My turn to brag a bit

He's always bragging on me about how I mother and what a great wife I am, but really all that is because of him.  I've done the single parenting thing for three months while he was out of state for work stuff.  Even then I didn't have to work because he was far, far away working hard to support our family.  While the boys and I succeeded and have some fond memories of that time without him, there is always a shadow of sadness because he wasn't with us.

Now that we have more hearts to love there is no way I could be a good parent without him.  Every single night he gets up with the babe, feeds him, changes him and puts him back to sleep.  I can't tell you how many nights I've opened my eyes in the pitch black, breathed deep and let the sound of his song loll me back to sleep right along with the babe.  When we've had the joy of loving others he's worked hard at loving them too.

His shoulders are the ones I cry on when life seems impossible because I'm worried sick for the health and safety of our children.  He always answers the phone no matter how busy he is at work to hear the win of the day be it a babe who rolled over or a math test win.  He shares all of my joy and all of my sorrow everyday right beside me.  When I'm busy with extra appointments he uses his free time to help tidy the house so it's one less thing I have to worry about.  There have been times he's stepped in to help me with a scout project because he knows I hate public speaking or that I'd never get it done if I did it on my own.  If ever he even thinks that I need a break he makes sure that I get some time to do things that refresh me.

Together we have taken turns snuggling babies who took eight months before they'd sleep more then 45 minutes at a time.  Together we've been at the hospital watching ultra sound technicians work because the vomiting was more then a normal stomach bug or watching casts be put on broken arms from falling off swings.  Together we've taught our children how to read and write.  Together we've taught them to trust us, to respect others, and to do what's right.

This family, our boys, who I am, every part of us has been touched and shaped by who he is.  Without our Strong man we wouldn't be who we are.  He is the heart of our family and he lights the way for us.  I knew he was going to be a good father and a great husband when I agreed to be his wife, but he has surpassed all of my expectations and he has always loved any who have lived with us as if they were his own.  He is a gift and my best friend.

The things kids say...

~ Trying to memorize the scout law Man of the woods said, "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, hideous... Wait what does hideous mean?"

~ On my first day of work Laughter took my pursue and filled it to overflowing because, "You pack us snack bags on long car rides so I want to pack you snacks for your first day of work."

~ Parenthood is when your boy comes whimpering into your room the night before a job interview because he had, "Not just a bad dream, it was worse! It was a nightmare about giant frogs!" He snuggles in close almost clinging to you as you offer him his own pillow so you don't wake him when you move but he says, "That's okay Mom I don't mind. I'll just move when you move." You spend the rest of the night feeling as though you have a giant, boy sized, leach stuck to you.

~ If you were to walk into the kitchen right now you would see a Nerf bullet drying in my dish rack on the counter. Why is it there you would ask. Well, only because it got shot into the raw chicken I was preparing for dinner.

~ You never know what you're going to get when a little boy offers to carry the hand basket for you at the grocery store. Turns out if your just the right size you can wear it like a backpack without letting the items inside fall out.

~ Laughter's journal entry for school was this: I threw grapes at my teacher. She will throw grapes too.

~ When your son loses a tree frog in a log cabin furnished completely in wood...

~ Laughter: I wish I could use these pipe cleaners to hang from the railing above the stairs.

MOW: Pipe cleaners wouldn't hold you, you would need my rope.

Me: (From the other room) Yeah, that's not ever going to be a good idea.

~ My six year old was trying to read my handwriting and said to me, "Maybe you should get a hand writing book."...Believe me deary my teachers already tried that.

~ Is it a bad thing when the boys tell me they want to make a surprise for me, just like Christmas and that they need me to stay in my room? Or how about when I over hear Man of the Woods saying, "We don't want to hurt her just surprise her."

~ Laughter had just used my lotion when I looked over to find him rubbing his arms and wrists all over the furniture. I asked him why he was doing that and he said, "I'm marking my territory with my new sent glands, Mom!"... Of course what else would you be doing?

~ A day in the life of a Momma... When your boys say they are not that hungry but you are so you decide to make extra muffins. When they are done you leave them to cool while you finish your morning chores only to walk back into the kitchen to find them completely gone... Then you find a dead frog in your upstairs hallway be it because the frog escaped or it was hunted by a house cat it doesn't change the fact that a dead frog is in your upstairs hallway... Then when little brother wants to know if big brother really can push him over and like the good big brother that he is he flips him over a laundry basket... Even so it's been a good day.

~ That time Laughter threw something at the ducks and I asked him why he did that. His response? "Oh, I think I lost my mind for a moment. It's all coming back to me. I shouldn't have thrown that at the ducks. Sorry ducks I lost my mind there. I won't do that again."