The Best Sound in the World - Laughter
There are a lot of sounds I like….sounds that evoke emotion or take me to a specific memory…the roar of the ocean, church bells, a college football team taking the field for a game, the music that starts the Today Show, my husband’s laugh, strong wind, most music, marching bands, the National Anthem, the crack of the bat.
But this weekend has been full of the very BEST SOUND IN THE WORLD: my children laughing. I’m not talking about a quick laugh, a snort or even a little giggle. I mean that deep belly laugh. You know the one that starts in their toes. You can actually feel it moving through their little bodies…and when it erupts from their mouths, you can’t help but laugh along. It is the sound of pure joy.
This noise, this belly laugh, this sound of pure joy, it is the soundtrack to my soul. If it was the only thing I heard for the rest of my life, it would be enough. I am smiling right now just thinking about all of the laughs we have together.
And the best part is…that laugh is so easy to come by. I spend hours of my day trying to get them into their best giggle box state, but the truth is, it is so simple. They belly laugh when I tickle them. They belly laugh when I make faces at them, or when they make faces at each other. They belly laugh when we all sing together. They belly laugh when I ask for kisses and hugs. They belly laugh when I mimic them. They REALLY belly laugh when Daddy plays with them.
I have a quiet laugh. I have always been envious of people with big, loud, confident laughs. I think I’m going to work on that. I’ll focus on the pure joy of childhood and see if I can’t find my big laugh.
It is the little things
Well…in all honesty - it is the small people in my life who make the biggest impact. Sometimes, I forget this. But not today.
I decided I would make today a day to notice, to observe, to appreciate all of the little things that make my small people special to me.
It is Delaney’s smile and her ever growing vocabulary. She loves to snuggle and can’t ever stop saying, “Mommy, Look!” I love that she still wants to hold my hand, and never gets up from a nap without giving me a hug. She isn’t the best eater, but when she says, “Mommy, thanks for making a great dinner.”, I absolutely melt. I love that whenever I sing-song, “Delaney is…..” , she sing-songs right back, “A fuzzy bunny!” Right now she is a bit under the weather. Her croupy cough makes her seem so vulnerable. It is terrible, I know, but I love it when she is vulnerable - when she needs me. I adore saying prayers with her at the end of the day. She always says, “And thank you for a beeee-you-ti-ful day.” Every day, I can see more of her “baby” leaving, and more of the little girl she is rapidly becoming. She sings constantly - half of the time she makes it up - the other half, she is still singing Christmas carols, punctuated by the odd Barbie Diamond Castle ballad. She works so hard to teach her little brother and loves to learn. She is definitely my little angel.
And her little brother, well, he is 2 and very good at it. But today, I focused only on the fantastic and amazing in him. His smile gets me every single time. He could tell me he just wrote a cuss word on the wall with a Sharpie and I would still have to stifle a smile when he turns that little face on me. I can’t get enough of his hugs. When I put him down for a nap, when I walk out the front door, when I leave him in the day care at the gym, he follows me saying, “You need give me ‘nother hug and kish.” I can’t resist. I love that the first thing he does when he sees me after nap is to wrap his chubby little arms around my neck and smile. Inevitably he then says, “Mommy, I missed you while I was sleeping.” (cue tears) Every night when he goes to bed, we exchange our verbal good night, “I love you, my buddy.” and “I love you my mommy.” I smile from the inside out when I hold his hand and when he asks me to skip with him instead of walk. He always says, “Mommy, will you be my baby?” when he wants me to hold him so he can drink his milk. He always has a ball in his hand: a basketball, a baseball, a football. And he wants nothing more in life than for me or Daddy to play with him. Such a sweet little buddy.
I’ve had a few days lately that have lead me to push my gratitude for my little ones to the back of my mind. I have found myself annoyed by the many big and small things that should bring me joy and remind me of how blessed I truly am.
Today was an exercise. The goal, to shift my attitude and bring me back to the place I belong: the place where the itty-bitty moments of motherhood are Extraordinary.
I have to keep growing
My conversation with Delaney while I was drying my hair this afternoon:
“Mommy, Daddy told me to stop growing. He said he doesn’t want me to get any bigger. I would like to stay small, but I have to keep growing, just like a flower or a plant.”
Hmmmm…she’s right, you know?
And I can’t imagine why Daddy wants her to stay small….
Pure Magic
I’ve been enjoying the true magic of the holidays that can only be experienced through the eyes of little believers.
So….instead of blogging….I’ve been ‘family-ing’.
Today has been heavenly….and the day isn’t even over. I’m lulled by the peace and quiet of cooking with my parents while my hubby and kiddos rest after an eventful morning.
