Making the Most of My Time
It’s obvious I’m in my busy season. I travel a lot for photography, but I am trying my best to be present with my family when I am not working. This weekend, I spent 48 hours at home (okay, actually 42 hours) and wanted to make the most of my time with Tyler and Scout. One thing that made it impossible for me to accidentally work was that I intentionally left my camera in Cleveland, Ohio, for the weekend. I am very thankful I did.
Second, Tyler and I planned a couple of fun adventures to do with Scout that I’ll share in a second. A lot of times when we are all home, we fall into a routine (not that there is anything wrong with that!) and stay home. Because the weather is getting nicer and because there are a lot of local events happening, I wanted to get out of the house and do some things this weekend.
Paw Patrol and the Amazeum
Tyler found out that the Paw Patrol (mascots) and a firetruck were going to be at the Amazeum, where we have a family membership. Scout’s first love of a cartoon and song was the Paw Patrol. Chase and Skye are the real deal celebrities to a two-year-old girl. She met them and it melted our hearts. As a bonus, she also got to get inside a real Bentonville Fire Engine. She called it “Marshall truck” from Paw Patrol, and pretended to drive it. It was total cuteness. We went inside after and played around, but the PP gang was the true highlight.
Crystal Bridges and Scout’s Namesake
I’m not going to lie… I got choked up at this next bit. Today, Tyler, Scout, and I went to Crystal Bridges Museum for their garden party and the “cupcake art.” I believe it was Scout’s first visit to the inside of Crystal Bridges from the outside of Tyler’s tummy. First off, it poured rain so we didn’t go to the garden party, but all was not lost.
First, as we walked in the gallery we saw Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell. As we are big on feminism in our household, we took the opportunity to talk to Scout about how a woman can do anything a man can do and that women are amazing and powerful. I don’t know if she got the message, as she is only two, but maybe it helped plant the seed.
The second special moment came as a total surprise. You might remember from this post about how Scout was born, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone into detail on the Benfield Blog about how we came up with her name. Scout was named after the young innocent but brave girl in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The character meant so much to Tyler that she became a lawyer. We hope Scout is as brave as her namesake and that she stands up for what is right and decent. Back to Crystal Bridges, there is a piece of art depicting Atticus with Scout in their screen door. I teared up so Tyler took the lead on explaining the importance to Scout.
As an added bonus, we also played in the backyard with our new swimming pool that Scout just loved. And Tyler and I finished the Avengers: End Game (we have been watching them all in order over the past month or so). I really loved this weekend with my girls. While I don’t get to see them every day, I try to make the most of our time when I do get to be with them.
Talk to you soon,
Dale
Read the Comments +