Love

Today, my sweet little Grins said "Mommy, I wish you weren't already married to Daddy, because I want to marry you so bad!" Then, in his night prayers, he asked "Please bless Mommy and Daddy and Angel and Wiggles....but especially Mommy." What a sweet boy. How I adore him!

Angel and I had the following conversation (just a moment or two after she told me I was the meanest mommy in the world and had taught her a bad example by being mean and making her do chores):

A - "Mommy, when I grow up, can I still live with you?"

Me - "Of course, sweetheart!"

A - "Even when I go to college?"

Me - "Sure, that would be great."

A - "Even when I get married?"

Me - "Yes of course, if you want to. But you may want your own house by then."

A - "No way. I want to live with you forever, even until I'm old and die, and even after I die, I want to live together in Heaven."

What a darling girl! I hope she always feels this way, because I know I'll always want her near me! I can't imagine how my mother must have felt letting me cross an ocean to attend college at the ripe old age of 17....I miss this girl when she's at school for 6 hours! If they could just stay little!

Wiggles is at a most delightful age. I love all the ages and stages my children are in, but I think that her age is my favorite right now. The Mr. tells me all the time that she has me wrapped around her little finger....and I know it's true. But how I can I resist? She is just delicious. Each night, after I put her down, I finish the dishes and then come check my email. As I'm sitting at the computer I hear a little pitter-patter and then "Mommy. Are you yooking at the computer? Mommy, yook at me." If the Mr. is around, he will sternly say "Wiggles!" and, at the sound of his voice, the little, tiny footsteps run back to bed. But if it's just me, I look back at her little profile (the round forehead and chubby cheeks are accentuated in the dark) and can't resist picking her up, snuggling her, taking her back her bedroom where I rock her and sing to her until long past she's fallen asleep, just because I love holding her. When she's awake, she's so busy and can't sit still long enough to snuggle me for more than a second or two, so when she's sleeping in my arms, I can't get enough. No wonder my house is such a mess; Who can clean when the alternative is holding/rocking/snuggling such a wonder?

This evening, as I was putting away the stack of books that had accumulated around the house during the day, I was, at first, marveling at how many books we read each day! Although we pick up several times a day, each night I still manage to collect a large pile (tonight: 23) from around the house. As I sat at the bookshelf, putting them away, I imagined myself, a few short years from now (when we are empty nesters), having only 1 or 2 books to put away at night; the books the Mr. and I had read that day. And tears filled my eyes. I can't even begin to describe the joy that fills my heart at being able to love and serve these choice, precious children that are in my home, entrusted to my care. As much as I complain that I am always cleaning but never seem to have a clean house, as cliche as it sounds, I would truly not have it any other way! It reminds me of the poem (I'm sure you've read it before, but it never gets old to me):

Fingerprints

(author unknown)

Sometimes you get discouraged

because I am so small,

and I leave my little fingerprints

on furniture and walls.

But every day I'm growing,

and soon will be so tall

That all these little fingerprints

will be difficult to recall.

So here's a little handprint

that you can put away

So you'll remember how my fingers looked

on this special day.

This is how I feel (almost) every day. I am trying to, amidst the busy-ness, soak in every moment with my three little loves. They mean the world to me, and I want so badly to give the world to them, but I have to remember to do it one day - one moment - at a time. Please, please, time, stand still. Let me cherish them just a little bit longer....please!