I always think of small rituals when I walk up to my front porch: backpacks hung, lunches packed, a quick wave to Mrs. Alvarez next door who is watering her begonias. As a mom in my forties with two kids between eight and twelve, our mornings are a gentle chaos of homework reminders and soccer cleats by the door. Weekends are my favorite for slowing down — Saturday pancakes, long bike rides, and a craft spread across the kitchen table while the kids hum along to a playlist. Those afternoons are where memories grow, and simple décor projects become family…