sunday funday

the girls and i were solo on sunday while michael helped his brother with some home improvement projects.  after a run with my neighbor, breakfast and baths, just us girls headed to the grocery store.  trust me when i say that it's not ideal to take 2 kids to the grocery store, especially because neither one cares to ride in the cart anymore, but i always try to look at the positives...they're great helpers (when they're not whining for a box of sugary cereal), i'm teaching them how to be self-sufficient and healthy and succeed in society, particularly when i let them swipe my credit card and sign my name, and they're great conversationalists and conversation starters with several other store customers.  i truly don't mind it in the least.  sure, it's not as quick, but it's definitely more meaningful quality time with my ladies.

but i digress...afterwards, because it was such a beautiful fall day, we walked around our little downtown, checking out all the scarecrow contest entries and enjoying a hot chocolate treat in the local coffee shop.  and of course, being as i'm week 1 into my photography class, i had to practice, practice, practice, and what better subjects do i have?  

this one is pure happy, except when she's not.  most of the time, she has a smile on her face, her poppy blanket nearby, and she's wearing a dress or a skirt or something else fancy and twirly.  all of the time, her curly-q hair that she gets from her daddy is never held back in a ponytail or even behind her ears.  she can't be restricted.  she displays that independence and confidence in so many ways, but still reminds us of her little being that needs guidance, and a whole lot of love and reassurance.  gladly.

this face slays me.  she has grown into her own, slowly and surely.  she wears what she wants to wear.    she tells me how to style her hair.  ironically, however, she refused to sit in the driving car cart at the grocery store and didn't want crosby to sit in it either.  (you know the one- the huge cart that has very little cart space, but your little is happy because she's "driving a car" around the store?) a few minutes into the store, she pointed out that people were looking at us and at crosby, and explained that the reason she didn't want us to get the car cart was because people would stare and it was embarrassing.  it ached a little bit in my heart knowing that she's aware of this already and it bothers her.  i stopped shopping, got down to her level, and lovingly explained that it didn't matter that people were looking; what mattered was that we were happy with our choice.  she seemed to take that well and we continued on without another word about it.  harper is also reading like a champ.  and these glasses have made a prominent position on her bookshelf to always be at the ready.  we never tell her she can't, because what good would that do.  we love and support and encourage.  that's our job.  she doesn't make our job too difficult. ♥