Love languages...

So the question at dinner tonight was...how do you know someone loves you? I thought I'd see if it would give me some insight into the amigos' love languages. Steve and I had our theories, of course, about how each of our kids receives love the best but I wanted to see what the kids themselves thought.
I started with Grace who said, "I know because they snuggle and smooch me a lot. I mean A LOT! And also kids at school don't smooch me because that would be so weird but, like, my friend Jackie hangs on my backpack and is always touching me so she really likes me A LOT! Also, I know Mommy and Daddy love me because they are hard workers and paint my room and help me clean up and cook and clean and stuff." Interesting...Grace isn't the cuddliest of our kids. She's not one to just come sit on your lap (at least not very often) nor is she one to shower you with kisses. So we guessed that physical touch was not her favorite love language. Of course after her answer I asked her if she liked it when Jackie hung on her and she said, "Not really...but I know she really loves me." And then I asked her if she likes lots of hugs and kisses and she said, "Um....sometimes..." She's still an enigma to me. My guesses are still quality time and words of affirmation.
Eli said, "I know Mommy loves me because she snuggles me and gives me smooches." Now that one we could have guessed. That Eli needs a lot of physical affection...and we're happy to give it to him. I think he would like me to wear him as a coat if I could! I don't know how much of that comes from the way his life began or if his little heart just was born with a high need for physical touch. Either way, we're happy to fill his little love bucket as often as he needs it filled!
Noah said, "I know Mommy and Daddy love me because they play with me and they snuggle me. But I don't like kisses so much as hugs. And they give me presents for my birthday!" Yep, could have guessed those, too...and probably that's the right order for him.
Interestingly, the way Eli gives love is by helping...he helps Grace clean her disaster of a room, he helps me do the laundry, he helps Steve organize the basement...he is a helper guy. Noah rubs our backs and says very nice things to us. My favorite so far has been one day when I was dressed up for something and he said, "Wow! Mommy, you look beautiful. (pause for thinking) But you look beautiful everyday." (I know, makes your heart melt, doesn't it?) And Grace also shows love by words of encouragement and affirmation.
It's a happy challenge to love them the way they need to be loved.

Thankful Thursday...

Happy Thankful Thursday everyone! Today I am thankful for...

• Sam who spent the afternoon with us and is a fun friend for Eli and Noah.
• my little writers' club of first graders who have great imaginations, who are very kind and encouraging to each other and who are pretty amazing little first grade writers.
• the weather allowing us to play baseball and ride bikes outside today!
• my sweet girl who likes to tell me everything that happens at school (here's hoping it will last!)
• Lent and the opportunity to refocus on Jesus.

How 'bout you?

Eli learns to read!

Amigo happenings...

Noah dressed for gymnastics (the outfit was so interesting I just had to post it!)...

Grace, Eli, Lilly and Adelaide at the aquarium...

Grace climbing the coconut tree at the aquarium...

Eli could not get enough of the fish. He would have spent all day staring at them.

Thankful Thursday...

Today I am thankful for...

• Ruby...the new car that had to replace the Batmobile. I'm thankful for my aunt and uncle and their generosity. I'm thankful for the wonderful people at their dealership. I'm thankful that we have a car that should last a long time (I hope to drive it at least 200,000 miles). I'm thankful that we can all fit in there with room for a few more!
• having my parents live close enough so that they can drop by for meatloaf.
• that Eli is now securely attaching to other people besides me and Steve. He will now go sit on my mom's lap spontaneously and snuggle her and tell her his very funny stories. He will initiate a conversation with my dad about super heroes and how bad guys never win. (He and Noah have a theory that "bad guys never win because they don't have any friends to train with so they don't train and their muscles aren't so strong as the good guys.") He loves to go up and visit Gigi and Papo and read and play with them. And, of course, there are many others that he's attaching to. It's so awesome to see this sweet little fellow with an entire network of people who love him and who he loves back!
• my small group gals...it isn't always easy being vulnerable and being called to a deeper place but it's always worth it. Thanks, ladies.
• Noah's gymnastic coach, Tony, and the way he inspires Noah to do his best...and not just at gymnastics. I'm so grateful that God has gifted people to inspire us and bring out the best in us. (video is Noah with Tony)
• antibiotics...it was so hard to see sweet Noah with zero energy and a lot of pain from ear infections earlier this week. What a relief to see him feeling so much better with just a few doses of antibiotics!

How 'bout you?

Introducing Mr. Flexible and his Side-kick Flexiboy!

Happy V Day!

Eli and Nico heading into the Home Depot for some male bonding...

Grace at her school Valentine's party...

Grace and Cara making bracelets...

Catching up on some photos and videos. Here's Noah playing his new drum set. (Anyone but me feel the need to watch some old Muppet show re-runs? ANIMAL!)

Thankful Thursday...

I am thankful for...

