What Every Mama Wants to See

The Way of Gratitude: Day 5 (originally posted here)

A note before this repost. Reading and watching this, I am filled with glee. While back then I was grateful for a milestone, today I am grateful for the relationship that has developed over the last 3 years between my boys. They may fight, but they are always there for each other. THAT is something to be thankful for.

Tonight I’ll make it short and sweet. I’m grateful that Ben can finally walk so people will stop worrying about him. He’s a late walker, but so was Jack. Here’s a video I put on YouTube, but I can’t seem to imbed it on this page from my phone. I guess technology’s not all there yet. 😉

And I’m grateful for this moment with my boys. Jack was always trying to get Ben to walk to him, but he freaked the poor kid out with his enthusiasm. 🙂 So, this was fun to see.

Of course now he’s getting into everything, but this is a post about being grateful, so I won’t go there. (But I really hope he doesn’t climb onto the table again when my back is turned. Or the back of the couch. Or grab something off of the stove. Or a knife from the dishwasher… Child proofing is tough!)

Conversations between a Toddler and a Preschooler

A few weeks ago, Ben was still learning to talk and many of his words were gibberish. Sitting at lunch one day, Ben starts “talking.”
Ben: I giiaaeeemaameeeya.
Me: What?
Ben: I giiaaeeemaameeeya.
Me: (blank face)
Ben: I giiaaeeemaameeeya!!!
Me (trying so hard!): You got a mommy?
Ben (screaming): No!! I giiaaeeemaameeeya!!!
Me (sigh): You give me a lovey?
Ben: NOOO!!! I giiaaeeemaameeeya!!
(Jack bursts into tears next to me. I turn sharply, because I didn’t even know he was there!)
Me: Jack! What’s wrong?
Jack (heartbroken): I can’t understand what he’s saying!!
Me: (Burst out laughing. This is so ridiculous)
Jack: It’s not funny!!
Me: Ok, Ben, one more time.
Ben: I giiaaeeemaameeeya.
Me (sigh): Can you point to something?
Ben: No! (Picks up milk) I giiaaeeemaameeeya!
Me: Oh! You didn’t drink your milk yet?
Ben: Yeah! (drinks milk)

Driving to a doctor’s appointment, the stoplight turns green.
Ben shouts: Blue!
Jack: No it wasn’t! It was green!
Ben: No! Blue!
Jack (shouting): Ben! It was not blue, it was green!
Ben (crying now): No! It blue!
Jack: It was green!!! (bursts into tears)
Me: Jack, please calm down, it was both green and blue. (some lights are sort of in between, right? And does this really matter??)
Jack: No it wasn’t! (sobbing)
Ben: Blue.
Jack: Waaaahhhhh!!!!!
Me (to myself): This is the dumbest argument ever. Are we really fighting about this?
Me (to them): Ben, it’s ok, it was blue. (Ben calms down) Jack, Ben saw blue. Sometimes they look blue.
Jack: Ok. (sniffles)

While I’m in the bathroom, taking a bit of a social break from my children (Ben is attacking me with a plastic fish while I write; social breaks are needed for introverted all parents), I hear Jack call for me.
Jack: Mommy!
Ben: Mommy in bathroom! (thanks for standing up for me, Benny-Boy)
Jack: Is she in there for a long time?
Ben: Yeah.
Jack: If she’s in the bathroom forever, then we’ll never see her again! (Because five minutes is obviously forever)
Ben: Aaawwww.

Gratefulness; Day 5 – Walking

Tonight I’ll make it short and sleep. I’m grateful that Ben can finally walk so people will stop worrying about him. He’s a late walker, but so was Jack. Here’s a video I put on YouTube, but I can’t seem to imbed it on this page from my phone. I guess technology’s not all there yet. 😉

And I’m grateful for this moment with my boys. Jack was always trying to get Ben to walk to him, but he freaked the poor kid out with his enthusiasm. 🙂 So, this was fun to see.

Of course now he’s getting into everything, but this is a post about being grateful, so I won’t go there. (But I really hope he doesn’t climb onto the table again when my back is turned. Or the back of the couch. Or grab something off of the stove. Or a knife from the dishwasher… Child proofing is tough!)

Favorite Photos from January

Here are some of my favorite moments from January. Enjoy. (I know I do) 😉

Mommy, I have a problem.

“Mommy, I have a problem.”

“A problem?”

I straightened up as I pulled one more weed from our overgrown backyard. Jack and I were outside, I was weeding, he was running back and forth along our sidewalk. “Problem” was a new word for Jack.

“What’s your problem, Sweetie?”

“It’s about Jesus.”

“Jesus?”

“Yeah. He died for me.”

Ah, I don’t think this little boy knows what problem means, except maybe he’s contemplating one of the divine mysteries.

“Yes he did. He died so you could be forgiven.”

“Yeah. There was a tree and he came to my house.” (Now he’s talking about the story of Zacheus) “And a fish ate him!” He says giggling.

Well, it’s clear that Jack’s getting his Bible stories crossed, but there was nothing more thrilling for me than to hear him say last week that Jesus died for him. He sings “his songs” (His favorites are Deep and Wide and I’ve got the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in my Heart), prays at night and before meals (Dear Jesus *whisper whisper whisper whisper whisper…* Amen), but this is the first deep conversation we’d ever had about what Jesus did for him.

Today, I am sitting in Tim’s shop and I look up to see this on Jack’s chalkboard. He must have drawn it on Friday the last time we were here:

Jesus is on this little boy’s heart. I pray he let’s him in.

Quotable Quotes – or something like them

Today, Jack keeps asking me if he can eat his lunch:

Can I eat my cheese please?

Can I eat my crackers please?

Can I drink my milk please?

With every single bite. Cute? Endearing? Becoming monotonous? A little of each. Remembering he won’t always be 3 1/2 and I can both enjoy and be annoyed at the same time. 🙂