Things I Don't Want to Forget.

See caveat for this post,  for sure it applies here...

Here are some things that have happened lately; things I don't want to forget.

1.  Not long ago Hudson, who is five, burly, and tender-hearted, read The Giving Tree with me for the first time.  As we read each page, as the tree lost more of itself, I noticed Hudson was looking very introspective, and his breathing was deep, measured.  By the end, he sat silently, not closing the book, not saying a word.  We sat for a few moments and I said, "What are you thinking, Buddy?" 

"I just feel heavy, Mom.  Real heavy."

Melt my heart. 


2.  In January the kids always hit their "100th Day of School."  There are little celebrations centered around the number 100.  Lily brought home a sheet her first grade class filled out, "100 years from now, how old will I be?" etc. 

One of the questions was, "If I had an extra $100 I would ____________." 

Lily wrote, "Give it to poor people."

A few weeks later at conferences we saw some samples of Patie's writing.  One sample was a worksheet, similar to what Lily had.  One of the questions was the same, asking the kids to write a paragraph about how they would spend $100 if they had it.  Patie wrote that she would give it away to poor people.

SHUT MY MOUTH, HOW DID YOU TWO BECOME SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE???????

They are picking this up somewhere.  While we are often with the poor, and talk about the poor, in full disclosure I need to be clear:  we give, but to be honest, if someone gave me an extra $100, my instinct would be to keep it.  I wouldn't immediately find someone to give it to.  And if someone gave them $100 for reals, I don't know that they wouldn't do the same.  Maybe they would.  Maybe we need to try that experiment.

Regardless, look at those hearts, away from us, not knowing we'd see it, right in front of their friends, they thought of the poor first.  Make me more like that!


3.  Speaking of conferences- conference time is THE BEST.  Your teachers are always brimming over with praise and stories and love for each of you girls.  You are simply amazing.  That's all.


4.  A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, Grace said, "All my friends who've been to my house are jealous because I have such an awesome mom, and they talk about you at school, and say that I'm so lucky to have a mom like that."

SHUT. UP.  YOU ARE KILLING ME, GRACE.

Honestly, our girls' friends do say stuff like that, not just Grace's.  I WILL TAKE IT!  YOU CAN THINK WE'RE COOL!  LITTLE DO YOU KNOW!

I do like to keep that statement in my back pocket, for times when I know I'm getting on Grace's nerves, or keep telling her what to do and she gets annoyed with me. 

I'll be like, "Hey, your friends are JEALOUS you have a mom this awesome!  Don't you forget it!"  This has not failed to make her laugh in tense moments.  Someday it will fail.  Until then, I'm keeping it!



Kids, you. are. incredible.  For 1,000 reasons, I admire you so much.  You make life so very interesting and so good.