Dear John & Ella (buBBa & lucY),

Hello my little darlin's - mama's sorry it's been so long...it's not that I've not had things I wanted to say, it's more not knowing where to begin.

Here's a life lesson from that sentiment - sometimes you need to just get started.  The "perfect storm" of the right moment is often just your subconscious keeping you from doing what you need to do.  Stop giving yourself excuses and just start doing.  You never get anywhere by standing still and waiting.  Sorry, I digress...as I tend to do :)

You both continue to amaze and humble your Deddy and me more with each day.  That we get to be along for the ride of being your parents - we can't thank God enough.

I'll start with you my first-born, my buddy...son, you're such a blessing to our family.  The twinkle in your eye and the independent lil' thinker we see emerge more every day - you're truly the peanut butter to our jelly time :)

Right now, you're into lots of things.  Your coloring skills have seen astounding improvement in the last month or so.  Can we say - actually coloring in those lines!  You've also been bringing home some activity sheets - matching like things/shapes/etc. - we enjoy seeing your lil' thought process as those lines dip/turn across the page.  You're still very much loving your animals - sometimes you go jurassic, sometimes you're more jungle - just depends on your mood that day.  

You've become a good watch dog over Ella too :)  We hear lots of adamant, "NO MA'AM's" from you these days.  Glad you're giving us a break cause we sure wear down saying it.  Unfortunately these protests get little reaction other than a smile before she gets back to whatever it was she wasn't supposed to be doing. 

These days, you're willingness to expand your "menu" is still pretty limited.  You have digressed from oatmeal every day and now like to sit at the big table and enjoy your chocolate pop-tart (pappaw calls them "fart-tarts") or your cocoa puffs cereal for breakfast.  Lunch most days for you is at school and according to the daily reports, they manage to get you to eat all sorts of foods you proclaim "disgusting" when you're at home.  Chicken nuggets, popcorn shrimp and PB&Js are still on heavy rotation for meals at home.  We have no trouble getting you to eat bananas or yogurt either.  Beyond that, you'd rather sacrifice hopes of "happy plate" treats than relent to eating "our food" b/c it's "disgusting".  One day down the road, when you, Deddy & probably Ella are fighting over the seconds or thirds of whatever yummy deliciousness I've layed before you - then I will have my vindication.  For now, I'll continue to nuke those d*#& chicken nuggets and bear all the disgusting accusations.     


Yes, you have strong opinions of things and you don't mind sharing them :)  If someone's opinion is different than yours, you'll gladly remind them that they're "not being nice."  Oh, if the world were only that simple, ha.  You're also highly animated when sharing all your opinions or stories these days.  You take on this voice of a 10 yr old in all your explaining and you like to talk with your hands to really drive the point home!  He may disagree, but you get that from your deddy.  I constantly find myself telling him to stop flailing about when he's talking - he's rolling his eyes reading this (but he knows it's true)!


You still enjoy reading books at bedtime.  You get a choice of a couple of short books or one Golden Book (cause they have a bajillion words in them).  I recently pulled the archives of Golden Books that were mine & your deddy's out for you to enjoy.  Being such a big boy, I knew you were ready :)  Some nights we pile on your floor, some nights we sit on the couch but my favorite is when you, me & deddy curl up in the bed together to read.  Sometimes I just close my eyes when it's deddy's turn - trying so hard to implant the feeling of peace and contentment that washes over me in those moments.  


Speaking of moments, can I just say that you're so much my sweetheart right now.  In the morning, I come into your room with just the light from the hall illuminating your lil' form all entangled in your covers.  I always pause for a moment and look at your sweet face.  I wake you up by rubbing your back or stroking your cheek.  You awake rather peacefully and usually crawl right into my lap, legs curled, head resting on my leg to continue your waking ritual.  Trust me, I enjoy it as much as you do and always let it linger.  

You're certainly the lingering of the children right now.  You'll gladly fall into an embrace, find your way into a lap or barrel into us with one of those super duper (a lot like Nana's) hugs that almost bowls us over (DEEP SIGH).  Your affection is your sunshine and it warms our heart more than you know, son.

