Wednesday, March 4, 2015

My favorite things

Here in good ole' Nixa, Missouri, it's a balmy 21 degrees and has been snowing since 9am. As I sit on the couch drinking hot cocoa, I glance over and see a few photos of my kiddos when they were little...little as in babies.  Where has the time gone?  My oldest will turn 11 next week. Seriously, didn't we just start kindergarten?  I remember people telling me, "You never will know how quickly time goes until you have children."  Touche'.

As I strolled down memory lane, I begin thinking of a few things I love that my kids do. And when I say love, I mean the "make me stop whatever I'm doing, remind myself to breathe" type of love.  Here are a few of them -- in no particular order:)

1.  Using my t-shirts for pajamas.  Sounds silly, but it really makes me sappy when they dig through my drawer for an over-sized t-shirt to sleep in.

2.  Early morning cuddles.  I don't get them as much as I used to.  However, my 7 year old Ian is the one who will find me before anyone is up, sitting in the dark living room, reading my devotions and sipping coffee. He's the one who will smash his way into the chair with me and sit quietly with his head on my shoulder; giving us a few precious moments together before the others wake and the craziness of morning schedules begin. Sitting there smelling and feeling his morning breath on my shoulder puts it all into perspective.

3.  Ask me to help them with things that I know they can do.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all about them gaining their independence.  But there's just something about them occasionally asking me to button their pants or fix their hair that reminds me I'm needed.

4.  Reading in my bed.  Our kids read every night for 30 minutes before bedtime.  Usually, they read in their own beds, but my oldest almost always burrows under the covers in my bed for her reading time.  When I asked her why she prefers our bed to hers, she said, "I like the smell."  (Hopefully that's a good thing).

5.  Notes.  My youngest daughter is definitely a quality time girl as well as an encourager. It makes my day when I find her notes stuck to my bathroom mirror or tucked beneath my pillow.  Sometimes, she's asking for a date night with me.  More often than not, it's just a beautiful drawing telling me how much she loves me.  

Lest you think it's all sappy and ooey-gooey butter cake love at our home, let me reassure you I get annoyed and irritated with my kids just like any one else.  When Hayden has spilled her drink for the third time that day or Riley has asked me the same question for the 26th time, I do try to take a deep breath and think about the things my kids do that send me into a "please don't ever grow up" mindset and then refocus.