They keep us laughing!

R: Can I borrow this flyswatter?
Me: Sure... why?
R: I need to make a catapult.

Me, struggling to get information about the first week of school: Who did you play with at recess?

R: I don't remember.

Me: Did you write your name?

R: No.

Me: Did they have announcements on the big screen?

R: I don't think so... but I am VERY curious...

Me: Yes??

R: If there is only one God, how can he be in so many hearts??

R: Mommy, I LOVE your ideas, but I'm afraid you don't have one this time.

R: Can you pick me up late tomorrow?

K: Maybe, why?

R: My friend said I make playing outside more fun and you know what? He's right. I DO make it more fun!

R: There are no more boogers in my nose. The factory is closed.

Me: Can you please wash the strawberry juice off your chin?

R: No thanks, I look like a man with it.

R: Our Bible story today at church was very interesting! 

Me: Why do you think that is?

R: Probably because I paid more attention today than I did last week.

R: I know this story! Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree and then they were arrested.

R: God loves everybody, but I think he loves monster truck drivers the most.

While playing Pictionary, R drew the word "Jeep," so I whispered to him the word.

R, eyes wide: So I just draw something about that?

Me: Just draw the word I told you.

R: Ok... [proceeds to draw a bunch of squares]

K: Is that a stack of boxes??

R: YES!

Me: How is that a Jeep??

R: Jeep? I thought you said CHEAP!! So I drew something inexpensive-- a stack of boxes.

Me: It's time to put more waters in the fridge.

R: Actually, my boss said I was fired from that job.

Me: Well, I'm really your boss and I say you're rehired.

R: Fine, but I'm going to need some money. That's how jobs work.

One morning I woke up and went into the living room, where I found R, alone, watching the news.

Me: Um, good morning...

R: It's going to be 95 degrees today and there are 100 miles of fire burning in California.

D: I'll see y'all at church. Do I look ok?

R: Oh yeah, Daddy, they'll love you!!!

R: Mommy, when you tuck me in, would you like me to tell you why I've been acting bad lately?

Me: Yes, please! I'm glad to know you have a reason.

R [sweetly has me arrange his blankets just right, then takes a deep breath]: Now, the reason I've been bad is because every time I try to talk, I get interrupted. I just get madder and madder and madder! (gently) Could you please stop doing that?

K: I don't trust clocks. I just don't.

Me: Hmm, I don't remember.

R: You mean your hippocampus forgot.

R: Going to Heaven after we die... that's just weird advice.

After being quarantined for 10 days and having way too much screen time, R saw the word "next" in a book and exclaimed, "Hey! All those letters are in Netflix!"

They keep us laughing!

Me: You sure are laughing a lot tonight!

R: I ate a clown today.

Me: What is that very large, brownish-red spot on your carpet??
K: Ok, please don't get mad, but I spilled red paint. I'm so sorry, I know I should've been using a tray.

Me: Yes, you should have been. But I can see that you tried to clean it up, so I'll give you that.

K: Yeah, I found some brown paint that matched the carpet and blended it in!!!

Me: Wait. Are you saying you did not use water? You just painted on top of the carpet??

K: Yes, and doesn't the shade match the carpet so well?!

Me: Let's put on your new belt!

R: It's like I'm a real man now!!

R, very serious: Mommy. I've been wanting to ask you something for a long time. Will we have birthdays in Heaven?

R: I'm going to start calling you Beautiful!

Me: Ok!!!

R: Maybe you can start calling me Handsome.

Me: Ok, Handsome!

R: My name is Ryan.

Me: What did you do at school today?

R: Played a lot. Talked to God. Ate snack.

Me: You talked to God? That's cool!

R: Yeah, I've been talking to him the past few days at school. Not out loud, just in my head when I think of something to say.

K: I'm packing my purple tutu for Spring Break.

Me: Why do you need a tutu?

K, plainly: Why can't a girl carry around a tutu? Especially one that lights up?

Me: Touché.

R: I think maybe the people who are driving so fast in the snow are the same ones who tell God to go away.

R: Mommy, do you think Rusty Rivets is friends with the pups on Paw Patrol?

Me: Maybe! I bet when they have a Christmas party, ALL the characters from your cartoons get together!

R: Well... I think maybe they know about coronavirus.

R: I have an imaginary ninja friend named Zach.

Me: Did you name him after Daddy's friend Zach?

R: No.

Me: Where did that name come from?

R: His parents, of course!

R: I want to start painting and selling rocks to make money.

Me: How much will you sell them for? They probably need to be pretty inexpensive.

