It's rare for me to just sit and observe my kids. It's something I want more of and plan on executing as soon as my live-in housecleaning fairy shows up.
But last night I did just sit. And I watched with adoration at these little people that are mine as they giggled themselves silly, running around the living room pretending to crash into walls and sneezing their hats off.
Jake wore a cheap, plastic red firefighter hat he got at Preschool months ago. Benjamin donned Scott's Bolivian missionary hat that looks very Indiana Jones-ish. Ruby pulled the Santa hat with twinkling lights over her eyes and tried to kiss me through the fabric. She ran into the TV stand a couple times.
They giggled, giggled, giggled and I was in silent humbling awe of just how much I love them and how good and normal life can be.
Thank heavens for Instagram and my Chapbooks, because they've been the sole means of documenting my children's lives the last 18 months.
Some thoughts...
Jakey. Will turn 5 in less than two weeks! He is starting Kindergarten and I can't believe it. We ordered him a shark backpack and I think it's going to be huge for his slender body. His hair is perfectly sandy blonde and he only like hairspray in it...NOT gel or pomade. He likes it to feel soft. Same with basketball shorts. They are his go to along with his basketball shoes. He hates sandals. He has delicious little freckles under his eyes on dotting his nose just like I used to have. His speech is improving. He can count to 11. He's learning to write his name. (I found a dozen or so J's written in pen on our leather couch. When I asked him who he thinks had done that, he said, "Ummm, I think Benny did.) He is in CTR 4 and loves his teacher, Sister Keleman. He loves to swim, ride his plasma car at Grandma's, go to the park and the zoo, and play with friends. He loves pizza, soda and candy, pop tarts, popcorn, granola bars, crackers....yep. Still an extremely picky eater but I think we are making progress...I hope. His favorite color is blue and he is still tall :) I absolutely love his little face when he peers into my eyes and says, "I love you Mommy."
Ruby. Age 2 1/2. We joke that she is a sour patch kid. "First she's sour, then she's sweet." She can scream and pitch and throw a tantrum with ferocity, then seconds later be hugging and kissing and need lots of attention. Her love language is 100% touch. Ruby loves to eat. She is constantly hungry and has a healthy solid figure. I feel like she could be a rockstar gymnast. Her beautiful auburn, curly hair is heaven and she receives compliments on it all the time. I love doing her hair. Ruby loves playing with my makeup (aka destroying it and covering her entire face in eye shadow.) She loves jewelry and getting dressed. She loves to give koala bear hugs and clings so tightly. She loves her dog Luna. Last night she thought the dog was hurt so promptly got out the first aid kit and tried to put a bandaid on her. Whenever Ruby sees me getting ready or dressed she yells, "Let's Go!" Last week, she left the house while I was taking a shower, crossed the street, went down two houses and knocked on the neighbors door. Thankfully, they brought her back. She is such a twirp! But she's a beautiful, spunky twirp.
Benny. Age 2 1/2. Has the sweetest jibber jabber. He'll get in these moods where he'll talk and talk and I wish it would never end. He is also very dramatic. Tantrums have him flopping to the floor like Sadness in Inside Out. He loves cars, trains and blankets. Getting off the bottle was hard for both him and Ruby. He loves the park and running away. He is very fast. He loves to cuddle and play sword fights with his brother. Jake and Ben are having more and more fun together doing boy stuff. Ben has awesome strawberry blonde surfer hair and his eyes are still piercing light blue. He definitely has the "baby" complex haha even though he is just one minute younger than Ruby. He seems to get the short end of the stick usually when it comes to playing with his siblings. But he is very good at sharing usually and is happy to gather things for his brother and sister. He is energetic, nutty and adventurous. He is also an artist and loves to "ree a booh!" (read a book). He's drawn black crayon circles all over our white walls...also on lampshades, tables, picture frames, etc.
All of the kids love the park, zoo, beach, their dog, going to Grandma's house, riding their plasma cars, and watching movies. They are fun, crazy and sweet and I am so excited for the fun summer ahead with them.