Alright lucY - time to give you your due :)

Girl, where oh where to begin.  If buBBa's the peanut butter to our jelly time, you are sure as the world the cheese to our macaroni :)  That and you eat your weight in that stuff when given the opportunity -ha.  You're kind of the goat in the family these days - you eat pretty much everything we put in front of you in copious amounts.  If it's something you really like, you can't shovel it in fast enough.  I think some nights deddy would like to switch seats with me at the table - you tend to think what's his is yours and will grunt in the direction of his plate when you see something you want.

Speaking of you and your deddy - can we say apple in eye :)  That you are my dear.  Not that I ever doubted for a second that you would be.  He's quite enamored with you and it's surely reciprocated.  The solace you find in his arms and the joy that spreads across his face - both sights to behold.  We definitely have 2nd child syndrome with you - we save a lot of energy by not wasting a lot of "no's" with you right now unless you're in imminent danger.  However, I can't wait to see the "discrepancies" in deddy's demeanor/threshold when disciplining his lil' darlin' when that time comes (anxious to unleash my "I told you so's" - haha).

Not that we should have expected different, but you're very different from John.  At your age, he could sit and be engaged for long periods of time watching something.  You barely notice the TV is even on.  Take that back - you see buBBa watching it & promptly walk over and high five the screen (as your deddy just groans).  Telling you "no" is beyond futile and I just kind of shake my head & smile.  Sometimes we go over and remove your lil' fingers to which you just reach around and put them back.  Last night you got so frustrated at me trying to stop you that you just put your chin down and poked your bottom lip out :)  It was precious.  Unfortunately most of your misbehaving is followed by some preciousness - a sweet smile, some chuckling or some "explaining" - we're a lil' enamored with your cuteness (insert fail for mama & deddy).   

Speaking of cuteness, here you are in a few moments of :)

 
Here you are in another moment being the rascal you are the other 95% of the time...

The rascal in you, that's what makes me grin from ear to ear sometimes.  Mama's child you are :) through and through.  I can see why my mama always called me her sunshine although I know how "challenging" I could be.  I get it now.  You're so high maintenance (I'm sure to only grow moreso) but you light up a room with your presence.  Whether you're dancing to the music, singin' the BIBLE song, telling us about it (hilarious), taking laps through the downstairs doin' that lil' waddle run - diaper bottom just a bouncing, trying to make us laugh (you're quite a lil' ham) or just erupting in laughter, you're one radiant little girl :)


And I have to sigh some at that realization - you're quickly becoming a little girl...there's no baby left there.  Last night was the 1st night you didn't get a bottle at bedtime (shock,gasp & yes we waited a long time to end this).  You're deddy was all like, "I don't think we did John cold turkey" (which with certainty, I know we did) and "maybe I should just fix her a cup of milk."  Yeah, you thought a lot of that cold drink as you smacked it out of my hand and fell apart once you realized there was no "bobble" to be had.  You survived :)...night one anyways!


You have quite the vocabulary to be almost 16 mos. old.  You can regurgitate a lot of words we say to you like "no", "thank you", "meow", "more", "bubba", "mama", "deddy".  You understand quite a bit of what we say too - if not, you're adamant lil' nod or shake of your head is quite deceiving.  The funniest is when we ask you if you've stinkied - you usually start to shake your head "no" but then quickly start to nod your head an exaggerated "yes" :)  Most times you're telling the truth - you got good pipes!


You both love to be outside - we definitely know you're our youngin's for that :)  You both think it's fun to wrestle with deddy or pile into a single lap to look at books.  You both amuse each other and make each other cry.  You both like to run around naked before bath time.  You both have your own tenacious, trying ways - but we can still feel the joy (though we may be talking through clenched teeth) in those moments.  You both bless us beyond words.  You both inspire us to be better for you, for each other and for the world we live in.  You put light in our lives and so much hope in our hearts.  Our love for you is consuming and we savor that.  


Continue to grow & delight my babies...


All my love, to the moon & back ~ mama