Life is crazy busy and it's EASY to stay focused on the to-do's of it all and miss the littlest moments that mean the most. My camera is my tool to slow down, get present and SAVOR the FEELING of moments that I LOVE and that make MY heart HAPPY with JOY. When busy with my to-do's and I see something that makes me light up with a big smile, I stop, grab my camera (iPhone or SLR - it doesn't matter because what does matter is that I capture the moment...) and SAVOR the FEELING of that LOVE from behind the lens. And when it comes to my kids, I LOVE to capture WHO they are and what they love, in their current stage of life, so they never, EVER, disconnect from themselves as they grow older, like I did.

We're 3 weeks into summer break and I'm starting to remember what it's like to have C home all day with Luca with and I. I have to say, I really do miss our lazy days together. I'm not a mom who has to be out and about all day long with my kids. I actually prefer to stay at home with my littles. I know, crazy, right??

When we do go out, we only do ONE thing and it's always in the morning. More than that will exhaust me (and my kids!) and I really wanna BE a happy and relaxed mama once 4 pm comes. If I'm out all day with the kids, I'm not that happy and relaxed mom that I wanna BE for them come 6 pm at night, and I still have 3 hours to go before all kids are tucked in for the night.

So, yeah, we spend a lot of time at home, doing NOTHING!! It's GREAT in my book! When they get older, I know we will be out and about more, but for now, our life at home is really wonderful. Sure, I have days that I wanna just run, but honestly, at the end of the day, our days are SO much better when we spend more of our time at home.

I'm just someone who can't have a lot of stimulation and movement. And when I have two little's under 4 to care for all day and night, I'm better off being at home more, so I don't have HUGE meltdown moments in front of my kids (and, yes, I've had plenty in front of them, but they those mama meltdowns mean I'm need of slowing down).

If I do too much, my kids get the brunt. My children are non-stop no matter where we are, so it's better, for all of us, at this stage in their lives, to BE at home more. I actually don't tell too many people that we stay home more than we're out, because most say they're better off out on the town with their kids. But, for me, I'm just different (and sometimes feel like the only mother who does this) and my inner essence always thanks me when I listen to what I truly need as a mother while taking care of my kids right now.

Now that C is home with us more during her summer break, I've forgotten how much she's always LOVED to play in the sink. She used to do this all the time before her school days.

"Mommy! Can I wash dishes in the sink!?"

"Of course!!"

There's something SO amazing just BEing in the moment, watching her just BE with the water, pretending to wash dishes and pour and fill and pour again. Especially when she does it in her Tinkerbell dress while standing on her stool that her Mimi painted for her. As soon as I tell her, "yes", she runs to the bathroom and grabs her stool with excitement while bringing it over the kitchen sink. Oh, I LOVE it!!

I love that even though she's becoming her independent, big girl self, she's still a toddler at heart. Melts my heart!!

This is WHO she is right now!! 100% Camille! And I LOVE savoring every bit of her cute, whole self!!

So tell me...

What little moments do you LOVE to SAVOR in your life?

Do you like to stay at home more with your kids or do you like to be out on the town every day with them?

I know we're a rare breed staying home more to do NOTHING, but I find that it's the moments when we're home together, just BEing, is when the littlest moments come about that fill my heart with JOY and have me SAVORing more of WHO my kids are in their current stage of life.

And when they're out in the world, BEing WHO they are, I smile BIG, because I'm seeing exactly WHO I see when we're at home together, which makes my heart burst even more with happy joy.

I know these slow moments at home won't last forever, because soon, both my kids will be off, out on the town, without mama by their side.

Which makes me wanna slow down and SAVOR life as a mom even more!!

Until next time...

Life IS beautifully, slow...SAVOR it up!