R: I was thinking $10 for each rock.

Me: $10 is expensive.

R: No, $10,000 is expensive. 

Me: Maybe $1?

R: Fine, I'll do $5. I want to set up a stand in the front yard. We have some wood, so maybe Daddy and Tio Jonathan can build that. The girls can sell lemonade if they want.

Annabelle: We could sell lemonade and free crafts!

R: NO, I want to earn money. My rocks aren't free.

Me: Get out of the box and come take a bath.

R: *closes box lid* I have to teleport.

Me: Since you like Muppet Babies, we should watch a movie called Muppets Take Manhattan. It's the Muppets all grown up and they sing and dance and--

R: And they take mens' hats?

Me: No, why would they do that?

R: You said the Muppets-take-man-hat-tan.

Me: Wow, it stinks in this bathroom.

R: I had a big poop. You know what we could do? *snickers* We could turn on the water for a few minutes, leave the bathroom, and then someone else would come in here and turn the water off and then THEY would have to smell it! Haha.

R, praying: Thank you God for *stops and gives me a hug and kiss* hugs and kisses from my mommy.

Me: Please tell me you'll always be this sweet.

R: Ok! No problem. Since you told me today, my brain will remember it forever.

Me: This is simple math. You love math. You have to eat five bites of carrots. You've eaten one bite. You have four more to go.

R: I don't really like math that much.

R, praying: Thank you for God, Jesus, and the plumber. Thank you for my mommy-- my beautiful mommy. Thank you for letting me like the shirt she's wearing today. Amen.

R: See that truck down there? It's for off-roading.

Me: You think so?

R: No, I know so. I know about these things, Mommy.

Dave: Look, we're all in our pajamas!

R: Those aren't your pajamas, those are your normal clothes!

Dave: We've been quarantined too long.

R: Are you done with work?

Me: Yes, why?

R: Great, I have big plans for you and me.

R: God is in everybody's hearts in the whole world, right?

Me: He wants to be! Some people don't choose him, though.

R: Why would they do that??

Me: Well, sometimes people like to choose their own way instead of God's way. But God's way is always better.

R: Ok, so if God helps us but people ignore Him anyway, how do they be brave when they're scared?? What do those people do??

They keep us laughing!

R: When God makes people, do you think it's tricky for him to put the legs on? Because when I draw people, the legs are the hardest part for me. 

R, drawing a person: ... and here's the eyes, and the nose, and the boogers inside the nose...
Me: Ew!
R: Don't worry, Mommy. I won't draw boogers inside your nose. Just inside mine and Daddy's noses.

R, randomly: So how does the food inside our bodies turn into poop, anyway?

Me: Um, it's a process... first the food travels down into our stomachs--

R: So our bodies are like a factory? Got it.

R: I sure wish I had two tongues. Then I could eat twice as much.

R: Mommy, I'm very concerned. Why can't cardboard boxes get wet?

R: I tried a vegetable today!!!

Me: What did you eat?!

R, proudly: I ate one pea!

R: You're really pretty, Mama.

Me: You're handsome!

R: You're nice!

Me: You're sweet!

R: I like your eyebrows.

R, playing soccer with me: Can we stop playing? I want you to score a goal but you're not getting any better. 

R, interrupting me while I was working: Mommy, Baylor's barking. You can't really focus.

R: I make jokes, not trouble.

R: Let's make a hovercraft-train-boat and we'll tie them all together with a pretend rope! First, we'll need to move everything off the land!

Me: Ok, just tell me what to do!

R: Well, basically, you'll just need to clean my room. I'll be back later.

K, looking at a book about music composers: Yep, I knew I would recognize Beethoven. His hair was NOT on point.

K (during virtual school): Do you like my nails??

Me: They look great. Have you finished your assignments for today?

K: Huh?

Me: SCHOOL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FRENCH TIPS.

Me: Did you get in trouble today?

R: Goodness gracious, no!

R: I'm a fan of baby girls. I'm good at making them laugh and feel better when they're sad. 

R: Boy, Katelyn's been a handful today!

Me: Why didn't you eat your carrots at lunch?

K: I did, I ate two of them. One for each eye.

R: If I was a bird, I wouldn't fly. I would just land on top of cars and ride wherever I needed to go.

R (head hanging low): Mommy, Katelyn won't play with her little brother. You know, me.

R: I have a great idea! Let me whisper it to you: wlkajfvknvda;eiasdn sdfnajf adfawjef.

Me: Wdjsijprkw difjwelr isjefr.

R: No, what I whispered to you was asking you to play hide and seek with me in Spanish!

