21 March 2017

Iddy, you are a teenager now, so things get a little bit complicated sometimes, but you are such a good, kind, loving boy and you always try to do the right thing. A few days ago Papa was talking about how handsome you were and he said, "Mom tells you you're handsome a lot," and you said, "She does?" So for the record, I think you are incredibly handsome, and I am going to tell you that more often! I told you that two nights ago and you responded with, "I think you are beautiful, Mom." That made me feel so good, and I was not feeling all that good about myself at the time but your words lifted me up. You are really good at saying thank you for things like when we cook dinner for you or I make you a smoothie. You are really good at ping-pong and Sushi go. Sometimes I get mad because you always beat me, but you never rub it in or brag. You are doing very well in school, #1 in your class. A few nights ago you were helping me put the girls to bed because Papa was visiting with our dinner guests. We sang "Baby Beluga" and "What a Wonderful World" and you sang both songs with me all the way through as we sang through the books that go with them. That was so special to me and I know it was to the girls, too. They love you so much and you are so sweet to them, always telling them you love them before they go to bed. We had to go to Watamu without you last week because you were in school, and Abby Jones said, "Why doesn't Iddy get to go?" Both girls miss you when you are not around. I love our reading time together in the evening. We hardly ever miss it. Right now we are reading the Chronicles of Narnia. These books are so special to me as I grew up reading them, and I'm not sure if you love them as much as I do, but you are so sweet about reading them together because I love them.

21 March 2017

Ruth-Michael, you are such a sweet, sensitive girl, especially to the ones you are close with. You remind me of myself more and more every day. Yesterday I had gotten on to you and told you to go play by yourself and you were feeling sad and weepy. You came and found me and I asked if you were okay. You gave me a long hug, then a kiss on the lips and told me you loved me. Then you gave me another hug and another kiss. Then you asked me to please swim with you:) which I could not resist at that point. Papa told me when he was picking you up from school everyone was putting toys away. Most children were just throwing the toys in the bins, but you were carefully stacking the puzzle pieces in the box according to their colors. You are really good at taking care of Abby-Jones. When we are at Driftwood you will take her to the bathroom for me, but you can't get her clothes back on, so you come back carrying them with a naked Abby-Jones behind you. You play by yourself so well. You have an excellent imagination. You love for me to read to you, and you are learning how to sound out words like c-u-p. You also love to draw and color. You can entertain yourself for a long time with these things and I love your artwork. You like to display your artwork on the strings that I have tied to the posts of your bed. You are an excellent swimmer. I never worry about you in the pool. Iddy plays really rough with you but it doesn't seem to bother you. You act like it does but I can tell you really like the attention from your brother. I remember feeling that way, too.

6 March 2017

Abby Jones, here are some of the adorable things you have been saying:

"I know how to ride the potty train" (I am potty trained)
"hanker tissue" (handkerchief)
"dredroom" (bedroom)
"kwokwet" (chocolate)
"she shat" (t-shirt)

You are so passionate. You love your mama and you show it, but you are also so stubborn about some things. You love to make me laugh. Sometimes we look at each other and you make a high pitched sound that sounds like my laugh and we just start laughing together. We do it over and over and over again. The laughing just gets us more and more tickled. And I think your little giggle is the cutest thing I have ever heard.

A few days ago Mercy put a big pile of clean, folded clothes on the table and told you not to touch them. You walked right over to them, touched them, and said, "I'm touching them!" I had to give you a spanking for that one. You really cried but I don't think it really hurt you. I think you just cry so you can get back to whatever you want to be doing faster!

When I put you in your bed you say "love you!" over and over again because you don't want to go to sleep.  Then you say, "all my heart!" Then you say, "so excited!" because Papa always tells you he is so excited to see you in the morning.

You try to copy Ruth Michael's prayer and you say, "when I want to pray, I fold my hands together, Amen, Thank you, God!" You've got the beginning and the end but not the middle.

You've been going to a little school down the street from us on Mondays with Mercy. You love to go to school and play on the playground. Mercy says you have a little friend there that you love and she brought a book for you which you have memorized and you read it to the class! I think I have a video where I tried to capture you reading this book but you didn't really cooperate.