Little Moments

At the walk-in clinic with Jace, waiting for the doctor to come look at his ears.  He woke up from a nap crying and holding his ear, asking "What happened to my ear?" "My ear sick?" "My ear is broken!" "Wanna feel better right now?" It was so sad. I took him to the doctor right away and on the way he said he was feeling better, but 30 minutes later we were leaving the clinic with a diagnosis of a double ear infection and an antibiotic prescription. 

Life is so sweet. We have had a rainy spring, but the last few days have been warm and sunny and we have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather! We play at the park, dig in the sandbox, and soak up the sun in the backyard. I just started working one day a week, helping an SLP with her caseload through the end of the year, but other then that, it's just the boys and me! Our days are pretty predictable and often consist of  big emotions and temper tantrums, some whining and even some occasional shoves and flying fists...there are plenty of messes, tons of laundry, and picky eating abounds; even Luke, my champion eater, has taken to throwing his vegetables on the floor. But these  are also the sweetest days. There are plenty of giggles and joyful squeals, the Walt Disney World Pandora playlist is on all day long, and my mornings and afternoons generally pass watching the boys laugh, fight, and chase each other. My little boys still fit in my arms, I can pick them up and carry them on my hip, and their blonde heads rest easy on my shoulder when they're tired.  They still want me to tickle their backs and arms, read books with me, watch a family movie after dinner, and want to rock with C and I before bed. 

The other night, Jace was so tired he fell asleep on Colt's lap downstairs well before his bedtime. He almost never falls asleep on us, so after Colt enjoyed some snuggles, I carried him upstairs and we rocked together for about twenty minutes before I could bring myself to put him down. He has grown so tall, and he is always moving during the day, so this felt rare and special. The early evening sunshine streamed under the curtains and we rocked away in the chair by his window. I studied the fighter planes on his WW2 poster and wondered how long it will be before he wants to decorate his own room. "Woody's Roundup" played softly on his CD player, and I got a little sad thinking that there probably aren't many years left before he outgrows Disney music and Hot Wheels Cars and Winnie the Pooh. It felt so good to settle into that quiet moment, peacefully rocking my little boy in the spring sunshine. It felt so sweet, and I believe I'll remember that small half-hour for a long time, when my kids are grown up and I reflect on these early years that went by so slowly, and yet so quickly.

Luke Lately:

Turned one in March! He's such a big boy, although his whispy hair and big blue eyes fool me into thinking he's still my tiny baby. 

Knows so many words, and is able to identify his head and toes on his body.

Started walking last week! He's extra proud of himself.

Giggles and laughs when we do Eskimo kisses and butterfly kisses for bed. It's one of the few times his body stops wiggling, as we touch noses and I flutter my eyelashes against his cheeks. He also loves when I give him kisses and stroke his face when I lay him down in his crib; he closes his eyes and laughs sleepily while I tickle his chin, cheeks, and forehead.

Loves the slide at park. He can climb up the jungle gym and slide down on his own. He also climbs the big boy jungle gym by himself and would go all the way to the top if I let him. Fearless!

There is a part in the song "Your Welcome" from Moana, where Maui sings "ha ha ha HEY!" Luke loves to imitate it, note for note. It's hilarious to hear him yell this part of the song after he hears it on Pandora in the car or when Jace sings it first.

He and Jace love to out-yell at each other, for fun. They take turns shrieking at the top of their lungs with big smiles on their faces, and after a few rounds, collapse into giggles. They're loud, but funny. I love watching their bond strengthen and grow, even if it's at the expense of my hearing. 

Jace Lately:

He is always saying or doing something funny, and every time I swear I'll remember exactly what he said and record it later, but I inevitably forget. Here are a few recent "Jaceisms" I managed to write down: 

As soon as C walks through the door, Jace runs over and greets him: “Hi Daddy, how was work today?”

Jace saw a little boy at the park wearing a Batman cape. He pointed him out to me and said: “He wearing a super-suit!” 

We had a rough week last week, including Jace's first ear infection (a DOUBLE ear infection, poor babe). I got sick two days later, and Jace was on an antibiotic that he had to take twice daily. He HATED it, and fought back hard every time I had to give it to him. He was also quite grumpy, and by the end of the week there was a lot of whining, indecisiveness, and all-around crummy behavior taking place.  Inevitably, I  hit a breaking point (at like 8:30 am) and lost my temper more than once that day. After I apologized, Jace sweetly instructed: “You lost a temper? Has to get temper back!”

His desire to socialize with other kids has really increased lately. He's become more interested  in interacting and playing with other kids at the playground, even if they don't always reciprocate. He found a little friend the other day, and followed her up to the top of the jungle gym. There were several older children up there, and an argument broke out. I saw Jace run over with his hands held up in front of his chest and call out: “Everybody calm down!” Oh man. I found this perfectly hilarious, but maybe that's just because I'm his mother.

He loves our nightly family movie and treat after dinner. Disney Pixar shows are generally the favorite, with Cars, Ratatouille, Up, The Incredibles, Coco, and Toy Story (the first and second) making  regular appearances. He also still loves Pooh Bear, and Curious George. And he could watch non-fiction shows about cars and trucks all day long if I let him (I don't). However, he still has a very special place in his heart for Finding Nemo. He could watch that movie everyday, I think. He always quotes movies, but the other day he was repatedly yelling “I’m not funny, I’m a clown fish!”