R: Can I play with my toys before washing my hair? Don't worry, I'll tell my brain when to stop.

Me: When you're mad and feel like you might say or do something you shouldn't, you need to turn around and walk away.

R: When I make bad choices, it feels like Jesus is in a different place.

They keep us laughing!

Me: What did you have for lunch?
R: I really don't remember. I guess you'll just have to smell me.

R, while watching a cartoon: That's groovy.

R: When my pretend puppies see rabbits, they don't chase them. But when they see a mole, they chase that.

R, frustrated that Alexa wasn't playing the song he wanted: Alexa, this is not acceptable behavior.

R: I wonder if Alexa and Siri know each other?

R: I just had a brilliant plan.
Me: What's that?
R: *says nothing and brings me a 223 page book to read*

K: A bad guy cut off Baylor's tail when she was a puppy.
R: Did he go to jail?
K: No.
R: But bad guys have black and white shirts!

Me: Think about what you want for breakfast.
R: I'm not going to do that. I think about a lot of things. I don't want to think about breakfast.

D: Sorry Baylor, you don't get to eat chocolate!
R: Because it will make her get the coronavirus!

R, getting ready to play animals with K: Let's cock-a-doodle-do this!

R, randomly: Don't ask me about my hobbies.

Me: I'm going to the bathroom.
R: See ya later, sweetheart.

R: Why do you eat chips a lot?
Me: I don't, really.
R: Well that's a shame.

Me, at 4am: Did you need something?
R: I have three things to tell you: One, my hand is asleep because I laid on it too long. Two, I need a sip of lemonade. Three, I need to go to the bathroom. 
Minutes later, as I'm putting him to back to bed...
R: Also, what is our house made of? And how does our heart pump blood in our bodies?

Me: Do you want breakfast?
R: I just got here!!!

R, while dancing: I have sensible feet!

R: Let's make you a pretend pie! First, we need apples, bananas, oranges, a giraffe that's dead, and coconut.
K: You're putting giraffe meat in my pie?
R: Yes, and coconut.

R, while watching the Blue Angels flyover: But it's the coronavirus!! The planes can't be close together!!

R: Mommy, I know you're a real person, but could you be an animal please?
Me: Ok, how about a giraffe?
R: I think you should be a koala.

While Dave has been working from home, Ryan set up his own pretend desk near Dave's. Ryan will regularly put on his headphones and tell Dave, "Shhh, Daddy, I'm on a call."

After a very rough day where R had been particularly needy, I melted down before putting R to nap. 20 minutes later, he snuck out of his room, came and put his arms around me, and started singing, "You've got a friend in me..."

Ryan is Four

[This post is a bit late] Ryan is FOUR! Wow. Crazy to think that it was on Katelyn's fourth birthday when we told her I was pregnant with him!

This happy, little old man is just the sweetest thing. He loves sunshine and fluffy, "mashed potato" clouds. He LOVES birthdays and throws an all-out pretend birthday party for me at least twice a week. His first instinct is almost always to share and include everyone. The grape flavored fruit snacks? He saves those for me since they're my favorite. His drawings are precious but he's never made one just for me... the paper is always double sided with a drawing for me and a drawing for Daddy. When he and Dave go to Costco, Ryan often insists on picking out flowers for me and Katelyn, and not a day goes by when he doesn't tell us that we're "the prettiest." It's like we have our own personal mini Prince Charming... and I absolutely love it. None of us deserve his level of sweetness!

I've often thought Ryan has the gift of encouragement. When Dave was home sick with bronchitis, Ryan promptly made him a get well card-- while he himself was home sick with a stomach bug. He loves people and is always asking someone to be his best friend. Once when I picked him up from school, his class was sitting in the hallway waiting for the water fountain. He walked down the row, giving each kid a high five or a hug, telling them things like, "Have a good day!" "See ya tomorrow!" "Hey, I like your shirt!" Was he leaving preschool or running for office? Hard to tell.

I LOVE it when refers to his fingers by their status in the "Finger Family" song. For example, he might say, "I need a bandaid for my brother finger!" or "I was eating my snack and I accidentally bit my daddy finger!" It's adorable and I'll be so sad when he grows out of it.