I had been worried Coop and Delaney (especially Delaney) might have a toddler/child moment and focus on something they ‘didn’t’ receive, but instead, our morning was punctuated by ‘what could it be?’ and ‘I can’t believe it’.
I couldn’t ask for anything more.
I’ll post pictures as soon as I steal them from my mom’s camera. For once, I participated fully, eyes wide open, instead of squinting behind the lens of the camera.
I truly hope your holidays are the pure magic ours has been.
Perplexing, but clearly child-esque
So….I think I’m getting this whole mommy thing down. I know I have lots to learn, but for a little girl/toddler boy mom, I figure I’m OK, right?
However…there are some things that I find perplexing.
1) Bathroom humor - certainly aware that adult men enjoy this type of humor, but now think that small children carry the same gene. The word ‘poopy butt’ seems to have found a place in the kid’s speech. In fact, all things ‘poopy’ and ‘toot’ can send both into a fit of giggles.
2) Annoying just for the sake of annoying. Cooper says “Is this Rihanna, mommy?” when a song comes on the radio. (Never mind that he knows who Rihanna is…or that he was right). I say yes. And this is the rest of the ‘converstation’.
Delaney: “Rihanna”
Cooper: “Don’t say that.”
Delaney: “Rihanna”
Cooper: (louder) “Don’t say that.”
Delaney: (sing-songy) “Riiiiihannna”
Cooper: (now yelling) “I SAID DON’T SAY THAT.”
Delaney: (truly enjoying herself at this point) “Ri-i-i-i-i-a-a-a-a-n-n-n-n-a-a-a-a”
Cooper: (Near eardrum piercing level) “DON’T SAY THAT”
After giving up the thought that they might solve this on their own, I jump in asking Cooper to use a nicer town and am about to ask Delaney to try NOT to annoy him and she gets a last little whisper of “Rihanna” in. Subsequently, my brain explodes.
3) “What-are-we-doing-now?”syndrome - What are we doing tomorrow? is always followed by, “And what are we doing after that?”, and “And after that?” until my ears feel like they might begin to bleed from overuse.
4) Tantruming. I am certain I do not give in to my children when they: whine, cry, scream, repeat the question, or otherwise engage in tantrumy behavior. Yet, they (more Coop than Delaney) insist on trying to get their way by these horrendous means. I know, I know. He’s two. Put him in a safe place and let him yell. I do. He’ll grow out of it, right?
5) Throwing. Everything. So…can I blame my husband for the perpetual playing-ball-in-the-house that now leads Coop to believe everything can be thrown? Hmmmm…
That’s all I have for now….:)
I’m going to go meditate and hope their nap times last until 7 tomorrow morning.
What happens….
At 6pm when your little one was up most of the night before coughing….
When your little guy things the band is too loud…
When your little girl starts preschool….(and she lets her little brother think he is too)
When your husband asks you for a favor (like, “Can you please make sugar cookies with a black letter ‘M’ on them for my clients? I only need about 4 dozen or so) And you do it, because, well, you Rock!
When your baby starts to turn into a little girl….
When she knows it is hard on you….so, she goes out of her way to remind you that she’s still the little one you know best….
When you try to make little Mizzou fans pose for too long….
When Mommy and Daddy get some time on their own to tailgate and watch college football with friends…
(See JP…promised I’d post the pics!)
When people get the United States Flag and their clothing confused….
When the Star Spangled Banner moves you to action…..
When the sweetest little girl in the world wants to protect her baby brother from the thunderstorms that scare him…
When Mommy signs off and goes to bed…..
First Kiss
For me, the phrase, “First Kiss” evokes so many beautiful memories. If I’m honest, there are probably some funny thoughts in there as well.
The first kiss I shared with the love of my life, my husband, set the course for the life I live now. He is my center, my best friend, my biggest fan and the father of my children.
But there is another first kiss that has shaped me into the person that I am, into the woman I have become.
The date was July 10th, 2004. After what felt like a lifetime, but was really only 9 months, I became a mother. I knew the moment I saw Delaney that my life was forever changed. But it was the moment that I held her and brushed my lips against her buttery cheek that I knew a different truth: I was fovever changed.
Like electricty from her to me, a charge hit my heart. I knew that I would do anything, be anyone. I would love her, protect her, teach her, hold her, hug and kiss her and do my best to make her smile and laugh. With that one kiss, I had ‘kissed’ my previous life goodbye and welcomed this new chapter of motherhood.
Since that first kiss, I’ve passed out thousands more to her and then more to her little brother. It is a sign of affection and love I can’t do without.
This post has been entered in Scribbit’s August Write Away Contest “First Kiss.”
