My children are cute

I say this like a mantra.

Because it is true.

And it is also important to remember that it is true.

And to not let the bits of frustration in life color the truth of life.

The truth that is, I am blessed to be the mother of these two little people, who are unique and full of light and life and joy, who bring challenge and clarity and vibrancy everywhere they go, who are very, very cute.

Evidence A:

 

Ivy at 2 years, 10 months (egad, how did THAT happen????) is such a slice of adventure and sunshine in my life.  She does not sleep through the night, she has a quick temper and a scream to beat the band... but all is forgiven in an instant when she turns on this smile. She can always make me laugh. I love every inch of her and I am captivated by her spirit.  She talks and talks and wants to know what every word in the world means.  Her imagination is taking off:  tonight after she regaled us with stories of today's trip to Lake FarmPark, she then wanted to pretend to be a horse.  She carefully presented her feet to be "shoed"  and then galloped off, floating on tiptoe, arms akimbo, a feather with a face alight with joy.  The happiest of little blond horses in the world.  Gallop to mommy : "I sleepy!  Pet me!"  Gallop to Jack: "Wan go for a ride?"  Jack holding her hood like reins, they ran circles around Gram's house, giggling and finding patches of "grass" for our little horse to eat.

My children are cute.

Jack at 5 years , 8 months is a wild little man with quick and intense feelings and desires.  He loves a good project (like making his own Belt of Deltora, above) and listening to science fiction novels.  He lives to earn his allowance, loves to save it, and spends it impulsively and generously.  He would rather play Dungeon Keeper than... well... anything.  We are needing to set boundaries and structure for him, far more than we expected we might.. He can do mental math and read a lot of sight words and he doesn't love to write.  He runs fast, jumps with abandon, and can almost do a full split.  He's getting better and better at ice skating and is swimming like a little dog-paddling fish.   He wears a size 1 and half shoe.  He has a best friend at school.  He is so, so tall.  He is so, so grown up.  Yet he is still so very, very young.   His emotions rule him and he doesn't think things through.  There are times I have no idea what to do with him.  I love him so terribly much.  The curve of his cheek (still a little round), the mole behind his left ear, the set of his eyelashes-- these parts of him that are my baby still...

My children are cute.

No, they are more than cute.  They are complex, fascinating, exhausting, intoxicating, joyful, frustrating, intense beams of light. 

I am so lucky.

That's all for tonight.