little moments

{I am lacking consistent sleep.  Therefore, today's post will include both rants and raves on motherhood- with no particular rhyme or reason to their order...}

{Daddy}

Two of our {many} favorite parts of the day include saying good-bye to Daddy when he goes, and hello when he arrives home again.  The boys kiss & hug him every morning, and jump up & down repeatedly on the couch screaming, "Daddy! Daddy!" when they  hear his car in the driveway.  Josh says that's his favorite part of the day- when he opens the gate, sees their smiling faces in the window and hears them calling for him.  It warms his heart and is such a wonderful homecoming.

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Today while we were driving to the grocery store, Jack started crying and saying he missed daddy.  He asked to call him. I told him we couldn't call daddy at work, but we could send a text message instead.  He dictated: "Daddy, Have a good at work. I miss you. Hi. I love you a lot. Love, Jack."  What a sweetheart.

                                                                                                                            (Photo courtesy of Jack Cunningham)                         

{Perspective}

Then at the grocery store the boys got to ride in the pretend car that sat in front of the cart.  Occasionally they popped out to "help" me shop.  They had so much fun opening and closing the dairy doors.  Seriously, they were giggling so hard. It got me thinking about a toddlers' perspective on things. Things that I take for granted, like the Magnadoodle my mom bought for them, are totally magical & mysterious to them.  It's so fun to watch them discover the world around us. I am loving it.

{Won't be like this for long}

Lately my showers have included a 5 piece set of mini Tonka diggers & a set of two-year-old toddlers.  While these showers are not in the least relaxing, or even enjoyable in and of themselves, I do try to laugh about the insanity of fitting the three of us, plus a load of worker trucks into our tiny tub.  I know that one day I won't find a backhoe next to my shampoo bottle or a Matchbox car on top of my flour container in the pantry.  And I know that their absence will leave an ache in my chest.

{Footsteps}

Today we went to the grocery store for milk, etc. and while as we traipsed from the car (in the rain, of course) to the entry, I heard the sound of us.  The pitter-patter, splash-splosh of our six feet hitting the wet pavement, and as I squeezed their chubby hands in mine, I took a deep breath. It was a beautiful sound.  

As hard as grocery shopping with two rambunctious boys can be, in that moment I was so grateful to have them by my side.

 {Word Up}

There are some words, or ways that the boys say things, that just make me smile-- and dread the day when they can say these words accurately.

Diaper bag: Dyker bag

Larry the Cucumber: Larry the Coopkumber

Tastes like cheese: "Taste-is" like cheese

Don't tell me what to do: Don't tell me sump-thin'!

Have a good day at work, Daddy: Have a good ___ at work, Daddy!

And when the boys fight, Jack often resorts to pinching Logan's cheeks or squeezing his shoulders really tight, and Logan tattles on Jack saying, "Mommy! Jack crunched me!" It is so adorable, I can't correct him.

{Sleep}

 Jack hasn't been 100% for a while now. Not sure what's going on, other than he's been more clingy, sad & cuddly than usual.  (As well as an off & on fever and runny nose.)  He asked to take a break in his room the other day, and then when I went in to check on him, he was all bundled up in his "snuggly" blanket, as he calls it, and asked me to take this picture.  

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When they wake up from naps, sick or not, they are super cuddly. Josh and I try really hard to take advantage of this time.  We know that all too soon they'll be in kindergarten and much less likely to curl up in our laps for a good snuggle.

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Actual sleep in our house has been incredibly hard to come by these days.  The boys have been a bit sick for almost two weeks now, and they are back to waking up three or even four times a night.  Last night, for instance, Jack was up at midnight and 2:30am. Then Logan woke up at 5:30am, and promptly woke Jack up as well. 

Josh and I are so tired. We have no idea what we're doing.  Their bedtime used to be 7:00pm, strict.  Now, some nights it's after 8:00pm before they're in bed.  We changed this in the hopes that a later bedtime would lead to a later wake up time. And it worked for a few days, but between this illness and the time change, we are all screwed up.  Some nights I don't even want to crawl into bed, because I know as soon as I fall asleep, the boys (or at least one of them) will wake me up, knocking on the door, needing a drink of water for their sore throat or needing medicine because they are burning up with a fever.

I am exhausted. I think I would be tired anyway, but being pregnant sure isn't helping. I'm honestly not sure how this baby is growing.  I haven't been feeling great myself, so my appetite is null and that, coupled with not sleeping, leaves me starving for energy.

{Kisses}

Today in their "car cart" at the grocery store, Jack gave Logan's hand a kiss, and Logan pulled his hand away, proclaiming, "Kisses are yucky, Jack!"  Not sure where he heard that, but it made me laugh. (And promptly tell him that kisses are nice, but if he doesn't want a kiss, he can just tell Jack, "No, thank you.")

XOXO