Oh that boy...

that baby of mine. The one who stole my heart as soon as I looked into his big blue eyes. He has turned 6. That's a big deal! That requires using both hands to count and I remember when the sum of him would fit entirely in to mine. It doesnt seem possible that 6 years have passed. My sweet baby is growing up. His teeth are wiggly, his feet are stinky, and he can do just about everything himself. Being the mom of a boy is such an adventure. I find myself taking special notice of trains and planes while we're traveling. I am sure to point out every stinky skunk I smell and he responds with a dramatic gag and erupts into giggles. He has made me a money launderer, a rock tumbler,and a melter of toys when his pockets are not emptied before his pants go into the laundry. From the time he was born he was a sympathy crier, it didn't matter if he knew the person crying or not he would sob to the core of his little self in sympathy. I am thankful that even as he has grown up he has retained that quality. He looks so much like his daddy but he is an undercover red head. He has my temper and stubborn streak. I am so thankful for that, it will carry him far as an adult. He is passionate and quick to defend those he loves. He is funny and wacky and still crawls into my bed in the middle of the night because he's afraid that I am lonely. He is my joshypot, my butter, my buddy-roo, the only boy to have won my heart since I met his daddy. He is growing up and no longer has his own speak, no more are there stories of "oh my doch, i tant beweeb it" (oh my gosh I can't believe it) now he corrects his mistakes and moves on. He opens doors when we go places, he always gets the cart for me when we shop. He enjoys being a gentleman and I pray he grows up to be a gentle man.
His birthday came and was celebrated in triplicate with family and friends far and near. He felt special and loved and important. He is settling in to being 6 and on the night of his birthday as I tucked him in after kisses and cuddles. After songs and prayers. As I was turning off the light to leave he said "Can you believe it Momma? I am almost SEVEN!"
Oh my sweet boychild, your momma's heart is barely able to handle six....let's not run any faster.

To watch her grow....

...makes me so proud. She is thoughtful and kind hearted and sincere. Traits that I think are discounted too often and encouraged too little. She carries these traits into every corner of her little life. She is thoughtful, kind hearted, and sincere about her schoolwork. about making friends. and about her faith. Her faith is what strikes me the most. She reads books like the words are water for her parched mind. Lots of books. Poetry and mysteries are her favorite but 6 weeks ago when school started in our house she started reading her bible in a different way. She has lessons weekly that require her to dig deeper than reciting a verse or phrase. It's a study that relates what she reads into her life. I look at her faith growing and her relationship with her Saviour deepening and am in awe. I am in awe that I get to be her mom and bear witness to it. I am in awe that she has grasped at such a young age the greatness of who He is. She has written music for years, has tunes in her head and lyrics in a now tattered journal. Her handwriting has gone from barely formed chunky letters to a fluid cursive. Her lyrics have evolved as well. Tonight I heard her singing in the shower and couldn't place the tune, it was because she was writing a song. She breathlessly sang to me and then tried to write out her lyrics. To see her sing anything is fun, she engages her audience and knows how to work a crowd. She is my daughter after all. To watch her sing praises to her King is almost beyond words.
I fell in love with idea of being the mom not too far after falling in love with Jeremy. He made me crave picket fences & the PTA. He showed me what love looked like and what happily ever after really meant. Currently, I have a plastic fence in the backyard that I share w/the neighbors and we home school so I've not quite fulfilled all the cravings but I'm certainly enjoying where we are.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztiz0r554Ec