What I Love

What I love right now about Leah:

She says "here mom" when she hands you something, even if you're not mom, like when Jake demands she give back the toy she swiped from him, or dad says "what do you have, Leah?" and she hands over the pen she just used to decorate her legs with.  "Here mom".  I think she thinks that's just the words you say when you give something to someone.  It's so cute.

She is just starting to give kisses with her mouth.  She opens up wide, looks like she knows, "this isn't right," then puts her lips closer together and goes in for the kiss.  Today when Brian got home from work she went back and forth between me and Brian giving kisses.  She thought she was pretty cool stuff.

She takes handfuls of dirt from the garden and sprinkles them on Jake's head (or Kennedy's head, or her own head, for that matter). 

Her tip-toe run.  Even though her feet point inward a little, she has the fastest little run ever; and a pretty cute little waddle to go with it.

Every morning when I go in to get her from her crib, she assails me with a whole slew of words and exclamations about all the goings-on in her room, pointing this way and that.  It's like she's been waiting all night to talk to me.

(He tucked himself in like this for his nap-one lion under each arm)

What I love right now about Jake:

He tells me I'm "so cutey cute," even first thing in the morning, when my hair is less than beautiful (Kennedy said I had a "horn" on my head the other morning.  Hmm.) and my mascara makes me have dark circles under my eyes.

He tells me how "adorable" Leah is, and how she has "adorable cheeks."  He calls her Grinny because she's always smiling when we go get her from the crib in the morning.

If he accidentally hurts me, or makes a mistake, he is so quick to say "I sorry, mom."  It's so hard for me to stay upset or flustered when he says that so quickly.  Then he always gives me a hug and says, "I love you".  I wish I could say I do the same thing each time I mess up.

He inititates loud sound contests with Leah.  They pick some random noise to make, then they go back and forth, saying it louder and louder and giggling the whole time.  It's pretty funny, at home.  Not so much in the grocery store.

(First day of 1st Grade, waiting for the bus)

What I love right now about Kennedy:
She wants the world to be perfectly just and fair.  Me too, but then life wouldn't be a learning process, I guess.

The way she plays with Leah, and loves her and smiles at her, makes me think about how they will be years down the road.  I hope they will always be best friends.  I know that Kennedy will always take care of her.  That's just the kind of person she is.

The notes she makes for me.  Just last night I went to bed and found one on my pillow that said simply, I love you, Mom. 

The way she loves school and learning.  She soaks it in like a sponge.  At her back-to-school night for first graders, her teacher wanted me to fill out a form that asked me to circle two words that describe her learning style the best.  It had about 8 options, and I honestly couldn't decide which two to pick because she excells in all of them.  Then when it asked her favorite subject I asked Kennedy and she told me Social Studies and Science, then when I asked her for her least favorite subject, she thought for a minute and just smiled and said, "I like them all!"  I knew she would say that.  It is a surprising joy to be able to relate so well with my daughter in this area, because I was exactly the same way growing up. 

Her confidence.  In many ways we are alike, but in this area she far outshines me.  While I was a bit nervous for her on the first day of school, especially when I realized I had no idea where she was supposed to line up once the bell rang, or what door to go in, she cooly told me where "all" the first graders go.  She had it all figured out.  She's great at making new friends, even on one-time-only excursions like the park.  I guess she has no reason to doubt herself, and I hope she stays that way for a long, long time.