It’s 2:00pm on Thanksgiving Day and, while I am trying to not use the word perfect often, today has been pretty perfect.  The girls have been the cutest turkeys all day, laughing and learning new things.  Our littlest decided to learn to stand, holding on, all on her own today!  She pulled up on the girls’ play kitchen, making us think she must have been checking her own little baking turkey.  Thanksgiving Day has been beautiful and we haven’t even had dinner yet.  While the turkey cooks in the oven and the girls both sleep soundly for nap upstairs, I am comforted with the nostalgic smell of Thanksgiving coming from the kitchen.  I’ve prepped my first turkey, with the help of my hubby and all my prep for the side dishes are done.  The kitchen is clean, the first load of dishes washed.  Our table has been set, awaiting a beautiful meal.  Now I sit here and just enjoy a little quiet, with such a full heart.

There are so many things that I love about being a parent and one is experiencing holidays with our children.  I love the easy and simpleness of Thanksgiving.  And the fact that the day after Thanksgiving means shopping and decorating for Christmas!   T-minus 24 hours until the Christmas tree come out!  Growing up, it was always a day of leisure.  We would enjoy snacks, play games and simple enjoy one another.  We would wear slippers and stay cozy.  That is what we are doing with our girls this Thanksgiving.  Slippers and all.  While the turkey bakes and fills the house with the comforting smell of Thanksgiving, we are simply enjoying our girls.  There is no schedule, except for the cooking schedule.  (Because isn’t it necessary to have a cooking schedule when making so many yummy things?)  Our very thankful day started with a very heartfelt, “Good Morning!” from our toddler when walking into her room for wakeup, pictures of the girls in their holiday outfits and Christmas crafts before breakfast.

Sometimes the best days are spent when being intentional about doing nothing.  Having no plans.  Sure, the girls’ outfits were thoughtfully planned and coordinated and the menu was prepared.  But besides what we wear and what we eat today, it’s a day of simply enjoying whatever the day brings…while peeking into the oven at the turkey.  It’s a day of sparkling cider and snacks, and busting out the real wine after bedtime.  It’s a day of being thankful for the family within our home and our loving family who is further away.  It’s a day of slowing down and remembering that the things that take up the biggest things in our heart are really memories made in the simple moments.  The simple smiles, the simple laughs, the simple joys of just being with one another.

My turkey timer for turning the turkey over is about ready to ding.  Happy Thanksgiving!

For a complete guide on how I photograph my baby girl’s first year, be sure to read The First Twelve.  and to learn how i document our everyday, be sure to read The Everyday Photograph.

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Our Very Thankful Day

plaid dress | large velvet bow

thanks so much for stopping by my blog to join my everyday with motherhood and photography.  for more posts and to catch up on what we’ve been up to, see what’s trending below!

when our sweet daughter turned one year old, her pediatrician discovered a slight astigmatism during an eye exam at her one year check up.  after being referred to a pediatric optometrist, whom we’ve grown to really like, we were told she would be in glasses at 2 1/2.  and as happens time and time again, a year passed in a blink of an eye (pun intended) and we were picking out her first pair of glasses this fall.  the excitement of getting glasses lasted a day or two, before the real struggle of teaching a toddler to wear glasses began.  i wish i could tell you there is a magic secret, but really it’s a journey of success and set backs.

with her doctor wanting her wearing glasses for 7 hours a day, we started off small and gradually made our goal after a month.  in the beginning, it was all about slipping on her glasses while she was distracted…like watching a tv show, or eating.  once they were on, she would forget about them and would only become aware of them should someone dare mention the word, “glasses.”  in the early weeks, we banned the word from the house…as it was a little bit of a sensitive topic.  my dad light heartedly called them her “facial ornaments” whenever talking about them, which had us all laughing.  we had reached the point of talking in code.

we tried it all.  we all wore our glasses to encourage and support her.  we secretly slipped them on.  we bargained.  we bribed.  we celebrated her success.

we did good for a week or two, wearing the thing that shall not be named for a couple hours a day.  then we had a week where she wanted nothing to do with them: a tiny step back.  exactly one month after bringing her new glasses home, mama put her foot down and resorted to simple communication about the glasses.  i simply told her when she woke up that we would be wearing our glasses all day.  i used phrases like, “we need to put on our glasses first, then we can go play with our friends” or “first, we need to put our glasses on and then we can play in the playroom.”  seems so simple, yet it was the ticket that worked!  not only was it our secret to success, but we taught her order of operations in the process!

from that monday morning on, she has worn her glasses from sun up to sun down, averaging well over the 7 hours of recommended wearing and are actually doing more than 8 hours a day!  we are now finishing our second entire week of all day, effortless glasses wearing and can even say the word glasses, without her wanting to take them off.  she even asks to put her glasses on right after she gets out of bed in the morning, which seriously warms our hearts.  i am not sure if it was a month of glasses introduction that did the trick, the clear communication or both…but we are celebrating this as a parenting win.  teaching a toddler to wear glasses is easily one of our biggest challenges as parents and it is so nice to have that hurdle behind us now.  every child is different, but i think repetition and communication was our life saver.

and prayer.  i am not going to underestimate the power of simple praying about it.  a little prayer, patience and a toddler who took the transition with grace got us to wearing our glasses easily.  and she is oh so darling!  i can’t imagine her without glasses now!

for a complete guide on how I photograph my baby girl’s first year, be sure to read the first twelve.  and to learn how i document our everyday, be sure to read the everyday photograph.

this post contains some affiliate links, which means i get a commission for items purchased through the link.  thank you in advance for supporting my blog so i can continue inspiring you with our everyday.

Pale Pink Spectacles | Teaching A Toddler To Wear Glasses

blush hair bow | etsy

blue top | H&M (similar top here)

thanks so much for stopping by my blog to join my everyday with motherhood and photography.  for more posts and to catch up on what we’ve been up to, see what’s trending below!