Of course Ryan has bad days. In fact, the past few months have been especially hard as there's been a lot of change beyond anyone's control. In December, his world was knocked off its axis when his best friend, who is a few months older, promoted to the next preschool class. (And when I say best friend, I mean he and this sweet little girl have been thick as thieves since they were 18 months old. They're like an old married couple. The teachers say they've never seen anything like it.). Their separation was hard on ALL of us because Ryan just wasn't himself. FINALLY, it was Ryan's turn to move up classes and join her... and then after one glorious day together, Coronavirus hit. Thank goodness for weekly chats on FaceTime! And when his birthday party had to be indefinitely postponed AND his much anticipated soccer season was cancelled due to Coronavirus, he was disappointed but took it like a champ.

This kid's imagination... oh my goodness. He has the ability to describe exactly what he's imagining and somehow pull others into his convincing, exciting world. A regular conversation can quickly turn into riding on a speed boat, but then the boat broke down and we had to use a jet ski to go get the extra engine, but the jet ski toppled over and then we had to swim to shore, where we found an abandoned golf cart and a puppy. He's so fun!

I love this boy so much.

They Keep Us Laughing!

R: That's the last kiss I have!
Me: You're all out?
R: Yep. I better get more from Baylor and then I can kiss you again.

R, to me at my parents' house: Are you going upstairs to talk to Jerald?

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?
R: Well, my daddy already bought my presents.

R: This new juice is quite disgusting. See that picture of a grape on the box? That's what makes it disgusting.

R: I had a bad day. My friend put his boogers on me.
K: Gross! Did you put your boogers on him??
R: No. I didn't have any.

After an emotional day, K was sentenced to a relaxing bubble bath.
Me: Do you want candles for your bath?
K: What I really want are rose petals around the edge of the tub.

R: Guess what? My favorite animal is a zebra!
Me: Really? Cool!
R: Tomorrow it's going to be a fox.

Me to K: Have a good day at school! I know you can meet your goal!
R, 5 minutes later: Is Katelyn going to play soccer today?
Me: No, why?
R: Well then how will she meet her goal?

R: I wish we had a blanket that went alllll the way down the bed, and then there were balloons and they would pop.
Me: Can you explain that more?
R: The balloons would be underneath the blanket and they would pop when I laid down on them. It was a joke, Mommy.

R: Guess what?? When I was napping, I read THE WHOLE BIBLE. All of the pages! I learned a lot.

R, at Katelyn's basketball game: All these people are NOT using their inside voices.

Me: I heard you get sick in the night so I ran upstairs.
R: You ran fast to come help me?
Me: Yes!
R: Did you also say oh dear?

Me: Look at that spider web! He used all his legs to build it! Amazing!
R: Yeah. How do we get rid of it?

R: I cleaned the living room! 
Me: Well thank you!
R: With pleasure!

R: We smell Baylor's toots because she doesn't wear pants.

R: Where does the water go down the drain?
Me: Into the pipes, down into the ground.
R: Where the gnomes are?

Dave: Are you going to put me in a nice nursing home when I'm older?
R: No, I'm going to BUY it for you!

R, looking at my left hand: I like your rings! There are two on that finger. Which did you get first? The plain one or the snowflake? [meaning my wedding band or my engagement ring]

Grandmom: Are you having a good day?
R: Not yet.

R, during COVID-19 quarantine and at 8:45pm: Mama, I wore these pajamas the whole day. I should probably change into some new ones.

They keep us laughing!

Me: Do you know what your body is made of?
R: Orange juice!!
Me: Orange juice?!
R (looks down at his arms and legs): Oh. Peach juice.

R, looking at Amazon with me for a Halloween costume: I don't need these kinds of options. I need something without a mask.

After several weeks of strong willed defiance over eating dinner, Ryan was mid-meltdown when his attitude suddenly changed.
Me: What made you decide to act differently and eat your dinner?
R: God. I talked to God.

K, regarding God/prayer: He does the job, but it takes a really long time.

Me: You look handsome!
R: I don't look handsome. I look normal.

K: Who was Beethoven?
Me: A famous composer. He was deaf!
K: Oh, I thought he was a dog.

Me: Did you learn about Jesus healing a blind man?
R: Yep.
Me: Can you tell me more about it?
R: Nope. Healed a blind man. That's all.

R: Can I have a blueberry muffin?
Me: Sure, here you go.
R: Thank you. Now can you please take the blueberries out?

K: Can you print this out for me?
Me: Yes, but I need to get more paper because someone keeps taking mine out of the printer and using it for drawing.
K, genuinely clueless: That's what that paper is for? The printer? I thought that was just paper for me to have.

Doctor looking in Ryan's ears (his least favorite thing in the world): I'm looking for monkeys! And alligators! ... I didn't see any!
R, dryly: It was monster trucks.

