A Good Place

We were sick for two weeks.  Some kind of creeping crud that kept the kiddos down with a fever, runny nose, pink eye, and a cough that kept them up at night.  It was a long two weeks, but that’s the way it is when your children have learned the value of sharing and love to pass their germs among each other.  Such obedient children.

Adelyn sick with pink eye.  I’m sure she loved having her picture taken.

But now we are back and better than ever!  Having sick children makes you so thankful for healthy ones!  Now that they are back to their smiley, mischievous little selves I realize just how much I missed them when they were sick! 

Healthy!

I have been just soaking it in these past few days.  Yesterday the kids and I were shopping at Menards, picking up some spray paint for a project I’m going to attempt even though my husband thinks I’m nuts, and they were all just being so stinkin cute.  I was buckling them in to their seats and each one of them was just covering my face in wet kisses when it was their turn.  They were giggling so hard.  When I stepped back out of the van to shut the door I looked at each of those faces smiling at me and my heart just about burst.  How blessed am I to have the honor of loving these children?  To get to know them the way that I get to know them?  To spend the amount of time with them that I get to spend?  To create such incredible people?

They are just truly awesome little people.  I know ever parent thinks that about their child, and I think that’s a good thing!  Every child is an awesome little person! I just love watching their personalities unfolding.

Little Adelyn, 21 months going on 16, is really starting to find her voice and she ain’t afraid to use it.  My sweet, laid back, contented little girl isn’t always so anymore.  At one point last night after asking her to put her toys away, she grabbed her baby doll, clutched it to her chest, scowled at me and said, “No. Mine!”  Ahem.  Not going to work little miss miss, but nice try. 

When her brothers try to hug her she stomps her little feet and cries. It is only on her terms that she gives hugs.  She likes it when they ask her for a hug, and then usually, if she is in a generous mood, she will grant them one.  At bed time she also loves to kiss her brothers goodnight, or at least she claims that’s what she wants to do.  She’ll go up to them and say “night brudder” and then when they try to hug and kiss her she runs away from them.  They get upset and she loves it.

Ethan and Grayson are just growing up.  Too fast.  They are doing so many things now on their own.  They can basically dress themselves completely, only asking me if the tag is in the back before putting on their pants.  Now granted it sometimes takes them multiple minutes unless there is a fun activity waiting as a result of their getting dressed!  They want to do everything themselves.  Put their own toothpaste on their brush, carry their own plate to the table, peel their own banana, buckle their own seatbelt.  They are also hungry for learning.  They have been wanting to learn how to write their letters recently.  All of the sudden they can hold a pencil the right way.  I didn’t even really teach them how, it was like it just came naturally. 

The other day at a BBQ Grayson came running towards me with his pants around his ankles.  He had gotten wet and they had gotten heavy.  Uff da is right!

The other day, after returning from the park, the kids and I went to look at our vegetable garden.  The wind was blowing some and the vegetables were moving around. Ethan looked at them and said, “Look Mommy! The vegetables are having a dance party!”

Ethan and some creepy weirdo known as his mother. Poor kid.

This reminds me of one other cute thing I need to mention on here.  After a bath the boys love to be wrapped up in their towel “like a taco.”  So I wrap it around their bodies and secure it tight.  They then claim that they are having a taco party.  They waddle around in their towels and say, “We’re having a taco party!  Who wants to come to our taco party?”

Life is busy.  It is crazy. The day seems like it is done before it even begins.  I am trying to find ways to slow it down, but it just aint’ happening. Between breakfast, lunch, dinner, laundry, diapers, hand washing, breaking up fights, sweeping floors, scrubbing pee off the walls, bathing kids, dressing kids, lotioning kids, reading books, blowing raspberries, giving kisses, and cuddling time there just doesn’t seem to be much time for anything else.  I’m okay with that.  I sneak in moments here or there where I can read a chapter in a book, get in a workout at the gym, catch up on Facebook, or talk to a dear friend on the phone.

But I’m okay with this pace of life.  I’m okay with the constant mess, crumbs, pee, and fingerprints. 

I love walking through the kitchen with children attached to my legs.  I love the feel of that little blonde head of curly hair laid upon my shoulder.  I love the way it feels when Grayson squeezes my neck with his little arms and plants a kiss on my lips.  I love the sound of my boys voices asking me such innocent questions about the way life works.

Welcome to the rock show.

I’m just soaking it in in this good place.