October, 2011

One of those days usually means it's going to be one of those nights, too --- it's close to midnight, I'm wide awake. I'm coming off of a short battle with some bad meatloaf ... and when I say battle, I mean it was more like a war. If I never see meatloaf again, I'll be fine. I've slept A LOT the past few days, which means that I am way off of my normally sleep-deprived schedule and here I sit. It's dark, the television is on Leno - who I haven't seen in months, and spotify is playing a little of my girl, Sara Groves - but I honestly don't remember turning it on -which means it's been on for a while.

I'm looking through pictures of my Raleigh Man and my SJ - and trying to figure out how they are getting so big...

Raleigh will 18 months old tomorrow. 18 months old. I know that isn't old - but it just happened so quickly. I feel like he should still be a tiny little newborn, completely dependent upon me - but he isn't. He's anything but dependant. He's head-strong. He's a firecracker. He's hillarious - a joker, a comedian, a crowd pleaser, a flirt, a ladies man and fully aware of his unbelievable cute-ness. Amazed everyday, I am, at how wonderful he has made our lives - ALL of our lives. How on earth was I ever afraid of having a little boy ..for even a second? I'm immeasurably grateful for his presence in our lives - the constant comic relief from the every day madness, the sweet full face kisses, the little dimply grin, the wild morning hair, that contagious little laugh, the sound of that sweet voice, wild applause over the tiniest things - he's been 18 months of pure joy, no matter what I say in the moments of chasing him (because he never "walked" --- he's only ever ran --- or at least it feels that way), or the moments of convincing him that it's not okay to steal SJ's glasses, or when he's completely undressing himself and running through the house naked, or when he's being ALL boy... no matter what our day to day brings, he's definitely been 18 months of pure sweet, passy sucking, hair twirling joy. And I wouldn't trade one single second of it.

Here are a few of his favorite things to say:
GO DAWGS!
Singing Zaccheus... but only the "GET DOWN" part (he's heard that a few times)
Barney (I don't want to talk about it..)
"Ess-DAY" "Darruh Dane" "DAY-NEE" (SJ, Sarah Jane, Janey - always yelled, never spoken)
Apple Jew
"Help Me" (in the most pitiful voice you have ever heard)
simba (the cat)
Crack-toos (crackers)
Monk-me (monkey)
COWMOOOOOOOO (one word)
Old McDonald
The Itsy Spider (he knows all the hand motions!)
SHOES!

He's also really into playing chase, playing with cars/trucks/tractors/trains (anything with wheels), "feet-balls" (any kind of ball),  hiding from me, and climbing on anything he can manage to climb on. :) He's a wonderful little mess.

As for SJ - I couldn't be any prouder of her... She's growing up way too fast and if I've ever wanted to stop the clock, it's now. She's SO much fun at this age! We recently got the chance to suprise her with a trip to see Taylor Swift (her favorite) and she LOVED IT! She was so suprised - and if she said thank you once, she must have said it twenty times. All day long, she couldn't believe that she was actually there!

Also - today I got this in the mail:

I don't mean to sound boastful when I say that I already knew she was all of those things, but I did - She embodies all of these things effortlessly. It's my constant prayer for her that she never loses them. I've said it for years on this blog - but she's taught me things I could have never learned anywhere else, and these 4 things only scratch the surface.

I've recently started a new bible study with a few of my good friends. At our last get together we were talking about prayers for your children and claiming scripture for them - this is my most recent prayer for SJ, that God would write this on her heart - and mine, too.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and don't lean on your own understanding. In all things acknowledge him, and he will lead your way." (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

She's somehow managed to make it to beings 7.5 years old with such a sweet, sweet spirit. My biggest fear for her is that it will somehow get broken - But, if she clings to this verse, then GOD WILL LEAD HER --- and I can't imagine anything much better than that.