Blessings (and there's a lot of them!)

This afternoon, I had a little free time and I was catching up on Baby Bangs. She describes her little boy sometimes and it so reminds me of Eli. She also mentioned how sometimes, as parents, we get so caught up in trying to do everything right, so we get bogged down by the things they do wrong. The things that drive us "bonkers" as she says. So, she had read another blog that declared today as Brag Day for our children. We often don't want to sound snobby or self righteous, so we tend to play down all the things our kids do right.

We have been so blessed to have the sweet kids that we have been given. Eli can sometimes be a challenge, but he never ceases to amaze me. The kid has the vocabulary and memory of someone quite older. (I know lots of people attribute that to living with a speech-language pathologist, but I know he is rather smart!) His questions are priceless and his answers to his own questions are even better. He thinks of things that I have never thought of, much less things you would expect from a 4 year old. You can explain something to him one time, and he will use the concept in conversation the very next day. On the Disney trip, one of the parents was cracking up at him. The day we arrived, we all changed clothes in the bathroom at McDonald's (even at the world's largest McD's, it was still a little cramped and we got the strangest looks. But, after 18 hours on a bus, you didn't seem to care). Anyway, Eli and I were in a stall and out of the blue, he says "mommy, why do we have a big toe?" Um..... "To help us balance so we can walk" Good enough for him - but where do these things come from. Have I ever thought about why we have big toes? There are more times than I care to admit, that the answer just has to be "b/c that's the way God made them, Eli". And usually, he accepts it. I can only imagine what the questions will become as he gets older!

He is the biggest people person I have ever seen. He has NEVER met a stranger and will talk to anyone who is in ear shot. He never seems to notice the looks he gets of "who the heck are you, kid?" He loves people. Definitely did not come from me. He is always the life of the party and makes everyone laugh. I'm always afraid that that will cause problems later in his school career, but I'm praying hard these days about enjoying the child God gave me and worrying about later, well, later. There is so much joy and excitement in everything he does and that is definitely a gift from God. I don't always understand the little boy mentality, but I know that God put us all together in His infinite wisdom and we are thankful every moment for it!

Tonight, we went to eat dinner with some friends b/c Keith's parents took the kids to their house after school. We got home around bedtime/bathtime and discovered that Claire's beloved pink monkey had fallen into the tub and was soaked. I through her in the dryer but she wasn't dry in time for Claire to go to bed. I laid her down and gave her lamb. "no" she said. So, I gave her bear. "no" she said, and started pointing for her monkey. Oh boy. Eli has a brown monkey just like her pink one. But, he's pretty attached to his too. It was worth a shot, so I told Claire I'd be right back and I found Eli in the living room watching his before bed Word World. I could see the little bit of panic in his face when I asked if there was any way he could be a very grown, very sweet big brother and would he possibly let Claire use his monkey tonight? "Well," he said, "I really wanted to sleep with him tonight, but she can have him". It almost made me cry. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think he would share, but he's 4. You never know. He has been the best big brother ever! He always asks about her and makes sure she has what she needs. For a little boy who LOVES being the center of attention, he sure shares the spotlight well!

On those days (and we ALL have them - especially parents of boys - but also girls as we're now discovering) when you wonder if you're doing anything right, it's good to take a step back and look for things to thank God for and to brag on your children about. Honestly, we never really have to look hard. We just forget.

Claire has been such a different little person from Eli. I have been amazed on more than one occasion at how 2 small people can be so different in such a short amount of time, despite growing up with the same parents and family. They really are their own people - from day 1. She loves to sleep and spent so much time sleeping as an infant, that I know I asked our pediatrician more than once, if a baby could sleep too much. I know most parents would give anything to have that "problem". Even at 18 mos. she still wants her 2 naps and will be in bed by 730 at the latest. I don't see her giving up her 2 naps anytime soon. Every night, we rock and read a few books, turn out the light and sing and rock for just a minute. It's never long enough (for me!) before she points to the bed. "Do you want to lay down?" "uh huh" she says. She started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks and hasn't looked back since. It is amazing how much better a mommy can feel, just for getting a good nights sleep (Or at least 6 hours. But, that's not Claire's fault).

She does so many little things that make us smile. She's been whistling for as long as we can remember, and it always shocks people and she gets such a reaction! She can imitate any cute little face and when she pokes out those lips to get a kiss. Oh my goodness, she's a cutie!

And eat! That little girl can eat. I have rarely seen her turn down food. Period. Sunday, in the nursery, I know she had snack at least 3 times - just in the hour we were in there. I know they'd already had goldfish in SS too! I can't think of too much that we have given her that she will not eat. She loves it all. I hope it stays like that. Maybe, since by now, Eli had realized that he didn't have to eat it - so he quit. "Eat, eat" - that's the first thing you hear any time you get her out of bed.

You can't ever really imagine how life will be with kids. Before you have one, you try to picture what it will be like - but you can't. When you're expecting the second, you can't imagine how things will be when that one arrives. And then, once they're here, you can't ever imagine life before they came. I know we got more sleep, had a cleaner house, more money, got to hang out more with friends, got to eat out more and in peace - so many things that sound postive about life before the kids. But, there is nothing - absolutely NOTHING - that I would trade for them. They are precious gifts that I thank God for every day. Even on "those" days! May we always remember the good - thank God for it - and pray for things that aren't - and then just let it go and let GOD!