One thing I love about 3 year olds

One thing I love about 3 year olds is that they can't say things correctly.

Tommy's primary teachers are a married couple. He refers to them as "BrotherSISter Karr". Which is especially funny because a friend I grew up with called her primary teachers "Brother LA-dy" and when Tommy says "BrotherSISter Karr" I hear Carly telling the story about how she wants to "hit Brother LA-dy!"  Today he had a substitute and when I told him it was because Sister Karr had surgery and was at home working on feeling better he reminded me "not ohn-ee [only] Sister Karr is sick. BrotherSISter Karr is sick."

"My neck [throat] and noggin are feelin' a little noxious [obnoxious]" he told me one morning. "I guess I need some medicine." Then he demanded M&Ms.

He also can't quite do everything correctly and when he feels inadequate or incapable he is petrified and hates the project he's working on. This happens most often with coloring or drawing. He isn't afraid to make mistakes in speaking (to me) or reciting things (the memory on this child is amazing...I just want to fill it up before someone else does) or identifying things.
But CREATING things is well outside of his comfort zone. He has never liked coloring (until Sunbeams, I think his teachers are magic, he's easing into it) and writing is almost completely out of the question. I really wanted to teach him to write the letters in his name, but putting the pen (or pencil, or marker or crayon) on paper makes him so anxious I simply can't stand to force him.
Today he wanted me to write a note to his primary teacher with him. He talked, I wrote, then I suggested he try to trace some of his favorite letters. When his "o" got a little out of control he had a meltdown you wouldn't believe. He flung the crayons on the floor and ran out of the room crying about how he "hates to drawed that paper!!!" and he wanted a new one.
He was tired, he fell asleep within minutes of this meltdown, but it's a common occurrence. He just hates the thought of being incapable and I can relate.

Of course there are other times that I am astounded by his understanding. The other day as I was putting on my apron to cook dinner he walked up to me and so clearly stated what he wanted. "Mom. Take off that apron and don't be a cook right now. Just be my mommy instead." I asked him what he'd like me to do and he said "just sit on the sofa and have a little chat with me." So I did.

If you ever get the chance to have a little chat with Tommy take it. He's shy at first, but once he warms up to you I swear you'll never laugh harder or be so enchanted with anyone in your life. He's impressive and intelligent lovely to talk with.

One thing I love about sharing a room with the kids

We're currently living in a hotel*.

Because we're on vacation.

A real vacation.

One where Josh took time off work.

For the first time since we went to Alaska....4 years ago. (Not counting "my wife just had a baby" vacation time.)

Anyway, one thing I love about sharing a room with ALL of my boys (even the little ones) is watching them sleep. And more importantly watching Josh snuggle them to sleep.

Also going to sleep ridiculously early because what else are you gonna do silently in a dark room filled with kids? (Blog. But it took me 2 days to figure that out.)

ANYWAY, Tommy will not be snuggled to sleep by me. Ever. He just gets crazier and crazier the closer I get to him. So we've never been sleeping buddies. It's strictly a father/son thing and I almost never get to see it happen.

But last night Josh snuggled up on the bed next to Tommy and Tommy curled in next to his dad the two facing each other. Josh fell asleep in roughly 0.3 seconds and Tommy quietly in his very best whisper voice started talking to himself while playing with daddy's face. "silly daddy. sleepy daddy. one eye? two eyes! nose. touch a-nose. (this is what we do to horses - touch a-nose) I loooooovvve you." He whispered. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Tonight Daddy's gigantic body is curled around Tommy's tiny body which is curled around Scout's tinier body. The three of them are forming the most adorable line of spooning I've ever seen.

All of that is adorable, but barely holds a candle to Johnny's beautiful sleeping-baby faces. Which I simply can't describe.

Is it creepy that I love watching babies sleep? Whatever, I gave birth to them...

*Unless you're a robber. Then we're currently living in our house just like always. Please don't steal our stuff - ok? Our neighbors will hear you and turn you in. I promise.

One Thing I Love about John

One thing I love about John is that he makes this face - mostly just for me.

One Thing I Love About Spring in December

One thing I love about spring in December (aka 2011) is that Tommy can do his favorite thing (throwing rocks in the water) even though it's December.

Also doing yoga on the back porch of Grandma Huggie's cabin. (no photo - you're welcome)

Sunscreen

One thing Tommy loves about swimming is the putting on of the sunscreen.

He especially loves it when I let him help rub it in.

He especially doesn't love it when I try to help him with the parts he missed.

One Thing I Love About Camping

One thing I love about camping is seeing Tommy sleep.

He a relatively light sleeper, so when we're home, once he's in his room and that door is closed we don't go back in for anything. (Except a fire of course...which has happened exactly zero times.) So we never really see him sleep.

