Mother's Day

Oh, it was a good Mother's Day. Jared and the kids were so good to me. The day started off with the cutest little kids in the world bursting into my room with huge grins on their faces, singing a little song for me as Jared trailed behind carrying a tray of all my favorite breakfast foods. The kids kept me company while I ate and ask me some fun "interview" questions (fun to turn the tables -usually it's Jared and I interviewing them) and only occasionally begged some food off my tray. Church was good - the twins were quite well-mannered and the older kids got up there with all the primary kids to sing a couple songs. I loved how Liza was beaming down at me and I could hear Isaac over all the other kids - he's really into loud singing lately.

After church, the kids and Jared had a great treasure hunt all set up for me including multiple choice questions to test my knowledge about each kid - and each answer was linked to a different place where I needed to go for the next clue so getting the answers right was pretty important. At the end of the hunt my "treasure" was a beautiful digital photo frame all loaded up with our family photos - perfect present! Then Jared made a very tasty dinner for me and Eliza set the table with the china and it was quite an elegant affair. Good job, guys!

There were some great moments throughout the day - the rapt looks on the big kids' faces as I answered their questions about what my life was like at each of their ages (and the fun of remembering), Isaac scratching my back for me and proudly presenting me with a cute card in Spanish and English that he made in school, the twins throwing their little arms around my neck repeatedly and giving me the cutest "I wuv you mommy!" and "you're the best mommy!", Eliza setting the dinner table with such relish and charm, Ashton giving me a rare hug and presenting me with a corny card he'd found and printed out off the internet with his own added words "I love you sooooooooooooooooooo much". I think my favorite moment was sitting around the dinner table with all these beautiful, bright, big kids as we laughed together at some silly thing the twins did and feeling a rush of joy and thanksgiving in knowing that they're mine. How blessed I am!
This will probably be the last Mother's Day that I can hold both of my "babies" at the same time! They're growing up too fast lately - but I have to say I'm liking them more now that they're past their terrible two's. I'd love to freeze them at this fun stage they're at for a while - they get themselves dressed each morning and go to the bathroom on their own and can communicate what they need - and they say and do the cutest stuff every day! They chatter non-stop and are always pretending something cute - usually something to do with saving a baby penguin or gecko or unicorn (thanks to Wonder Pets). On a walk the other day we found a beautiful but injured dragon fly on the street and they were so excited to carry it over to a "safe bush" where it could "find its mudder and be OK." They are so full of exhuberance and wonder and sweetness and really delight in being "good boys" lately.
Oh, I've got a sweet little girl. I love how she's all girl - so into pink and dress-ups and tea parties and princesses and drawing rainbows and doing her hair and carefully selecting her outfits (in very creative and sometimes less-than-attractive styles) and playing with her doll house and "mothering" her little brothers and giggling with her best friend Olivia. I was so sad initially to only get one girl, but I love how we get to have this special relationship and she can be the prettiest and smartest and sweetest girl in our family without anyone else getting their feelings hurt!
Check out those awesome teeth! I had to bribe Ashton to get him to show his teeth for this picture - he's into funny-looking closed-mouth smiles since he's aware his teeth are pretty funny-looking these days. Oh, I love this big boy. I love all the facts he shares with me about space and how things work and science and world records and more. His curiosity about the world around him and excitement about learning is contagious and I love learning alongside him. And he's such a great big brother. I love hearing him explain things to the twins or read to them.
Isaac is still my #1 hugger. He insures that I get several hugs a day and a kiss on both cheeks at bedtime. His beautiful smile and expressive brown eyes always melt my heart. He's indignant about injustice - especially if he's on the receiving end of the perceived injustice. He just came in to tell me they're ready for story time and started scratching my back while I finished this sentence then gave me a kiss on the cheek. What a sweetheart!