eager to learn

"How do helicopters turn?" "Where does our baby get it's food?" "How do rockets get into space?" "Why does our car go fast sometimes and slow sometimes?" His mind is so active and curious. So eager to learn. Several times a day I hear, "Mom, I have a question." Those words are music to my ears.

in the kitchen with my boy. he sure is dreamy one on one. he's getting so sensitive and a lot of the tantrums are sluffing off and he is surprising me with so much sweetness lately. he cried the whole way home from walking to school this morning because Adelyn didn't want to kiss him before she walked into the school. when she came home he smothered her in kisses and they were so giggly. it was enough to pull me through another few weeks of moving/house selling business. it's not always rainbows and butterflies but there is enough moments like that in my day that keeps me so happy at home. 

an april snow

One funny day in April when it decided to snow. It didn't take him more than a second to get his shoes on and run out the door to play in it. This boy doesn't miss out on much joy in life if he can help it. 

me and my boy

 As much as I protested school starting, I must confess it has been rather pleasant to have a schedule of some sort. At least having somewhere to be in the morning. We are all up early and ready for the day with breakfast and the everyday chores done before we get off to school. Which means we get to come home and have time just to play more. We lay the baby down and it's just me and my boy. Sometimes I forget that he really is a beautiful, happy, loving soul. Having sisters around doesn't always bring out the best in him. He does pretty good, most of the time but still it's so nice to put that aside for a couple hours a day and have him all to myself. All week I've just been feeling fascinated and awed by you. I watch him adoringly while we have good long chats about cars and bugs and all the sweet, simple things that fill your mind right now and it's been so good for us. 

a little boy and his car

I have to always remember that it takes nothing more than ten minutes of my time to make my kids so happy. I've been trying to have more one on one time with each of them. What a difference it makes! It seems so easy to do, but with more than one kid and lots of other things on our plates it's harder than you would think. But wow, does it result in calmer, kinder, more cooperative kids for sure. I have to remember that soon it will be me that is the one wanting to spend more time with them when they are all busy teenagers that now is the time to really be with them. There is something so sweet about how simple it is to please them just by passing a car back and forth on the floor. 

My favorite shot. He's just so intense sometimes and it shows here. 

A little note, I've playing a bit with the setting on my camera to get better shots straight out of the camera. Every setting is different but I bumped up the contrast, set these for vivid and warmed them up a bit in my camera settings menu. And of course just find good light. The more I've gotten busier with taking pictures for other people I've learned to simplify and cut down post-processing on personal stuff. Pretty happy about these straight out of the camera.

i want them to know...

I've been thinking about this one here. He's had a rough week and a half. Anyone that has a kid that has food sensitivities knows that it doesn't just affect them physically but alters their mood and behavior just as much. He hasn't been the same bright, sweet, happy-go-lucky boy that we love. He is one that just isn't comfortable in his own skin. He has reactions and hurts even with all that we do for him. Sometimes it just makes me crazy thinking about how to keep this little boy well, I would do anything in my power to see him healthy all the time. I just ache for him. I can't imagine the stress his body goes through. Even with knowing this I still sometimes forget when he's having fits and outbursts how hard it is for him to handle all that is little body goes through. 

I have a new resolve to work my tail off at loving them better, especially when they are at their worst, because that's when they need me the most. I hope that I can love my kids all the time, not just when they are happy, when it is easy to love them, but on the bad days. I want them to know that I love them even when it's a struggle, when it takes lots of deep breaths and extra effort and a whole lot of work. I want for them to know that they are the most precious things in the world to me. I want them to know that I genuinely enjoy them, not all the time, but really honestly, truly a lot of the time. That I get a kick out of listening to them talk to each other and watching them play and the quirky things they do during the day. I want them to know that I think they are each something really special. I want them to know that my life is amazing and full of purpose because of them and that I love them with everything I have each day. 

“Think the best of each other, especially of those you say you love. Assume the good and doubt the bad.”

- Jeffrey R. Holland

character

I say this all the time but I really could follow this kid around all the live long day and be entertained. He's just plain funny. He's got character coming out of his ears. Even when he's being a pesky kid, picking on his sister or getting into mischief, I secretly just think that he's a crack up. He's growing into this little class clown, always trying to get a laugh out of us. He turns into a little monkey whenever the baby's around to get her to laugh. Then turns to me and says, "Mom, she's laughing!"

Good thing I love him too because lately he is wearing me out by the end of the day. At five o'clock today my day fell apart (when I mean fell apart I mean the children were breaking into tears in intervals and my counters were covered with attempts at dinner) and I told myself after it was all done I'd take him outside and go play, just us. Try to repair some of the damage that'd been done to our relationship in the past hour as I tried to protect dovie from all of his "love" and get dinner on the table in a timely manner. We all survived the witching hour and got to spend our blissful minutes outside before a story and bedtime.

     

becoming a reader

It's safe to say that No, David! is his all time favorite book. It must speak to his little soul. He will sit there and study the pages. I've read that book with him dozens and dozens of times. Have you ever heard that quote, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents?" I never really believed that. I thought they all came down loving to be read to. Well, not this boy. He never would want to be read to for very long. But he really has warmed up to sitting on our laps and reading. I love it, seeing him find a book and carry it over to me. It's nice to have him sit and snuggle. It also makes it a lot easier to get a few pictures of him while he's still.

birthday boy

Our birthday boy is officially two. It's true. The big day has come and gone. It was a good one. We are celebrating with family later in the week but I couldn't wait to have him open his presents and have his cake. Which by the way is made out of rice krispie treats. You've got to understand. He is allergic to wheat. The thought of trying to decorate a gluten-free cake is a little scary to me still.  He's crazy about those things anyways and it was a piece of cake to make of course.

my son, the wild thing

This little boy of mine runs around making mischief

 of one kind,

after another.

I secretly love how adventuresome he is. At least it keeps things interesting.  It's not so much the sizes of the messes but just the constant of it. Whether it's pulling things out of the cupboards, throwing things down the stairs or teasing his sister there's always a reason to be right by his side.  As soon as I have him distracted enough to clean up the first thing he's started on he's right into making chaos somewhere else. He's been so good at keeping me busy this summer, just what I need until our little girl comes along. I'm still not sure how I'm going to do it once she's here but we'll figure it out. It's doable right? I might need some reassurance. I'm sure I'll be doing lots of wearing her in the carrier so I can still chase him and protect her from all the "love" she'll be getting.