::Be Free::

Don’t you wish you were a kid again? 

Just the other day my sweet friend Kristy from @sevengraces posted a picture of her daughter, having fun on a hot Houston weekday afternoon. I told her; "Don’t you wish you were a kid again?"  I mean they have SO much fun. I often question; did I have this much fun when I was a kid? I need to ask my Momma about this.

But, my Husband says it after almost every weekend about our kids- “Connie, these kids had a BLAST this weekend!" Truth is my kids have a blast every weekend. No matter what. No matter where. No matter how little or much we do. They always have a blast! Some weekends will end and my son will say, "Mom, I had so much fun."

And, it makes me happy.

Isn’t that the point of being a kid? To have fun and enjoy life. As a parent I feel responsible for nourishing this sense of excitement and adventure. Making them happy and knowing that they are being kids. Knowing that you can help preserve their childhood, their innocence, create amazing memories and be the reason why they can simply be happy little beings.

::Here are 3 simple ways you can allow your children to be kids and simply have fun::

::Allow their imagination to Run Wild:: 

Some days our kids have the craziest ideas. We try never to shoot them down or make fun. We listen. We might giggle or laugh; but we encourage them to keep telling us about their play-time, thoughts, ideas and crazy plans. They consistently come to us with their thoughts because they trust us, and let me tell you some are VERY serious thoughts.

In all we love to help them grow their imagination and allow them to be themselves.

::Let them be themselves::

When you see me post about my kids or pictures of them, know that these are RARELY posed and never something that I make up. If you know my children you will know that all that is portrayed in pictures, tantrums and all, are very REAL. We allow them to be themselves. We embrace them good or bad and we know that in the future it will all be good for them and their adaptation to the world around them.

Their personalities and character shine bright.  They are who they are. Take it or leave it. 

::Let them be FREE:: 

I am a parent who needs to know where my child is, what they are doing, who they are with. Trust me, daycare was a daily struggle. Going out in public is scary for me. But, at the same time I want to give my children the freedom to explore and learn. To be free in their environment and know that they can do anything. I don’t’ want them to be scared of the world around us. I want them to be safe but be aware. And, while I allow them to explore freely, I also maintain a close watch on their every move. This won’t always be possible and I have to trust a little and let go.

But, for now they are free to move about….

What are some of your favorite childhood memories and how do you let your children be free? 

::Summer in Lake Charles:: #VisitLakeCharles

::Short Road-trip Re-cap::

Road trips are always fun for us. Especially for the Dos {two} little ones. The adventures, the new places, or simply visiting family. We have done several road trips and I feel that over the years we have overcome some of the biggest challenges and perfected the frustrations. 

For the 4th of July we opted for a short road trip to visit my Dad who works and lives in Lake Charles, the kids were so excited and even packed their own snacks and backpacks. But, we ended up leaving a little late so they slept most the way. We even got a flat-tire through which Camila slept through and Santiago woke up for briefly. 

Their favorite part of visiting their GranPa is getting pampered and spoiled, lots. 

{The following pictures are all from our cell phones}

Our trip to Lake Charles was eventful like always but we had such a good time, it's always worth it. The 4th of July fireworks over the lake were beautiful. The night was warm and we got to spend it with my parents, Sister and nephew. We even went for an evening splash in the splash-pad at the Lake Charles Civic Center Seawall and park.

We have visited Lake Charles for 4th of July before, it's very family friendly and a nice change of scenery from the Houston Skyline. We have even visited for Mardi Gras it's a lot of fun, not too far from us and the kids love it. 

The parks have great trails and kid areas. The kids didn't mind getting soaked late at night after the fireworks. They have so much fun no matter where they go.

The next day we visited another splash pad and the Sam Houston Jones State Park. We walked the trails and looked for alligators. Not sure what we would have done if we found one but we were up for an adventure.

Our next visit will require more research, the kids are getting older and exploring is our favorite part of our trips. I know they have a children's museum, natures trails, swamp tours and don't forget the alligators!

My parents being cute. Picture was taken by Camila outside my dad's house.

The day was hot but we all had a fun adventure...

Some of the pictures taken with my camera:

{Garner State Park} Part Dos ::Wordless Wednesday::