The best breakfast date

Sunday morning, B got up and got the kids breakfast and allowed me to sleep in. When I finally woke {not by choice, by B almost literally dragging me out} Sissy was the only one left at the table.

"What is she eating?" I asked while I added cream and sugar to the cup of coffee that B thrust at me in an effort to ward off all grumpiness.
"Cereal"
"Well, I can see that...does she have milk in there?"
"Yeah. Cause she's eating cereal. With milk. All the kids had bowls of cereal for breakfast...she's on her third bowl." B said in a tone that read ''DUH".

Now Sissy eats cereal almost every morning, that's not what surprised me. What surprised me was several things: One, she was at the table in a booster seat and not in her high chair. Two, she had milk in the bowl...I always give her dry cereal in her bowl and sippy cup of milk because I just assumed it would be too messy and too easy for her to spill. Three, there was no mess and four, she was on her third bowl!

How did I not know that my 17 month old daughter could eat a bowl of cereal with milk, using her spoon? {Because I never even offered it to her is the reason}It hit me like a ton of bricks: she isn't a baby anymore. She is most definitely a toddler. A toddler who is capable of more things if I give her a chance to try. A toddler who is learning and discovering new things that she likes and new things that she can do, everyday.

I was suddenly immensely proud of her.

So, I poured a bowl of cereal myself. Grabbed my coffee and had breakfast with my big girl. As I sat there I was able to look at her, I mean really look at her and I realized that I cannot put into words just how much I love my kids. All of them. I didn't even know it was possible to love another person, as much as I love my children. And I don't know how to explain or why but the love you feel for a daughter is different than the love you feel for a son. It's not that you love one more than the other, that's certainly not the case as I love all my kids more than I can even express...it is just different. And I am glad that I was given an opportunity to experience it.

And I think the above two photos are my all time favorite photos of us together. B snapped them with an iphone but even with sleepy eyes and bedhead hair, I just love them.