I Love it When...

Here are just a few of the moments I have loved recently.

I love it when N reminds me of the difference between how a child's mind works, and how an adult's mind works. Like when we eat breakfast, and play outside, and go to the store, and then come home and draw (in between putting groceries away and cleaning the kitchen), and then eat lunch, and play some more (in between doing loads of laundry, and cleaning the kitchen...again), and then run out to the store again for the things I forgot the first time, before finally declaring that it's quiet time...and she says,  "Mom, are we going to do anything today?"

Or like when she looks at a snowflake and says, "I saw it, mom! I saw it! They really are all different! Just like people."

Or when B says, "Mom, sometimes I like being big, and sometimes I don't".

I love it when N is such a helpful big sister, like when B denies that he made that mess, and she tells him, "Well, I didn't make the mess. And O didn't make the mess. And mom and dad didn't make the mess. Huh. We're all of out people. Hmm, who's left? I guess that would be YOU."

I love it when they share their interests with one another, like when N, after being told she was going to see Mary Poppins for her birthday, spent the next hour in the front yard, umbrella in hand, trying to "fly" off of our well cap. And when O also tried to fly, though he didn't quite get why he needed an umbrella. And when B ran by them with a look that said, "Who needs to fly?"

I love it when B shows me just how nice he can be to his brother. Like when he asks him sweetly if he can come into the pack-n-play with him, and if he can tickle him, and if he can share those trains with him. And then asks, in the same sweet voice, "O, can I smack you now?" No, I would not have loved this if he had actually smacked him.

I love it when one of them reminds me that I need to just stop worrying about things. Like when I was recently thinking that I don't expose my children to enough music, and B came down the stairs singing "Come on everybody help me raise this roof, raise this roof, raise this roof..." Um, I'm thinking you don't need much help with that one, B.

I love it when O reminds me how fun the often exhausting toddler stage can be, like when he sits in front of the fish tank making fish faces, or repeatedly says "I la lu" for I love you, or "Hi N!" when we pick N up from school, or "Daddy home!" every time we see a van like Jimmy's.

I love it when B reminds me how it's possible to be innocent and savvy at the same time, like when he says "Mom, I called the Easter Bunny and he's bringing treats", and when I remind him that he'll get treats from the Easter Bunny only if he's being good, he says, "I better call that Easter Bunny back and tell him I love him".

I love it when they remind me what's important, like when I ask N what the best part of her day was, and she says, "Coming home. Cause I wasn't with you all day".

I hope you've had some moments you loved lately, too!