these days

happy monday! things have been crazy here the past week... something about the combination of a teething baby (4 teeth coming in at once!) and a cranky toddler is just not good for anyone. i'm really missing a good night's sleep and with fall moving in, these blustery, cool mornings just beg me to stay in bed a little longer.
we did enjoy a few warm days recently and even got in one last sunset swim in the lake. naomi said one of her favorite memories from this summer was swimming under the moonlight with me and i have to agree, it was pretty nice. sometimes, i feel like it's so easy to get wrapped up in staying on top of things (ok, so it always feels that way) with four kids and everything else we have going on, i sort of feel like a household manager and let me just say, it's a lot to manage. i hate getting behind (because catching up is so much harder than just staying on task!) but sometimes there just isn't enough time for everything.
i feel like our kids are in this really fun stage and i don't want them to just remember me as the mom in the background... cooking, cleaning, keeping them on schedule. i want them to remember me really being with them.
laughing.
playing.
being present.
even if it means that the laundry waits while we lay on the floor and read books about australia.
or the dishes sit in the sink because they want me play bingo with them after dinner.
these little people are a tremendous amount of fun and i kind of love being a part of that!
of course, sometimes we're not able to alter our plans, but there are also so many times when we can say yes to them.
just this week we had a good laugh doing cartwheels together (and i guess it has been a little while since i was in gymnastics because i think i pulled some thigh muscle i didn't even know i had).
but it's really good to laugh together.
and do special things for no special reason at all

these are the things i want to remember about these days.