One morning after waking up, R nervously started scrubbing his hand with a towel: Mommy... something's happening. My hand doesn't feel right. SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. 
Me: I think maybe your hand just fell asleep. That happens sometimes.
R: Is it going to wake up???

R: Thank you for cleaning up.
Me: (sigh) You're welcome.
R: I really wanted you to clean up--
Me: Mmm hmm.
R: --because you're pretty.

K, singing: Mele Kalikimaka...
R: Mele Kamiklaka...
K: You're singing it wrong. Ka-li-ki-ma-ka.
R: IT'S TRICKY!

Me: Why aren't you brushing your teeth?
K: Sorry, I'm singing a medley of Christmas songs.

R: Who is that?
Me: Tinkerbell!
R: Tinkerbell?? I don't like Tinkerbell. I like TinkerBOY.

They keep us laughing!

Me: I have to go to Starbucks and you get to come with me. You can get a special snack-- maybe a muffin or a cake pop or some banana bread. Do you know what kind of treat you might like?
R: Do they have bacon?

R: I need to go potty.
Me: Ok, so go potty.
R: But this is a two person job.

Me: Come here, Pumpkin. 
R: Why do you call me Pumpkin? You could just call me Minion.

R: Daddy, do you know what I said??
Dave: What?
R: I SAID A-BOOM-CHICKA-BOOM!

R: I'm full.
Me: No, you barely at your dinner.
R: But I already ate breakfast, lunch, and snack today. Why do I need to eat dinner??

K: Annabelle let me use some of her perfume, so now my feet smell good.

R: Will you sing me a bedtime song?
Me: Ok, which song?
R: The Jeopardy song.

R: I'm allergic to vegetables.
Me: Really? All of them?
R (sadly): Well... yeah.

R: I don't want to eat my carrots. Carrots are allergic to me.

Me: Let's go!
R: Ok, darlin.

R: I'm going to teach you how to skate! You just put your feet in them and then SKATE!
Dave: Is that how you do it?
R: Yes! See, that's how you skate!
Dave: I can't wait to teach you how to play baseball.

R: ... All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again. They were not doctors?

K: Why can't Baylor have puppies?
Me: We had her fixed a long time ago. There's a lot involved in having puppies.
K: All we need is a basket, a towel, ANOTHER towel, and a dog.

Me: I told you to read. Why aren't you reading?
K: I decided to do something educational instead.
Me: ...
K: I'm playing and using my brain that way.

Katelyn announced she would be putting on a fashion show for us, so Ryan dutifully sat in his assigned seat, cheered and clapped when she told him to, etc. 
Finally, he asked: So when does the movie start?
Me: Ohhhh... this isn't a show like a movie. This is kind of like a performance for us to watch. (best brother ever!)

R: Daddy, I know that you're my best friend, but right now I just want Mommy to hold me.

R, praying very slowly: Thank you God for brown. Blue. Green. Black--
Me: So thank you God for colors?
R: Yes. Brown, green, pink, purple, red--
Me: All the colors?
R: Yes. Brown, blue, grey, orange-- is that too much? 
Me: Well, it's ok to say them all, but it might be easier to just say 'colors.'
R: No thanks. Brown, blue, yellow, pink, green...

They keep us laughing!

R: *sneezes* Bless you, myself.

K: Sometimes Ryan calls "spaghetti" "psaghetti."
R, in a very sophisticated voice: Yes, but sometimes I call it pasta.

R, upset: My jeans have a hole in them!!
K: What?! I wish my jeans had holes! How come he gets pants with rips and I don't??

Me: For teacher appreciation week, I got your teachers a nice candle, sticky notepads, and a snack. 
K: Ok, but can we also get medium-sized glass jars? I'd like to spray paint them pink and blue, one for each teacher. When they're dry, we'll coat them in Mod-Podge and then cover them in glitter. When they're done we'll fill the jar with Dum-Dums.

While at the store, Katelyn was stopping to look at everything she saw...
R: Katelyn, focus!

Me: You are driving me nuts.
K, delightfully: Figurative language!!!

K: Do you have some sort of basket?
Me: For what?
K: I need somewhere to put my books.
Me: How about the built-in bookshelf in your closet?
K: Well, I feel like a basket is more creative. It's more "me."

Me: Go get your shoes and socks.
R, very seriously: Two socks?
Me: Yes, one for each foot.
R: Ok... FOCUS. (walks purposefully to get his socks)

Me, weary of trying to explain Daylight Savings Time: If the sun wants to stay out longer, it can do that.
R: BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE EYES OR A NOSE OR A MOUTH!

