Life is too short for play clothes!

This summer I had the absolute pleasure of going up to Annapolis and taking care of my beautiful niece for a few days before she started at daycare.  Of course I took Cora with me and she had a ball helping out with her (of course until it came time to change diapers)!  But Cora was all about taking her for walks, playing with her and feeding her. 

Best babysitter ever!!

 



Steve came up for the weekend and that gave him and Cora the opportunity to go to a game for a daddy daughter date night.  And since my brother was working at the ballpark that night, it gave me and my sister-in-law Kimberly a chance to sit and talk.  What I found myself doing was living vicariously through her as she discovers all the cute things there are for babies especially when it comes to clothes and shoes and just being a girl!  And loving it that we share somewhat the same taste when it comes to dressing our girls.  We were sharing strategies on taking advantage of sales and coupons at our favorite stores and what size she was getting ready to buy for the next season when I found myself sharing the same advice that my friend gave me when I had Cora.  "Life is too short for play clothes."  And I dressed Cora with that philosophy in mind every day while she was growing up. Because if you wait for the "perfect occassion" to wear that sweet, perfectly pink dress.....she will be grown out of it.  Put it on her.....wear it....got a stain on it??  That is what Oxyclean is for!! 

I would like to tell you we were going somewhere but we probably weren't.  Just have to look fabulous even for a normal day!

I have been thinking about that advice alot lately.  Often after I post pictures from the summer I hear "Man you guys are always on the go." or "You guys are always going somewhere."  Often times those words are spoken by people whose family lives here in town.  We are lucky now that we are back in Virginia that we do live near one of my cousin's and his family but if we want to see our family we have to go to them during the summer.  But I am a firm believer in making experiences for your children.  I am not going to sit around and waste a summer with nothing to do.  I am always ready for that next big thing to do or that really cool place to go.  Why??  Because "Life is too short for play clothes"  I never want to say "I wish we would have done that or gone there"  We just GO!

Abraham Lincoln musuem in Springfield, IL

A friend of mine from high school Tom Needham also writes a blog which I love to read and he wrote one over the summer about calling his dad every day.  He goes into realizing that one day he knows that he is going to call and his dad isn't going to answer.  Pretty sure Tom and his dad don't have any "play clothes" either.  For I know that when that time does come that Tom will have no regrets for the time he made for his dad.

I already have another adventure/experience in the works for Cora.  I will know in the next couple of days if it is going to work out.  As her parents I firmly believe that we are charged with raising a completely well-rounded child.  And I think we are doing a pretty good job.....and doing it without "play clothes"

~Cora's Mom
"Washer of the Clothes"