Today I rushed to get our abode looking pristine for the open house, and gather the large amount of stuff our little family seems to cart around. In my haste I committed a blogger cardinal sin. I left my camera at home. It got worse. I left my phone in the car during a photo worthy moment.
As cliche as it sounds, I’ll have to use my words to paint this picture for you.
During the open house we went to eat at a local pizza place where we could sit outside. The dog was with us. Afterward, Greyson wanted to sit in the car with Ginger so she could be in the cool air. Charlotte and I walked across the street to an ice cream shop.
My sweet girl wasn’t too squirmy as we waited in line behind two large families. I kissed her face still dotted with cheese, remnants of her lunch. I asked her what kind of ice cream she wanted. She smiled and pointed before leaning down to leave her tiny handprint on the frosty glass. I giggled, cherishing the time I have left to pick the flavor before she decides blue raspberry with gummy bears is a good idea.
She surprisingly stayed nearby and didn’t make her usual run for it when I had to put her down to pay. An ice cream cone in hand added to the awkward fumbling of carrying a diaper bag, my purse, and a toddler. But we made it to the bar stools along the edge of the shop, by the windows. The families took the stools so I sat Charlotte up on the bar and stood with her and our treat.
My babe and I shared sweet cream and cold kisses. I let her hold the cone in her chubby fingers. The scoop was about as big as her head, so I had to take bites from the other side to prevent ice cream catastrophe. She thought it was hilarious when I licked the same time she did. We bumped noses and licked fingers. The fast melting cone left deliciously sticky tracks down her arms. The teenagers behind the counter pumped some bumpin’ Top 40 over the speakers. This led to Charlotte bouncing to the music. Naturally, we had to dance a little. She laughed when I got silly and slurped up drips off her arm to the beat of the song.
A mother nearby looked at her messy face said, “You need to take a picture!”
Yeah. I wanted to. But, I could only take a mental picture. So I did. I locked in the image forever of my beautiful, growing baby with glowing blue eyes, light brown curls tied up in a pink bow, and feet dangling off the counter in toddler sneakers. Oh! And those cheeks! Still soft and round like a baby’s, smeared with melted ice cream, grinning up at me.
We polished off the cone and went to meet Daddy in the car. When we got there he said, “I watched you from the window and fell in love all over again. You two were having fun. You love your girl!” I reminded him how much I love him too.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one taking a mental picture. Remind me to forget the camera more often.
