantage of it before the doors close and the eyes really roll. For now, I want my children to see our family as a safe space, to be themselves wholly and without fear or doubt before the outside influences, the peer pressure, the impact on their self-confidence continues to creep its way in. Life is coming for them but for now, in this sweet spot of time, I want them to know that their terrible dancing, Grateful Dead loving, lapsed runner and blogger of a mom is here and loving each of them for who they are right now.

Accessorized!

I think I am in a little bit of trouble here. 

The Lady in Claire's. We didn't leave with the glasses (too big for her face) or her ears pierced like she wanted. But we did leave with some money left over on the gift card she got for her birthday so we will be back. 

Second Grade Fashonista

The Lady is 7 now.

I can't believe it.

And all of a sudden she is a big girl and second grade seems very mature to me.

I am pretty sure I was rocking sweatpants in the second grade.

Me--circa second grade

 The Lady wants only to shop at Justice.


If you aren't familiar with the store Justice, just head to your local mall and find the store with the most embellished, sequined, bedazzled clothes that you can find and walk right in. That is Justice.

The thing is that I don't necessarily have a problem with some of their clothes, it is just that I feel like some of these stores are trying to sell a very adult fashion sense to a very non-adult crowd. Also, they like to make you think that you are getting a bargain by marking everything down by 40% every single time you walk in the store, but really at the end of the day you are still walking out of there with a $20 sequined t-shirt that will probably start disintegrating in the wash.

What I also find super annoying is that in addition to selling clothes and some accessories, bags, shoes, hair stuff, they also sell a ton of useless items that are very, very, appealing to the second grade crowd. There are blinged out diaries, candy, stuffed animals, and my personal favorite--the modern day version of Teen Beat magazines that have up to 12 posters of One Direction, R5, 5SOS that the Lady wants to hang on her wall.

Don't know who those bands are? Don't worry, I am pretty sure the Lady couldn't pick out one of their songs either, although Ross from R5 is on the Disney Channel show Austin and Ally and was in Teen Beach Movie, a soundtrack we know all too well at our house.

The Lady. Granted none of these clothes are from Justice, but still, I think you see what I am saying here. Also, please ignore those fuzzy socks on the floor and the sparkly Hello Kitty high-tops the Little Lady is wearing.

It is amazing to see how much the Lady has grown up in the last year, but I am still wanting to pick her clothes out from Baby Gap and the more basic the better. I have to learn to let go a little, without letting her grow up too quickly. A very precarious position nowadays.

Oh, and I just got an email from the store "Brothers" the companion store to Justice geared towards boys. I can guarantee you QT will never be shopping there. However, everything is 50% off!