MY BEST FRIEND

One of the most proud moments of my life as a parent --

Miss M: "J is my BEST friend!"

Mom: "He's your brother."

Miss M: "J is my brother AND my BEST friend!"

Okay, now I realize that because they're only 3yrs and 1-1/2yrs, this belief could change a few times, but I just want to memorialize this for the memory books and remind them when they're teenagers that, at one time, they were adamantly BEST friends!

BUSY DAYS

We had SUCH a busy weekend -- photos on Sat morning, an appointment with the Maytag repairman Sat afternoon, and plans to GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING because the temperature was tempting us at 60 degrees!!

The photos were a success (see our new blog headline and these headshots). DH stayed home for the kids' naps and the Maytag repairman while I returned to review the photos and make selections -- afterwards, as we were sitting down for dinner, I asked DH, "I suppose that 20 years from now, when we're looking through all of our fabulous photos, I won't remember how tiring those outings were?" He agreed.

On Sunday, we had a quiet and relaxing morning, followed by a marvelously successful outing to our favorite park-in-the-woods. When everyone was tired from the climbing, sliding and swinging (and I do mean EVERYone, parental units included), we enjoyed animal crackers by the pond.

Life is so very, very good. *Ü*

HOW DO 3YR OLDS SAY GOODNIGHT?

Knowing that Miss M is almost 3yrs old tugs at me -- which day did she emerge from her toddler cocoon to become this beautiful and precocious little girl?!? Not that I mind, but it just seems like this transition should have been celebrated with cupcakes or something?

Last night, we borrowed books from school which we wanted to read before bedtime, but since Mr. J needed some quiet time to drift off to sleep, the room was dark. That didn't stop Miss M, who knew every word of her obviously favorite story:

After Mr. J was snoozing, the time was so wonderful and so intimate, I didn't want to interrupt us to turn on the light so I reached for a flashlight on the bedside table. We "read" the book over and over by the glow of the flashlight, enjoying the darkness and each other.

Next to Momma is where she likes to be, and that makes this Momma very happy indeed!!

My favorite part: With a kiss for Momma and a hug! Good night, Good night little dinosaur . . . *Ü*

EVERYONE HAS ALWAYS TOLD ME

that boys eat more than girls, and JUST WAIT! Well, we really didn't need to wait especially long, because that has been an apparent truth for our family since November, 2007 when the boy was born, but here's another keeper for the memory book . . .

When dinner was almost ready on Sunday night, I had just set plates and the kids' bowls on the table and I heard a soft whimpering -- I looked down, and here comes Mr. J, toddling toward the stove, with his bowl in his hands and a sad look on his face from his pouting lower lip, as if saying, "But Mommy, there's nothing in here . . . ??" I scooped him up, put his first serving of peas in his bowl, and he was so very happy to sit down first and start eating!!

Someday, when he's a teenager polishing off an entire pizza by himself and asking for more, I'll reflect on that adorable face, I'm sure!!