Me: Sorry, the tooth fairy forgot to come last night. Do you want me to come tonight instead?
K: Yes! (whispers excitedly) Wear wings!

Me: Sharpie markers do not easily wash off! I need you to tell me that you won't color on your legs with them again.
K: (long pause) Ok, I won't do it again... but I think we both know the answer to that.

Me: You are in trouble!!
R, suddenly looking panicked: But can I still be happy??

Me: How did you get your thumb out of the thumb guard?!? (for thumb sucking)
R: (long pause) I don't have any words.

Me: I'm going to start reading a new book on Leonardo da Vinci.
K, literally dropping what she was doing: I'M IN.

R: I need to poop a lot. It's going to be a party in there!

K: I really don't want to have a boy someday. Just girls.
Me: Boys aren't so bad! And they can be really sweet to their mamas.
K: Well, I guess it's ok if I have a boy. I just want him to put on deodorant every day.

Dave: Hey, let's see if you can be still for two minutes! (sets timer)
With 30 seconds remaining, Ryan was trying his best but still fidgety and clearly uncomfortable.
R, solemnly: Daddy, I don't like this game. I don't want to play this game again.

R: Who will will Jeopardy?
Me: I don't know, they're still playing.
R: Maybe James.

Happy birthday, Buddy

Ryan loves to party. He really, really loves birthdays and celebrating and everything that goes with it. Starting in January, he woke up every morning and asked, "Is today my birthday party?" The weird thing is that he hasn't been to a lot of parties in his three short years, but that didn't stop him from planning his own birthday party starting back in OCTOBER-- five months before his 3rd birthday. He had very specific, ever-changing plans and I found myself conflicted between making his little dreams come true, nervous that I wouldn't execute things to his liking, and remembering that I'm the parent and he doesn't call the shots on what I envisioned to be a casual party with family and a few friends at the park.

Party hats? Very important. Balloons? Also important. The theme? He started with Mickey but then switched to Paw Patrol, Blaze, monster trucks, Blaze again, and then backhoes (What are backhoes?). I genuinely offered to combine everything he loves: Mickey napkins, Paw Patrol plates, bulldozer balloons, etc., but he just laughed and said I was silly. I finally just took him to Party City and told him that whatever he picked was what we were going with, no backsies. Blaze it is!

Oddly, when I asked what kind of cupcakes he wanted, he simply said, "Regular ones."

Whatever, dude. You're a grown man trapped in a three year old's body and I don't know how to help you.

He asked that Katelyn and I wake him up on his birthday by singing Happy Birthday while wearing party hats. We gladly obliged, but I think he quickly regretted his decision. Apparently it was too early for song because he growled and quickly asked us to stop singing. Once he woke up a little, he was absolutely thrilled that it was finally his birthday and had a great day.

So happy birthday to the sweetest little man I know-- the one whose smile lights up a room and the lives of those around him. He is consistent, responsible, charming, ever the encourager, and--on most days--a true delight. He will lay in his bed for 30 minutes early on Saturday mornings and just sing... never fussing to get up, just happily singing.

He is so easy to love.

And may he always want to celebrate, because there is so much in life worth celebrating. 

They keep us laughing!

R, in the car: I want to listen to the football game.
Me: Sorry, I don't know where to find that on the radio. You'll have to listen when Daddy's in the car.
R: *sigh* Yeah, you're not Daddy.

R, pretending: I'm going to Costco.
Me: What are you going to get?
R: Um, baby Jesus.

K: Holy cow!
R: What?! Where's a holy cow? I don't see it!

K: Let's play Christmas music!
Me: Alexa isn't working because the internet is down.
K: I won't use Alexa! I'll use an old fashioned CD!

K, whispering under her breath: I don't like following directions. They make me feel less creative.
Me: Preach.

Me: Are you disobeying me?
R: Not yet.

Me: You took a bath two hours ago and your hair is wet again. What's in your hair?
K: Nothing.
Me: What's in your hair??
K: Water.
Me: AND?
K: LipstickbutIcanwashitout.

R: I can't get this play dough out!!
K, plainly and without offering to help: Just believe in yourself.

Me, during lunch: Is that macaroni and cheese in your shirt pocket?
R: Yes! (then takes it out and eats it)

After several lazy days (weeks?) without wearing makeup over Christmas break, I got dressed up for date night.
R: Hey, I like your eyes! Where'd those come from?

K: What can make you stop crying right now?
R: Jesus.

