cute things my kids said (or did)

a perk to living at Meema and Papa Nick's- story time on a weekday

I'm making sure that I take time to appreciate all the wonderful things my kids say or do these days.  I spend way too much time getting caught up in anxiety over things that I can't control, so I try to balance it with taking moments to appreciate all the special things in my life.  I love the way the kids are right now- I wish I could just freeze time.

Tonight I made 5.5 lbs of brisket- half of which is for our neighbors, who just had their 2nd baby last night.  Congratulations to them!  We were sitting down and eating the other half, and Asher asked me, "Who learned you how to cook?"  I said, "Meema did."  And he said, "yeah, and now you cook really really good!"  I told him that was one of the best compliments I've ever gotten.

At bedtime I was giving Asher some snuggles, and he told me he needed some more kisses.  I love being asked for snuggles and kisses.  I love giving kisses; I love the smell of their hair and skin and the feeling of their warm little bodies curled into mine.  I'm so glad they still love getting them.

Benjamin is very affectionate toward Charlotte, too.  He always gives her hugs and kisses.  Tonight the boys were hugging/wrestling, and then they had to go and include Charlotte.  It was very thoughtful, but she maybe wasn't as big a fan as they were.

In the mornings, we all pile into Eric's and my bed for snuggles.  One morning the boys came in, and Charlotte was already there.  Rather than run in and give me hugs, they both rushed in and hugged her, and she squealed with delight to see them.  It just makes me happy to have my children love each other so much.

Charlotte is also seeking out hugs now.  She loves to snuggle animals- the cats, stuffed animals, maybe a pillow.  She is giving hugs and comes to us for comfort.  She's so independent that I only realized how little she needed me before after she started looking for me!

Last night we had dinner at our friends' house, and the kids just had a great time.  They ripped all the cushions off the couch and jumped on them, they got musical instruments and had an impromptu parade.  Our friends' older daughter told us she was having the best time ever- or second only to the time her cousins came to visit.  It's such a pleasure to watch my children have fun the way I remember having fun as a child.

cute until they fought over it

Ok- so I wrote that first part on Sunday.  Now it's Thursday.  Tuesday morning at 3:30, Asher woke up vomiting, which he continued to do every 45 minutes til 7:30 am.  His top concerns were:
-If I'm sick, I can't go to school and see my friends.
-I don't want the kitty to come near me because I don't want him to get the tummy bug.

Today he was helping around the house, and I thanked him.  He said, "I like doing things to help people who need help!"  That's my boy!

Benjamin got sick on Wednesday night, and stayed home from school today.  He was pretty much better around breakfast time, but he seemed lethargic and I thought he could use a day of rest.  He and Daddy ended up having a great day together, which was really special.  Benjamin is very clever- he has a way of figuring out how things are working and doing it by himself.  I think my dad is pleased he has an engineer's mind.  He and my dad play a game where my dad is the "crane" and lifts Benjamin up and moves him around according to Benjamin's orders.  The other night they were taking out trash, and Benjamin asked my dad to lift him up, move him over, and move him down... into the recycling bin!  Fortunately my dad stopped following orders before Benjamin was in the trash.