For me?

"Look what my yo-yo string did...It's for YOU!" 

I'm a sucker for a loving gesture...and he knows it.
Not that he isn't a sweetheart - he is...
But sometimes he does things JUST so I'll sappily sigh "Aaaaaw" and hug all over him.
He knows how to make an impact...and he plays me like a violin.


I am praying now for the day when he realizes that this super-power might actually work on OTHER girls  - who aren't his Mama. God be with us.

"The Little Things" About Schnook

We call our youngest Schnook. It fits him.
From the time he was born, people would stop me in the store to comment about my happy, handsome baby boy...and they'd always add, "He's ornery, isn't he?"
One woman called it a "twinkle in his eye."
I like that terminology best. His Dad has that same twinkle. I hope neither of them ever lose it.

This list is so I never forget the twinkle (even when I'm dealing with the ornery results).
I'm recording what I love about my 9-year-old before I blink, and he turns 19.

- He sleeps horizontal in his bed.
- He would prefer to hang upside-down in a chair than sit in it properly.
- He runs across the house to kiss me good-bye, even if I'm just going for a walk.
- He is passionate. He stands up for his principles.
- He LOVES surprises (giving them - and getting them).
- He loves to cook and work on motors. He'd do just about anything that included interacting with a parent while using his hands.
- He has been singing and musical since before he could talk. He would hum himself to sleep as a baby, and (for years) he has sat in my lap to listen to my heart. (He occasionally makes up a melody to go along with the beat.)
- He plops himself down on top of  family members (or shoved up against them) no matter how much space is available to spread out next to them. He wants to be CLOSE.
- He talks to his fish and treats them like some of his best friends. He takes his responsibility to feed them VERY seriously and really hurts when one dies. He such a little care-giver.
- He plays with babies and children much smaller than him. He stands up for others and plays with the "weird" kids. He sees ALL people as having value.
- He would sleep in his brother's room every night - if brother would let him.
- He draws a crowd wherever he goes. He is athletic, funny, sensitive, and outgoing.
- He doesn't see himself as a leader, but he IS one.
- He will try anything with an open mind (and without fear). He loves to EXPERIENCE life at high speed.
- His hair is shiny - like a halo, which is good because some days I need reminded how heavenly it is to be his mother.
- He is 9-years-old and still calls me "Mama".

I know this is the list that will probably change the MOST in the next few years.
I can't wait to see how this little ball of energy matures and grows into a big ball of energy.
Lord, help him use his risk-taking, smile-making, crowd-pleasing personality always for your glory.
Thank you so much for enriching my life with such different personalities.
Help me to learn from each of them.
Amen.

"The Little Things" About Bubby

We don't actually call him Bubby anymore.
Buddy? Yes.
Handsome? Of course!
Sometimes I call him Frank (I have no idea why), but Bubby was the very first nickname ever given to our oldest little blessing.
This is the "short list" of the things that I love about him - 11 years later.

- He has a mind (and vocabulary) that catches others off-guard. He often asks questions that seem advanced for his years (and I often don't know the answers either.)
- He is considerate and not crude (most of the time - he is still a boy, after all).
- His hair has the perfect little wave to it that flips at his neck and around his ears.
- He has a thankful heart...and he shares that appreciation verbally.
- He is self-motivated. Music, sports, yo-yos, books...whatever is on his radar at the moment becomes a bit of an obsession. He is DRIVEN to learn all there is to know about a subject, so he can excel.
- He beat-boxes all day long. When he plays guitar, when he rides in the car, when he does math...he is always "dropping a beat." His mouth is a musical instrument that he never has to put away (except when the closest adult gives the evil eye).
- He appreciates clever humor...and is good at manufacturing it.
- He has the mind of an engineer - always asking, "How does it work? How can it be improved? What NEW thing can I invent?"
- His emotions run deep and they run strong. He hates that his eyes tear up when he's frustrated, but it is beautiful to watch them tear when he is impacted in some way by God.
- He CHOOSES to get back up when his emotions yell, "STAY DOWN!" I know God plans to use this strength in HUGE ways.
- He talks in his sleep - loudly.
- He laughs at himself even though it's not his natural tendency. His mind knows there is health in laughter even when his pride wants to be angry or embarrassed.
- He still kisses his mom...even if a friend "might see".
- He tries very hard to be humble, and he thanks God for his abilities. I praise God for that.

This is not a list of "why" I love my son. I love him simply because he IS.
This is a list of the blessings I get to experience because of who he has chosen to be.

The "Little Things" About Clay

I want to acknowledge EVERY effort that my husband makes toward me.
I don't want to give apathy or division a chance to attack our marriage. Ever.
Here are some of the things I want to appreciate on a daily basis - not just when Hallmark tells me I should.

- He brings me coffee (with cream and sugar) each morning that he is home.
- He plays...with the kids, with his coworkers, with his friends. He brings energy and laughter to any atmosphere.
- He flirts with me. Often.
- He moves the furniture to sweep under it when he runs the vacuum!
- He cooks pancakes nearly every Saturday for our little boys.
- He puts toothpaste on my toothbrush for me if he knows I'm going to brush my teeth when he already has the toothpaste out for himself.
- He is authentic. If he'd make a sex joke at work, then he'd tell the same joke at church. (Always saying, "It's ALLOWED, we're MARRIED!")
- He's handy (and smart). He can fix things and build things and figure out solutions in a jiffy.
- He calls me from the speaker phone at work to ask me awkward questions in front of his coworkers. It can be a bit embarrassing at times, but it shows me that he is proud of me, enjoys my humor  -  and thinks of me even when I'm not with him.
- He is a grilling machine! I can't order a steak in a restaurant anymore because it won't measure up to the ones he makes at home.
- He calls me when he is on his way home from work so I know when to expect him.
- He lets me rest each night as he prays (and wrestles) with our children.
- He keeps the garage clean enough that we can fit both cars in it.
- I ask him daily to tell me something funny...and he does.
- He is an incredible father. Very active. Very loving. A man of character.
- I enjoy the sound of his heartbeat. It's such a good heart.
- He helps this Type-A, high expectation personality realize that there is air in this world...and that  I am allowed to sit back on occasion and BREATHE IT IN.

I could go on...but I think you get the picture.
If you ever hear me complaining about my "perfect-for-me" man, please point me back to here (and tell me to stuff a sock in it).
Amen.

The Little Things

Can you tell I've been strolling Memory Lane lately?
Can't get enough of these old photos!

I went to a baby shower and couldn't help but think about how quickly my "babies" are growing up. So, I stopped to write down some of the "little" things I love...before they get any bigger.

• listening to them breathe during quiet morning snuggles
• the look they get when they are trying to figure out if I'm "pulling their leg"
• squeals and giggles coming from the bottom of the pile during a whole-house wrestling match
• "aha" moments which remind me to see the world with fresh amazement
• the way their hair sticks up "just so" first thing in the morning...and sometimes still at lunchtime
• their not-quite-big shoes lined up next to the back door
• pictures drawn on fogged up car windows
• how the words "ice cream" cause their faces to light up
• their innocence, their questions, their sincere love

I don't want to take the little things for granted at any stage that my family passes through.
In fact, I've decided to take this week to post a small series on this subject. The next few blogs should be fun. If you don't know my family, you soon will. I plan to write down the "little things" I love about each one of them (at this exact moment in their existence)...because those little things can really make a very big difference.