Really, Henry?

Tags

Children, photography

Really Henry? 

I mean…really? 

Just so we’re clear here, when I say “This picture is for Dad’s birthday”

or

“This is for our Christmas card and you all know how much everyone on the internets and the world in general looks forward to our Christmas card,”

and

“If you’re real good we’ll get ice cream after but you have to smile and I need some good pictures of you and no clown faces.”

 you’re thinking

“make a clown face”? 

I should just make this my Christmas card picture.  That’ll teach him.  Only, it probably wouldn’t.  He would probably think it was super hilarious and awesome, and then I would have to send out one of these every year.

First Communion

Tags

Children, first communion, little boys

William’s first communion.

This day, I see again.

What a beautiful and perfect gift he is. 

And with what an awesome responsibility I am tasked, raising this child. 

He can be loud.  He can complain, and make a fuss, and be kind of a pain.

But he can be the sweetest, most fragile little boy, too.

Sometimes I forget that.

In those moments that he is loud, and complaining, and fussing, I forget. 

I need, in those moments that he is wounded and he is the hardest to love, to wrap my arms around him and be a salve. 

I need to remember how fragile he is.  I need to remember how precious he is.

I watched him while he slept.  In only a brief moment, a thousand memories flooded through me.  Memories of what he has struggled with.  Proud memories.  Beautiful, precious memories of a boy that is still little.  A boy that still needs softness. 

I whispered my love for him.

And I promised him I would remember.

Happy Little Things

Tags

Children, Rainy days, the little things

I’m tired. 

The to do list is so long I just don’t even want to look at it.

And it’s raining today. 

And it’s going to rain tomorrow.

I think that exacerbates the tired. 

And the grumpy.  I’m also grumpy.

(But that could have less to do with the rain and more to do with the fact that we ran out of coffee.) 

((How does a person run out of coffee?  Isn’t that, like, a staple?))

The little peanut butter eggs I’ve been sneaking from the Easter baskets have done little to boost my mood.

And the same goes for the jelly beans.

But doesn’t “jelly beans” sound happy? 

The colored eggs are definitely happy.

And the daffodils…very happy.

But back to the grumpy.

I like to wallow in my misery, you know.

Sitting here in my gray funk of a day, thoughts cross my mind.   Happy little thoughts.

Thoughts of Ella.

Henry.

William.

Kate.

Their arms around my neck. 

Their little hands in mine.

The smell of their hair.

The sounds of their voices. 

Their freckles. 

Their smiles.

Their footsteps.

I’ve waited all my life for those little things. 

 

 

Happy

 

little

 

things. 

 

 

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”  –Robert Brault

(Thanks Rebecca!)

My New Shirt

Tags

Children

It has been a while since I’ve worn something other than a plain old cotton T-shirt.  Let’s face it, my clothes are covered in oatmeal, spit-up, and smears of who-knows-what-else all day long.  It is just not worth the trouble to dry clean the spit up or leaking milk stains out of my clothes, so I have resorted to wearing the same few things over and over and over.  Well, I finally decided to get something new to wear.  I ordered a black lacey cap-sleeved shirt from my favorite store and when it was delivered, I tried it on right away.  I was looking at myself in the mirror, hair all a mess, no make-up, when Henry walks in and takes one look at me and says “Oh Mommy, you look beautiful, wight Mommy?!”  That boy could melt a heart of stone.