Shamrocks

Dear Kids,

Today is St. Patricks Day. In my efforts to get everyone out the door on time and to our respective places, we didn't get to celebrate a whole lot in the morning. But I made sure each of you had a 4 leaf clover drawn in green on your hands.

You were each so proud.

And nobody got pinched. :)

It was just a good day with you. The boys and I spent time at the park, and Jenna had a good day at school...and you all played the afternoon away in the backyard.

I just love these peaceful times...not PERFECT...but peaceful...

Love mom

After school...

Dear Jenna,

Lately, I have been trying to turn off the radio, avoid the cell phone, and focus my ears on you and the boys on our 20 minute ride home from school.

I have to say that they have become the most cherished 20 minutes of my day...

You chatter about everything that happened, about what's important to you, about silly jokes and people you care about. And the boys get involved too.

I love being a part of your day like that.

Love, mom

Monday night is family night...

Dear kids,

You have become very well accustomed to Monday night being our family night.

I know I have written about this before, but I just love your enthusiasm and love for our time together and our lessons we have. You encourage me to keep on going...to not give up...because even if I wanted to, I don't think you would let me.

I love Mondays...

Love mom

Your day

Dear Jenna,

I had a completely different thing I was going to write about, until I tucked you in bed.

You were throwing SUCH a big fit when it was time for scriptures and prayer. We made an agreement before that if you could not join us for that time, that you wouldn't get a special story in bed...when I usually go in and lay by you and we talk and have some time together.

Knowing that you weren't going to get a story put you in even BIGGER hysterics!

You cried and screamed and threw a huge fit. I went in and tried to calm you down...offered to let you tell me a few things about your day, but you battled even that.

The time went on, your crying went on...and eventually I went back for one final time.

I laid by you and stroked your hair.

You asked me to tell you 3 things about my day, which I did.

And then you asked if I you could tell ME 3 things. The logical side of me wanted to say no--that you had your chance. But the heart side of me laid next to you and loved you...

I told you my 3 things...and you told me yours.

1. It was the last day of testing at school.

2. Tomorrow was Saturday.

3. "The most special thing of all..." (said while whimpering)..."that you loved me".

I am SO glad I spent that time with you...I am. My heart was right this time.

I love you.

Love, me

At the car wash

Dear boys,

Today we decided to wash the car, since it was GORGEOUS outside.

We pulled into the car wash and vacuumed the car first. When I went to pull it forward, I realized you guys had locked the car with my keys inside. After what seemed like forever, I coaxed you to unlock the doors...it was a tough job though! :)

You both stared in awe at the bubbles, the power washer, the water everywhere. You were grinning ear to ear. You were completely intrigued. I could have watched you watch ME all afternoon.

You guys sure do make me smile.

mom

Silly

Dear boys,

Today I was folding laundry. LOTS of laundry.

I went to put some away and came back to you both dressed up with underwear on your heads and shirts on your legs...shorts around your arms and socks wherever they would stick.

It made me laugh...

I love the silly side of life you both bring...it makes the day seem so much brighter.

Love mom

The birthday date...

Dear Kaden,

As our birthday tradition goes, when it's my birthday I always take each of you on our own special date to somewhere I have a birthday freebie.

Texas Roadhouse is ALWAYS your special place. YOU LOVE the peanuts there. In fact, I think that's the whole reason you like eating there. The peanuts. Every time we pass it, you ask, "mom, can we go eat at Peanuts today??"

So my birthday freebie there is always with you.

You were so cute all dressed up in running pants, a t-shirt, and a striped tie clipped on over top. All if it your choice. You made the perfect date...insisting on sitting next to me, cuddling up to me time after time and saying you loved me...munching peanuts in between hugs and sharing our dinner together.

Everyone smiled at your tie--and it made me smile so much bigger.

I was proud to be with you. I was proud to be your mom...your birthday date.

Thank you for sharing our special place...

Love, mom

Birthday

Dear kids,

Today was my birthday. My 30th birthday to be exact.

And I cannot think of a better way to spend my birthdays than with you guys. You all make having a special day just that...SPECIAL.

You each were SO excited about the card, the gifts, the party favors...and watching you enjoy the magic of the day took me back to a place when having a birthday was a magical thing for me too.

Jenna, your teacher sent a note home saying you marched right into class and proclaimed to everyone that it was your mom's birthday. She giggled about it. I did too. You wished me a happy birthday for several days BEFORE the actual day. You picked out party favors and a card with ballerinas all over it...because you KNEW I would love it.

You just were SO thoughtful.. And that made me happy.

Watching all of you kids tonight as we celebrated by wearing the birthday bling (the gold medals that were chosen for each of us to wear) and blowing party horns, made me want to freeze that very moment. You were laughing...squealing...smiling. And oh, so happy.

I will remember that always.

