Posing with Kitti & Sweet Sentiments

Just a warning.  This is really a "mom" post.  One of those posts that probably is boring for other people to read, but just memories and sentiments and small moments from the day that I wanted to record and look back on someday.  For some reason, today was full of them.  Mostly with Andrew.

There was the cutest conversation going on in the car this morning on the way to pre-school between Katie and Andrew.  I realize I've been blogging a lot about Andrew lately and not as much about the other kids (especially Matthew who is in school all day and is doing just great).  There just seems to be times when one has a lot going on or is in the forefront of my heart for a particular reason.  This is just happens to be Andrew's season.  They each have them.    Anyway,

They were talking about the number of kids they were going to have.
Kitti:  4
Andrew:  1 Because he doesn't want to "have to boss around that many kids."

Apparently my parenting style = "bossing around"?  Got a kick out of that.

I asked him if I could help him take care of his babies and he said yes, and that he'd live across the street from me so I wouldn't have to drive.

If that wasn't sweet enough he followed it up with,
"And I'm going to marry someone as pretty as you."

Mush, I tell you.

In fact, I don't know what exactly is going on, but I had the sweetest day with Andrew.

Perhaps it was letting him buy "Less Sugar' Frosted Flakes at the grocery store.  Sugared cereal does not happen at our house outside of Birthdays.  Andrew later shared at the dinner table that it was his favorite part of the day.  Monday has become my grocery shopping day and Andrew Loathes it.  I felt bad for him and had a weak moment in the cereal aisle.

Then later, when we were leaving Costco he held my hand and said, "Mama will you sing, 'you are my sunshine' to me?"  I have sang that countless times to him and made up lyrics that are special for him (and each of the kids).  He beamed as we walked through the parking lot singing.

In the car on the way home he was doing his usual, "How many days have I been alive?"  (He asks a million versions of the "How many days...." question ~ truth be told I hate it multiplying countless math facts in my head that get increasingly complicated isn't my idea of fun).   It innocently led to a conversation about my Dad.  Andrew was asking where he died, and some specific things, which I answered honestly.  And I followed it up with "You just always need to remember that Grandpapa loved you SO MUCH.  That was the most important thing to him was just that you all know how much he loved you and how important you were to him."  And little Andrew just dissolved into tears....crying and crying that he wants to talk to Grandpapa....such a fine line between keeping that memory alive and reminding them of their importance to Dad and making them sad.

Then, when I picked the boys up from school and was asking them the best part of their day, Andrew said it was making a new friend!  Who is the new friend?  A "fifth year old grader" who leads him out to parent pick up.  "She wears a blue coat."  It's her job to lead the portion of kids in his class to parent pick up (who don't walk or ride the bus).  I love that Andrew thinks she's his friend.  :)  He's made two other friends.  One who speaks very little English (mostly spanish) and the other has a unique ethnic name and I've been repeatedly told "He has brown skin."  I will not be shocked at all if Andrew marries an ethnic woman.  He always chooses the brown firefighter to play with over the white as well and is drawn to the "brown skinned" boys in his class!  I think it's great.

Then, tonight as we were getting ready to bed, each request I asked of Andrew was met with a "Yes, mama."
"Andrew, will you please put all the clothes in the hamper?"
"Yes, Mama."
Everything I asked.  Immediate obedience.

If only I knew what led to this, so I could do it all again tomorrow..... :)

So those were my memories from today. In other news, the Bug came home with this GREAT craft.



I mean seriously, how can you look at that and NOT smile? And thank the Lord that he didn't arrange your features like that. :)

Katie said, "Mama, her face is weird."

Oh! And the other thing she said in the car was this...
"Hello? Gracie?"
"Honey, You'll get to see Gracie at pre-school."
"No, she's on my earpiece."
Yeah, that never would have come out of my mouth at the age of 3.
Then, "What? Oh, I keep losing you."

How bad is that?



This, by the way is her new pose for photos.



Then she wanted me to take pictures of her stomping on the bubble wrap.



So I did.
 By the way, I bought that dress/shirt at Target.  How cute is that?
Love Target.



Then, she wanted to pose with the jam.
I intentionally composed the picture so you could see the mess of groceries on the counters in the background waiting to be put away while Katie and I had fun taking photos.



And just a final little bit about Matthew.  He's just doing great, gone at school during the day and building Legos in the rest of his spare time.  But we've started reading the Chronicles of Narnia together which I'm really excited about.  When the kids get older it's something I'd like to do as a family and study all the Christian symbolism and themes in the writing...but for now it's a fun introduction to an amazing writer and something I'm really enjoying.