But when we're camping, we put Tommy to bed in the tent, then we stay up and play games or stare at the fire until our eyes are going to burn out of our heads and then we go in to bed. That's when we get to see him sleep. My child may be a fit-throwing "no!"-yelling two-year-old most days, but when he sleeps he's immediately my teeny tiny adorably perfect angel baby again.

So, when he cries in the middle of the night we gladly put him in our sleeping bag and enjoy his snuggly goodness.

Waking up to these handsome boys starts my day off right.

One Thing I Love About Josh being in school....

One thing I love about Josh being in school is that summer means something again. Remember when you used to count down the days till school was out? Remember how summertime came with freedom and vacations and a significantly easier schedule to accompany these long long days?

That is the upside of school.

One thing I love about Tommy.....

One thing I love about Tommy is that he is so so good at kisses.

Sometimes while he's playing I'll say "Tommy, do ya got any kisses" (my mother would die if she knew I was teaching him such poor grammar.....sorry Mom.) and he stumbles across the room to me and puts his forehead on my lips for a kiss. I give him a kiss, and he puts his forehead up again for more. Then he turns to look for dad so he can "give dad kisses" too.

Someday maybe I'll catch it on video (because I know how you love the videos....) but in the meantime just imagine the sweetest thing you ever saw and that'll be close enough.

One thing I love about storing other people's presents under our tree

One thing I love about storing other people's presents under our tree is that when Tommy unwraps them every week, he isn't spoiling his own Christmas morning surprise - he's simply making it so everyone gets presents wrapped in a patchwork quilt pattern.

One thing I love about a gray sky morning

One thing I love about a gray sky morning is that Tommy doesn't realize it's morning until nearly 8am.

I could list a million other things I love about a gray sky morning, but that's not the title of this post....maybe another time.

One thing I love about being at my mom's house

One thing I love about being at my mom's house is the yard.

Josh and I agree that the next place we live will have a yard and a garage larger than our car. Among other things.

The garden and the barn. Yes, that's ALL garden. Yes I brought home "some" squash. Thanks mom!

The trampoline, which Tommy thinks is only mildly entertaining. For 5 jumps. Then he (and I) are done.

The ginormous swing set, trees and open lawn for game playing.

Tommy is like 2 feet tall right? So that puts this swing set in perspective.

Tommy LOVED to swing.

He giggled and giggled and giggled. So I got out the camera. And he suddenly didn't think it was as funny. But....because I know Grandma Reilley loves no sound more than this one (the baby...not the mommy) you get the video anyway.

Nevermind Grandma. I'll try again tomorrow.

One thing I love about summer

One thing I love about summer with a baby is that the laundry is just so much cuter!

One thing I love about my mother-in-law

One thing I love about my mother-in-law, is that she calls on the night before a race to say good luck.

That's because she's cool like that.

One things I love about being a mom

One things I love about being a mom is that sometimes my baby squeals with delight over a fistful of plastic links.

"Look at these toys I found!"

One thing I love about Josh....

One thing I love about Josh is that sometimes he hides the Easter candy bowl from me as a direct result of watching me eat everything I could find yesterday.

Good husband.....

NOW GIMME THE CANDY!!!!!

One thing I love about the rain

One thing I love about the rain is street puddles.

One thing I love about sunshine

Is sunglasses.

One thing I love about not being in Montana

Remember when we were thinking about going to Montana?

To live there?

Forever and ever?

Well, if we had gone to Montana, this morning would not have gone like it did. No quiet Sunday music while preparing RS stuff for church.  No leisurely walk to and from our building (1 mile and 48 perfect degrees away from home). No perfect lesson provided by Katie. No thought provoking comments from ward members. No joking about "penalty for noisy baby" with Medinas.

None of that.

Of course we could've listened to our music in Montana, but I bet we wouldn't live a mile away from the church and I know it was not "48 perfect degrees" there.

Besides, Josh is a total stress case when he's acting as the Regional Operations Supervisor, and having that be his permanent job would not be good for our marriage.

One the I love about the internet

One the I love about the internet is that I have friends all over the place. And friends of friends that I love dearly that I don't know "in real life".

Nutrimirror has expanded that feeling by about 10 million.

Karynd (who is amazing) sat by some nice lady on a plane and based on the few things she said, I'm 95% sure she's LDS. (Stay at home mom of 4 kids flying out of Idaho to visit family in Texas. She sells Scentsy. She has to be mormon, right?) So not only do I love Karyn (who I've never met) I also love her new obscure friend (who I've never even TALKED to) who even she will probably never see again.

That, my friends, is one great thing about the internet.

One thing I love about my dentist

One thing I love about my dentist is that when I show up for my 10am appointment at 9:51 he has me in the chair with a needle in my gums by 9:52.

I've never ever waited in his waiting room. And that's worth loving.