Carlee
-You are beautiful.
-You have the kind of smile that takes over your face. It reminds me of sunshine.
-You have stubborn hair. I like that your hair never looks combed. It gives you a very Junie B. Jones vibe.
-You amaze me with your thoughtfulness and how cautious you are about everything (I wish I could be like that).
-You wear a bathing suit and tumble around the room every day.
-You play Barbies for hours in your room. I adore listening to your sweet voice as ‘the girls’ get ready for a party and a drive to lunch.
-I see fashion in your future. ‘It don’t matches. I like ‘parkly (sparkly) shirts’ are a daily part of your vocabulary. Getting ready is a nightmare in the morning, unless we pre-select your shoes, your underwear, your socks, your hairbands, and your outfit.
-You remind me of your daddy a lot.
-But THEN, your laugh is so loud and comes from your belly and I see a fire when you are opposed to something.…. and you are a bit like me after all.
-You are mama’s girl right now.
-You finally gave me the Valentine’s day experience I have been waiting. You carefully pick out the design, special to each child. You just don’t hand me a box of wrestling cards and say ‘fill them out for me’ (I’m talking to you Connor).
-You surprised me this year by asking for a birthday party at church and everyday since you have said ‘I so ‘cited about my party.’
-Every morning for school I let you put on my makeup with me as I’m getting ready. As long as you look like a clown, I’m fine. But Friday you put on the lipstick just perfect and that made me nervous.
-You love to cook with me. You ask every day to cook.
-You hate to clean. You tell me ‘it tooooo hard’.
-Your Loves in Life:
Connor, iPad, Books, Baths, Church, Mrs. D., and Nail Polish (not in the order)
Connor
-You are one handsome fellow!
-You are my sensitive twin. You take things deeply to heart. This is harder for a boy.
-Catching you out in the snow with nothing but shorts on!!!! (We have cemented our Cray Cray Neighbor Award.)
-You are a mover and shaker and creator, I’ve accepted the school model makes you miserable. It’s just our job right now and you are doing good at getting through that job. We will continue our Mini Van Prayers and write a book about it one day.
-Listening to you pray makes me proud.
-Watching you with your sister make me even more proud.
-Too scared to watch ‘The Goosebumps’ movie but begged to watch The People Vs. OJ Simpson. After I let you watch the parts I previewed, you had interesting questions:
-Why would someone with so much fame want to kill?
-Why would lawyers defend someone who could not pass a lie detector?
-Why would OJ attend the funeral after he had been arrested? Isn’t that disrespectful?
(I love how you talk through movies like me.)
-Our likeness, makes us clash these days. Lucky dad is there to save you because you want the last word and I demand it!
-Your sense of humor is IDENTICAL to your father.
 |
| always joking around! |
-Middle School Scares Me (and your dad)
-Asking me to please not dent the van anymore and reminding me that you will drive like me one day because we both don’t have common sense. (thanks for that)
-In after school, you made a new friend in fifth grade. When you asked him why he goes to therapy he told you he was autistic. Then you asked him if he understood emotions, sarcasm, and social things? He said ‘Yes, of course!’ To which you said, 'I think your not autistic anymore'.
-It occurred to me this week, your room has become easier to clean this year.
I realize it’s because the monster trucks, the blocks, the hot wheels, the wrestling men, the rubber snakes, the baseball cards are not coming out anymore. (If you want to pull them out a few more times for me to clean up, it will be ok.)
-I’m pleased you rarely play your video game system during the week.
-The time you BIT and dented your controller because you were mad and begged me not to tell dad. Two days later, dad told a story of bitting his controller because he was mad when he was 10 and we burst into laughter as he was telling it.
-Loving Basketball…. and the way you encourage the other players is awesome.
Darren
-Wrestling with the kids and dog. Then taking some hard hits old man. Your hanging in there.
-Thank you for car shopping, even though I don’t deserve it.
-Offering grace when we make mistakes. It goes a long way.
-Coming to work to deliver my forgotten pocket book, wallet, lunch, etc.
-That time you told your customer that I work hard ALL the time. I felt validated.
-Teaching our kids responsibility.
-Trying hard not to look at the glass half empty when I’m determined you will see it as half full!
-Rescuing the kids when I’ve had a ‘lost it’ moment!
-Turning into a girly man with Carlee.
-Trusting my decision making with Connor.
-Taking good care of your mama.
-Our first group date we laughed for 15 minutes about a joke that no one thought was funny. The tradition has continued- we laugh at things no one else thinks is funny.
I really like that about us.
