“I Spy…”

Five boys. We had hoped for our own basketball team. We have both always been highly involved in athletic/sports, so we just assumed boys would be a great fit for us. Yet here we stand at the moment, with three precious girls. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. I l.o.v.e. having girls. Fun doesn’t even begin to portray it!

I wouldn’t describe myself as a girly-girl, but I am definitely more girly than not. I remember when I was pregnant with Miss Observant, one of my coworkers stopped by my classroom the day after our big ultrasound. Her comment…”Yes, I definitely see you having a girl. You are pretty girly. I see you with a girl!” I just laughed. I’m not a tomboy, but I am “sporty”. I have always loved art, reading, home décor, gift-giving, chocolate and the color pink. On the other hand, I was always involved in sports and could easily hang out with a group of guys and enjoy a cold beer.

So, three girls. Giggling–chocolate-l.o.v.i.n.g.-princess-adoring-dress-wearing–drawing-until-the-markers-run-out little bundles of sugar and spice. What I love so much about them? Their interests. Their desire to sit in front of a dollhouse and play the same princess game for hours. Or pretend to play “houses” in each of their rooms upstairs. Or to put on a tutu and dance until they are out of breath. Or stay put on the floor until a 60-piece puzzle is fully complete. Or cuddle up on the couch with a box of markers and stack of paper and fill it with pictures until the colors take over the emptiness.

Don’t get me wrong; they can be as c.r.a.z.y. as little wild boars on any given day. And I l.o.v.e. nothing more than to see their personalities and spirits shine. But I truly do adore the fun and sweet activities they choose to lose themselves in each day.

As our recent cold-and-wet fall weather rolled in, and we continued to push two little sweeties back to feeling their 100% selves, we found ourselves stuck inside, reaching deep into our creative back pockets to see what we could find. So, while cuddled up on the couch midweek, encompassed by yet another damp and dreary forecast, I started a game that the girls quickly caught onto and then eagerly played along, with more enthusiasm than I could have imagined. As simple as can be…”I spy with my little eye…”

“I spy with my little eye something brown and fuzzy…”

“Buddy!”

“Yes. You got it babe! Now it’s your turn!”

And w.o.w., did they get creative. It took Monkey a few tries (especially learning how to give her clue and not immediately shout our her own answer), but she caught on and loved it.

So yesterday (thank goodness for the waves of sunshine), the weather was finally decent enough to step foot outside, and the girls totally let loose…leaf-collecting-purple-ball-kicking-two-fisted-rock-collecting-to-the-sky-swinging loose. Totally refreshing. And after a late-October popsicle break, we all found ourselves giggling and singing our “ABCs” with our feet dangling over Peppa Pig-approved mud patches. When suddenly, Miss O yelled out, “I spy with my little eye something little and pink!” Game on.

And for the next 10 minutes, there we sat, hanging on our swings, rotating through turns of “I spy with my little eye”… Such a simple game. But, such a sweetly enjoyable time together. Just one more reminder that it’s not the things that make like so memorable, it’s the moments. The memories.