Thank you for making my day so incredibly wonderful.

Love, mom

Handsome little man

Dear Spencer,

I just want you to know that today, you were so handsome.

You wore the same thing you wear most Sundays to church...but I just caught glimpses of you growing into this little boy who is so independent and grown up.

You have a smile that just lights up the room...and you are always the ringleader for a good time.

I guess, I just wanted you to know that today I noticed you...the special little you that today, was SO handsome.

Love you little guy.

Mom

Maple sugaring...

Dear Kids,

Today we had a great day together.

Not perfect. But great.

We went out and explored how maple syrup is made, on a gorgeous sunny day. We trapsed through the woods, looked at trees, tasted sap, and had mini pancakes with fresh syrup.

Jenna, you were totally into it...you soaked it all in.

Kaden, you were pretty bored and just wanted to eat lunch... :)

And Spencer, you were just along for the ride with your cute smile.

It was so funny to see how you each reacted...

That's one thing I love. That you are all so different...and respond different to circumstances.

It is yet another thing that amazes me about raising you...

I love you all...thank you for a fun day.

Love mom

Glimpses...

Dear sweet boys...

You know, when we found out what we were having, I was stunned. It wasn't that we weren't happy to have another boy...it was more because I just couldn't PICTURE what our family would look like, and be like with so many BOYS! :)

Well, today I caught some glimpses of our future when we babysat 2 of your little friends.

I think in our future we will be seeing...

lots of climbing, chasing, jumping, tackling.

I think we will be hearing...

lots of screaming, laughing, squealing, shouting.

I think you will be friends...good friends...and rivals, seconds later. :) And then you will make up and run away laughing together to find one more place to hang from and explore.

And I also think I will be tired. :)

I am grateful for glimpses...of you sweet boys...and what life will probably be like.

Love you.

MOM

Our time.

Dear Jenna,

My birthday is coming up. And that means it's our special birthday one-on-one date.

You needed some new shoes, so we headed out to find some, and then pick up dessert.

There was only one shoe on your mind...a flat ballet style shoe with no buckle. Period. You were on a mission to find that particular shoe. However, your feet are so small, that finding a pair of ballet flats with no buckles is close to impossible. We discovered that after searching not one, not two, but 3 stores.

In store one you tried on every ballet flat they had--all WAY too big.

In store two, you tried on everything glittery--and asked about EVERY single ballet flat--again, all of which were too big.

Store three was our last chance. When we walked in, clearly discouraged, you said to me, "mom, I don't care WHAT kind of shoe I find, I just want a new pair!" The shoe department there was the jackpot for you. They had so much to choose from! You laid out numerous shoes (none that fit your previous mental image, but you were thrilled regardless!) and eeny-meeny-miney-moed over and over. At one point you said, "mom, you have GOT to get me out of this place! There is too much to choose from!"

It made me laugh...

You held my hand as we walked through the stores. You were just so cute to watch while you made the oh so important decision. And you looked so grown up.

On the way home, we stopped for a frosty and french fries--the perfect salty sweet combo. ;)

We had such a fun time together, talking and laughing.

I love our one on one time. Especially last night. Thank you for sharing that time with me.

Love, mom

The phone call

Dear Jenna,


Tonight I went out to do some shopping--hoping to find some maternity clothes for me. Dad stayed home to put you guys in bed.

While browsing through a store, I got a phone call from dad asking if I would talk to you for a minute. After the phone was passed, your little voice came on the line, asking for our nightly story. I huddled in a corner of the store, behind a rack of clothes, and told you a tale. ;)

I just loved hearing your voice--and knowing that you need me...still.

I hope it's like that no matter how old you get..

love, mom

At play

Dear boys,

Today we went to the Science Museum. It was just us, and the family we went with. So calm...

I loved watching you run around and explore. You both love the ball pit, and dive right in...Spencer, you spend much of your time there putting balls into the suction machine that shoots them into the ball dropper...and Kaden, you were a fan of the dress up area. You looked so cute working on the pretend car while wearing your police man outfit.

I love these times where you are so carefree.

Love, mom

Shock

Dear Kaden,

Today's funny moment was courtesy of you. :) I wish I had been there to see this, but I was out running errands. Daddy called me though, as soon as it happened, laughing so hard.

He recounted that you had been throwing a big fit about something, throwing yourself here and there. You ran into the bathroom still flailing around and somehow managed to hit the side of the bathtub in just the right way that you flopped right into it.

That alone would have been funny. But even funnier was the fact that Spencer had tried to fill up the bathtub shortly before that and all he could get on was the cold water.

I can just PICTURE your shocked face as you flopped head first, fully dressed, into a bathtub of cold water.

I have laughed at that mental picture all night... :)

Thanks for making me smile today--even if it wasn't intentional. :)

Love,

MOM