Snippets

Like all of you for whom summer calls, life is busy here in the H home. Good busy, but busy just the same. The kids' final soccer game and pitch-in is this Saturday. Two days later, they begin swimming lessons. We're also looking forward to a likely visit from my brother and sis-in-law next weekend. So many blessings to take note of. I trust that you too are taking the time to see your blessings in the midst of this season you're in, because they truly are always in the mix.

I talk a lot about Reece here on my blog. Fact is, he's the child most likely to produce blog fodder in our family. Reece is,...well, Reece. If you were around him for more than a minute, you'd spot it. Animated. Quirky. Dramatic. Talkative (oh so talkative). So it's very easy to "catch" one of his moments. I'm going to pass on him today and bring you a moment from each of my other blessings.

Cierah. Our free spirit. She'll charm you with her twinkling smile. She LOVES anything pink or princess. She's cute as a button. And yet....she is not afraid to take on boundaries as an army of one. Oy vey! She keeps us on our parenting toes. Now, Cierah loves loves loves to read (actually, all my kids do, but she is especially fond of filling down-time with a book.) So, she was reading a children's book about the Nativity yesterday.

"Mommy, is this Jesus as a newboWn?" (gotta love the /w/ sound for /r/ in kids).
"Mommy, is this Joseph? I don't think he looks like that."
"Mommy, look at Mary. She's pretty. She's wearing pink." (Not that Mary wasn't pretty, but I'm sure it's the pink factor that won Cierah's heart here.)

"Mommy, is Mary still alive?"
"Oh no, honey. She lived a very long time ago. Over 2,000 years ago."
Eyes widened to suggest surprise, Cierah continued.
"Oh my. That's a long time. So,.....is she still alive?"
Oy vey!

Brandon.
Brandon turned 2 in December. He is the most cognitively advanced child we've had as he passes through the stages our kids have already been through. Things come easy to Brandon. His new thing is to point out the types of trucks on the road and name them.
"Tractor trailer.
Delivery truck.
Tanker.
Garbage truck.
Street cleaner.
Flatbed."

So yesterday, Carl (who has mild to moderate Asthma) needed to use his inhaler. He picked it up from his dresser and squeezed, breathing in the metered dose and holding it in his lungs as usual. Suddenly, Brandon, who had been standing there watching, sought Carl's attention. "Daddy! Eeeeeee?" The "Eeeeee" was Brandon's imitations of his Daddy's wheezing. Oh my, that child.

And my Bunker girl, Olivia (if you've read my blog in the past, you know why we call her our Bunker girl.) This week as I was scrapbooking out of an altered computer cabinet, she inquired.
"Mom, when you write that paper that tells everyone what they're getting after you die, will you be sure to leave your scrapbook cabinet to me?"
I didn't know if I should be offended or laugh, I tell you. I decided that giggling was in order.
"It's called a will, honey. And you're very easy to please (hee hee). Sure, if my scrapbook cabinet means that much to you, you can have it."
Elated, she replied, "Oh, THANKS, mom! I'm going to use it to examine my dogs when I own a dog rescue."

Wat Wah!

Toni