“Mommy, put phone DOWN!” her tiny voice chastises me.

My face falls and, sensing I’m upset, she comes over and gives me a hug and a kiss. I smile back at her, accepting her warmth of an embrace, but my heart feels heavy.

It’s only February and I’ve already broken my resolution to be more present … and I was caught in the act by my two-year-old.

It’s not just that. Lately she’s been telling me, “No camera, Mommy!” and then, when I put it away, smiling this insanely huge grin and yelling, “Cheese!”, hamming it up for the camera.

Being present is HARD. My family lives far away; Luis’s family lives far away. So, by nature, we take a LOT of pics and vids … apparently too many.

I struggle with finding balance in this realm … I want to document so much of Maya’s life for my own selfish reasons but also for them … but yet by the very nature of documenting so much, I’m missing out on certain moments. Moments I don’t want to miss. Worse, Maya is catching on … and now she’s even asking me to stop.

Now, am I going to listen to every demand my two-year-old czarina makes? Of course not. But there is merit to what she is asking and, though it pains me to admit it, it does give me pause.

<<Sigh>>

I’ve been schooled by my toddler.

How about you? How do you strike a balance between capturing moments and not being on your phone/camera 24/7?