• no one being hurt in the accident. The batmobile is a tough ol' bird!
• Steve getting home on the early flight today!
• three healthy little bodies
• having family nearby to pick me up when I have a car accident and need to go pick Grace up from school.
• our kids' godparents and the way that each of them show the kids love in different ways.
• feeling better!
• LOVE! Boy, it's everywhere! In all forms! What a gift! I'm thankful for the love of my funny and fabulous friends, for the love of our closer-than-most families, for the love of my sticky-kisses kiddos, for the love of my fantastic husband and for the love of our amazing and awesome God!

What are you thankful for this Valentine's week?

The Batmobile...

So...the batmobile is out of commission. The boys and I were driving to get Noah a haircut and chatting away and got into a car accident in the parking lot of Fantastic Sams. Not so fantastic. The batmobile's wheel is shoved up into the side of the car. The batmobile is not drive-able. The batmoblie was stinky and smoky and leaking some fluid that I am certain wasn't water. Phooey. And scary. The boys did fine. Later Noah said, "Mommy, you and that other girl should have watched where you were going. But you said you were sorry. It's good to say we're sorry when we break some one's stuff." Excellent point. And Eli said, "Oh, I'm sad. I miss Mommy's car." Me, too, buddy. Me, too.
Good news...the next time Eli goes to speech therapy will be the last time. Eli went into speech therapy telling Miss Theresa about "diarrhea" and everyone in the family's experiences with it (I know, TMI). Theresa said, "Eli, when you can have an entire conversation with me about diarrhea and I can understand every word, you have graduated from speech therapy." An odd graduate thesis, for sure, but, hey, whatever works!
Also, today all amigos were working on their valentines for their friends at school. It was a study on the way each of them approach such tasks. Eli carefully wrote "Eli P." on every card and was finished. Noah wrote his friends' names and his name on a few cards and picked super "cool" tattoos for his buddies, complained about how hard it was, put on a few tattoos from the valentines, wrote just his name on some cards, picked out special cards for all of his boy cousins and special buddies, taped lollipops on all of them with copious amounts of tape and finally finished. Grace carefully chose out the valentines that weren't too "girly" for the boys in her class, went through her class list and checked off every friend as she addressed their valentines and attached their lollipops. Also, she wrote BFF on six of the valentines. Wow. That's a lot of best friends. And where did she learn BFF? Isn't it crazy how phrases from our childhood come flying out of our children's mouths (or pens) and we have no idea how they got there? (Well, we might have a little clue...)

Sometimes One Must Paint...

Sometimes I find myself in these places (emotionally probably...not physically) where I really need to see transformation. And when I find myself in those places you know what I do? I paint a room. (This time, by "I" I mean "we" being me and Steve.) So recently we've painted the kids' bathroom (a cheery blue) and replaced the light fixture and painted the main floor bathroom a pale green and replaced that light fixture. Unfortunately the green reminds me of a hospital (the very thing that I did not want to be reminded of). However, it's starting to grow on me. And the next project, hopefully to be started tomorrow, is to paint our bedroom. My goal is to have it finished before Valentine's day. It's not looking good for me, there, but you never know. Sometimes I get a little obsessive and do whatever's necessary to complete the project. I think this may be a sign of some deep-seated neuroses but maybe not.
Don't we all need to see transformation sometimes? Transformation gives me hope. Hope that God's work in me is not yet complete but that it will be, really will be, someday. Hope that who I am is not who I'll be in 10 years, next year, or maybe even tomorrow. Hope that the pain that the people I love feel today will be gone tomorrow. Hope that this fallen world we call our home can and will be transformed. Hope that the future is different, brighter somehow, than the present. Not that I'm all depressed about the present...I'm not. Because there is beauty right here and now. I can enjoy the frozen beauty of the winter. But I light up and dance when the tulip first pokes its brave little shoot out of the near frozen ground. I long for spring. I long for the budding transformation...so I paint.

Thankful Thursday...

This Thursday I am thankful for...

• Eli starting each morning by saying, "Mommy, it's going to be a good day!" I hate to admit it but sometimes I don't think it will be...but then he says it and I believe it!


• Steve...who might just be the best husband ever. He's a great friend, a good listener, a great provider, super fun and funny and just wonderful. I'm so blessed! Love you, Steve!


• my cousin Julia's healthy new baby, Georgia. I can't wait to meet her!


• my Grammy who always brings me Time magazine and the newspaper, who takes our kids whenever we need her to and enjoys spending time with them and who has more energy than anyone I know!


• THE SUN! Today it is almost 70 degrees! Whoo hoo! You can't beat the Colorado sun! Yesterday when the boys and I walked to pick Grace up from school, Noah was in shorts and a tanktop and was perfectly comfortable....crazy!
• for our kids varied interests and unique personalities. (photo is Noah learning drums)

What are you thankful for today?