We were headed to a birthday party and my daughter had on a pink dress with a tutu (that she had picked out). She let me do her hair and she picked out a bow. Then I brought her white sandals over and she said “no, I want to wear my socks and black shoes.”

So, she did. And the socks were mismatched (as you can see). And the black shiny dress shoes didn’t really go with the dress. But she thought she looked dressed up for her friend. And I was happy that she was expressing her individual choices (at an age when she doesn’t have many choices day to day). So I told her I thought it was great that she picked out her own socks and shoes and off we went.

Especially with S being a girl – I want to ensure she is raised as confidently as possible. I know the years of self doubt are very close – and I’d like to push them off for as long as I can. The days where she will wonder if her friends will like something she wears or if someone will make fun of her are coming. But for now I’d like to let her express herself!

Every once in a while, I get a perfect Sunday morning of a tiny bit of quiet time to myself. That time is now. C is still sleeping as well as S (we had family over last night so they went to bed a little later than usual). Hubby is just waking as well, so I have time to make a cup of coffee, actually READ one of the magazines that comes to my house, and enjoy the stillness.

Our neighborhood is full of young children, but right now I know their homes are waking up as well (or already up and around if there are very young kids!). I never hear it like this – just the sounds of the birds chirping, an occasional dog bark and a rare car perhaps heading to church or on an early grocery run.

So I’m enjoying my few minutes (by writing too!) because in about 10 minutes, it’s time to get C his cup of milk, pack our swim bags for swim lessons, pick up the playroom that we left a mess last night and get myself out of my pajamas.

But right now it’s amazing!

This is what my husband sprung on me in the midst of a TV show. I don’t even remember what we were watching.  The kids were both in bed so we were having our nightly “date” to catch up on a show when the house was quiet.

I have to admit, I’ve thought about it. C just turned 2, and S is 5 1/2.  It seems like the last few years just flew by. But every time I thought about it, I just couldn’t see starting all over. Both hubby and I are in our 40s, and admittedly the sleepless nights were much harder with #2 than #1.

But, every time I asked myself this question, I also though how nice it would be to have a little one again. That baby that makes those sweet cooing sounds – sounds I would never hear from my kids again as they grew older.  My oldest is even too big to carry (but I still do at times). But, I didn’t think my husband was asking himself the same question, so I was shocked when he verbalized it to me. I thought for sure we were done. A family of 4 and a dog.

So that made me really think.  Are we? Or do we want a third?

It’s still on my mind. We sort of ended that conversation agreeing that we didn’t think we could handle it. That it would be too hard for S and C with us already being pretty tired. If we were 10 years younger…we would.

But then I woke up this morning and thought about it again (obviously). How do we know…I mean really know, when our family is complete?

We just returned from the most amazing trip.  I’ll write more about some details/tips later, but I am so amazed that WE DID IT!  Anyone that has traveled with two small kids knows it is no walk in the park. There are those amazing moments when your kids faces light up and you realize it’s all worth it. Then, there are those moments when both kids are screaming, you didn’t sleep well because the youngest kept trying to climb over the bedrail in the middle of the night, and you wonder, should we have waited a year?

I’m glad we didn’t.

This picture above is from Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. It was the last stop on our one-week cruise and it was the most amazing part. That hammock right there? I got to lay on it (after nearly falling out twice trying to get in) while my kids played in the sand and water. The water is SO shallow – S could go out all the way to the rope and it was only up to her hips at high tide.

So for anyone considering a Disney cruise – do it!  I’ll write more later. But for anyone thinking through family vacation plans on a Sunday morning like today, it’s well worth it.

Now off to unpack and do laundry!