As I was helping R into his Paw Patrol costume:
R: Left foot first! (and then proceeds to put in his left foot)
Me: That IS your left foot, good job! Do you actually know your left and right?
R: Yes!
Me: Oh really? Which way is left?
R: This way. (shifts his entire body left)
Me: Correct! Wow, how did you know that??
R: The Cupid Shuffle.

K: Deep, deep down there is Satan. He makes us make bad choices and be scared! We don't want to go there, deep, deep down into the fire!
R: Fireman put out the fire!
K: No, there's no fireman down there!! You want to go waaaay up there! To Heaven!
R: My fire truck has a ladder!
K: We're not talking about that. You want to go to Heaven. And you know how we get there? We ask Jesus into our hearts. And you know what else? God and Jesus are right by your side and will never leave you.

They keep us laughing! and Things I love right now

Me: Come cuddle with me!
R: Ok. *removes my arm that I had placed over his chest* This is not a seat belt. 

R: Daddy, you're back! Did you see cows?
Dave: Huh?
Me: I told him you went to the pharmacy. He may think you went to a farm.
Dave: Not the farm, Buddy, I went to the pharmacy. 
R: And horses?
Dave: No, I went to CVS.
R: And chickens?
Dave: ...Sure, I saw chickens.

K: Have I told you that Sam Houston is my celebrity crush?
Me: ... 
K: What?
Me: I just... I have some questions.

Me: Look at that slug! See how slowly it's moving? Look at its tiny antennae! God made that!!
R: CAN I STEP ON IT?!?

Me: Hey, you need to say sweet things to your mama.
R: Sweet things to mama.

R: What do frogs eat?
Me: Flies!
R: No, french fries.
Me: I said flies, not fries.

R, randomly: Pumpkins make me happy.

K: I love sharpening pencils. It is so satisfying.

K: I need a drink of water.
Me: You just had one. Go to sleep.
K: Hey, you can never stay too hydrated!

Me: Thank you God for the rain, our family, and songs.
R: And snails!! Thank you God for snails!

The kids went through a weeklong phase where they wanted to sleep in the same bedroom. They happily fell asleep holding hands and it was all kinds of precious. One night after I tucked them in, I closed the door and overheard this:
K: Ok buddy, remember what we talked about? What happens when I sleep in your room?
R: You're the boss!!
K: Right! And how many times can you talk to me before we have to go to sleep?
R: Two times!

________________________

Things I love right now

The Cupid Shuffle
We went to a wedding recently and Ryan discovered the dance floor. This kid can dance! He danced his little heart out and had the best time. The next week at daycare, his teacher told me he was dancing in class, chanting "To the right, to the right... to the left, to the left... now kick! Kick!..." It's so funny. I never used to be one to dance at all, but when my kids beg me to get out there and dance with them... eh, who cares? I just want to have fun with them. Also fun is when we turn on The Cupid Shuffle and dance in our pajamas in the living room before bed.

My Best Friend
Ryan's current thing is announcing who is best friend is. It's always Daddy, but it could also be a friend at school or just a random man in Costco wearing a blue shirt (Ryan's favorite color). About 20x a day, he'll say, "[Name], you my best friend?" And the person he's addressing HAS to respond because Ryan is nothing if not persistent and is prepared to ask again and again until he has an answer. Of course, if he's gotten into trouble, he'll look at me through tears and quietly say, "You're not my best friend." 

The Piano
I love hearing Katelyn play piano. I love reinforcing what she's learning with her teacher and seeing the lightbulb go off when things make sense. She plays very musically and seems to really enjoy it. Plus, it's fun to watch her play with her little arm! She's figured out just the right way to turn her arm to make the keys play. So proud of the progress she's made since August. 

They keep us laughing!

Nana: See that man? That's Goliath. And this is David.
R: That's not David! David downstairs!!

K: Sometimes I wish I was color blind. Then I could go back in history and see when things were black and white.

K: I'll be spending the rest of today in the front room. Don't worry, I have enough food and water to survive. (She also had a pillow, scented candle, hairbrush, fidget spinner, and two tubes of chapstick.)

Me: You need to clean up these blocks.
R: Mommy, safety first! Stay right here. I need to get a lawn mower to get these blocks out of the way.

Me: This Fall, I'd like to get a pumpkin and each day we'll write something we're thankful for on it. We'll have a pumpkin full of blessings!
K: Or, we could get some real branches, cut leaves out of card stock, print pictures of what we're thankful for, attach the pictures to the leaves, write with a silver Sharpie what we're thankful for, and the attach the leaves to the real branches.
Me: ...

Me: Sorry buddy, I don't know why the on-demand cartoons won't work.
R: Oh, I got an idea! Phones work!

