I found this old photo tucked in a drawer the other day and have been staring at it all week. I'm not sure exactly what month it was taken, but it shows my mom (looking stylish as usual) with my three older siblings. She may even have been pregnant with me at the time.. I'm her fourth.
I keep looking at this picture and seeing my own little family: my oldest boy, C who turns 8 in a few weeks; then my daughter Bee, who is 6; and our sweet Baby M who is almost 2. And our fourth baby will join us this summer, I'm due at the end of July. (We're hoping this baby won't come as early as Baby M did! Fingers crossed.) Four children! I keep looking at our dining room table and imagining all the chairs filled.
Because it's Mother's Day this Sunday, I've been thinking a lot about my mom and the way she raised us (I should give my dad some credit too, I guess). In many ways I hope I can replicate the family I grew up in.. I had a lovely childhood and my family is still close. My parents are a good team, and I look to them as examples of how to raise a family full of love, with ample teaching moments, a bit of discipline, and a lot of fun.
It's a special week for my family. My older sister (the cute one above with the saddle shoes and the big grin) is getting married this weekend, and we'll all be together for at least 24 hours. All five of my siblings and all their spouses, and all the eighteen children we have between us. I cannot wait!
Loeffler Randall (a lovely shoe company I first heard about when Purl Soho designed some knit socks to wear with their rain boots) asked me to do a little Mother's Day Q & A. Hop over there to hear how my mom inspires me. Happy Mother's Day!