Advice to my Daughter...Post 10

Ruby! My most favorite small human ever... we've survived almost 3 weeks of careful life since you decided to go too fast on your bike, you daredevil... your speed resulted in a terrible wipe out, and a concussion. It was terrible. It was the worst hour of my mom-life. I don't want this post to be about that event, but I need to say: the last 3 weeks have been tricky. You're so active. You're so adventurous. And to keep you mellow, quiet and relaxed to let your brain heal completely has been tough. We are slowly getting back to normal, though, and full of excitement for the upcoming holiday season!

We have a countdown chain to Thanksgiving and a trip to see some very wonderful people in AZ! Each day, you rip off a chain, and we are one day closer to some awesome hugs. But before that...

HALLOWEEN! You, of course, can't decide if you're going as a Princess, or more specifically, Ariel. To be honest, there are enough fun halloween celebrations that we'll be able to do both! You, almost daily, practice your princess-ing, and wear a costume on the regular.

And with all the excitement in our lives, Mama has been contemplating your October advice.

I needed a recap, and now have them all written on a sticky note on my computer. I even have an idea for next month, but need to mull on it more before writing it, so that the words come out correctly. But for this month, your advice is simple:

Photograph your life.

Everything.

Silly things, like your first pin-ball game, playgrounds with friends, beach days, first time trying oysters, or a coffee date.

Important things, like Halloween costumes, family celebrations, first day of school, and new haircuts.

WHY? You and Papa both generally roll your eyes and fake a smile for my photos. But then today, at breakfast, you and Papa were on my google photo drive looking back at old photos and talking about past experiences.

Last week, we were telling you about a time in the car when you were singing the "Shut Your Eyes" song you invented, and you couldn't believe it.... but since I photograph 99.9% of things and video at least twice a week, we had a movie to show you the song. And you loved it. (Side note: Shout out to Mimi for telling me to video regularly!)

So take a million photos. Or even a billion. Because it is the best way to remember the fun we've had in our lives, and the memories we've made.

Now... say cheese! **obsessive mother taking 174 photos of you and your papa wresting and playing war**