R: I need another Spider-Man band-aid.
Me: Sorry, I don't have one.
R: Ok, we get in the car. I drive. You, Daddy, Ya-ya in the car, too. We go get gas. You stay in the car and I get gas. Then we drive to the doctor and buy Spider-Man band-aids.

R, pointing to a room door at daycare that was decorated for Halloween: Mommy, look!
Me: I know! It's a mummy!
R: No it's not, it's a napkin.

K: You should get the Chrysler Pacifica van. It's a proud sponsor of Disney Junior!

R: ... and at the zoo we see zebras, and lions, and the sic 'em bears, and giraffes, and monkeys...

Me: Two fire trucks and an ambulance just drove by! It's a good day to be Ryan!
K: It's not a good day to be people!!!

R, after throwing a fit: I happy now.
Me: I'm glad! What made you happy?
R: Um, God.

K was helping R calm down after he had a meltdown. I found him sitting in her lap while she talked gently to him.
K: Shhh, Mommy, he's in his happy place.

Tia Christy: Katelyn, you're delightful, but Zorra (the dog) doesn't care that much about you.
K: WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M DELIGHTFUL?!?!?

R: Can I have applesauce? Say yes, Mommy.

R: Can we go talk to that man over there?
Dave: That man on the phone? We don't know him!
R: Yes we do, his name is Mike! (?????)

Getting more than you prayed for

Isn't it silly how we pray specifically for something, forgetting that God can do abundantly more?

Several months ago, Katelyn began asking to take piano lessons. Of course I wanted her to take; music is important to our family, and I knew she would do well. Plus, she absolutely loves to sing and I know that a piano foundation will be beneficial if she ever wants to pursue music. Teaching her myself wasn't really an option; we are too much alike for that to end well. I knew she needed instruction from someone who isn't Mommy.

So I asked friends for recommendations on piano teachers. I looked into options and there was nothing wrong with any of them, but... I don't know, I just didn't have a peace about moving forward with any of them. Nothing seemed like the right fit. 

I began praying about it and told God that if we were supposed to pursue piano right now, I needed a green light in three specific areas: 

1. I wanted lessons to be in a home setting. Katelyn can be very shy and I didn't see her adjusting well in a setting where a lot of other people would be around, even if just in passing.
2. I needed the location to be relatively close to our house so that I could pull off the logistics of getting her there after school.
3. I needed the cost of lessons to fall within a certain range.

Most importantly, I needed to have a peace about all of the above.

Some time later, I texted my friend Lisa from church. I didn't give her my specifics; I just asked if she could recommend a piano teacher. Lisa said she could certainly recommend her daughters' teacher, but she had someone else in mind who might be a good fit for Katelyn. 

So I emailed the lady Lisa recommended. As it turned out, lessons would be 1) in her home, 2) she lives 5 minutes from our house, and 3) the price was right! Yes! Finally, I was feeling good about this! So that this teacher wouldn't be completely caught off guard, I mentioned that Katelyn had one hand and asked if she was comfortable with a creative teaching challenge. Her response:

"I actually have a student that has one hand without fully grown fingers, so I'm already working with a similar situation."

Wait, what? Are you kidding me?? 

WHAT ARE THE ODDS that this teacher would already have a student with any sort of similarity?!? (Lisa had no idea, and it's worth noting that she has a gift for connecting people!) Naturally, I picked my jaw up off the floor, wiped away my tears, and asked when lessons could start. To say that I finally felt peace about this would be an understatement!

When I had prayed for peace, I really just meant that I would feel right about whatever fell into place. God delivered that with the home setting, location, and price... but then He gave abundantly more. I never, ever would've thought to pray for another student with a limb difference. But He knew she needed that right now.

Katelyn often says she feels like the only kid in the world with a limb difference, because in her day-to-day world, she is. It's hard. School is going very well because kids know her by now, but any sort of new setting outside of school is often followed by nights of tears. Two hands or not, no one wants to walk into a room and be greeted by stares and whispers. And Katelyn experiences that all. the. time. It gets old, and it stings. At age 7, she's having to learn hard life lessons about self-confidence, friendship, and extending grace.

So for her to feel like she's not alone in piano is huge. When I told her about the other student, she was crazy excited. We've never met the student, but just knowing she's not alone feels pretty good!

What a beautiful, humbling reminder this was! How foolish I feel to be surprised by God's abundant blessing, yet how grateful and humbled I am by it! How many times have my prayers lacked great expectation and boldness? God is in the details. He is good. He knows our hearts and our hurts and he wants to bless us immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.