Last year - 2010

This year - 2011

Wow! My boys have grown up so much in the last year. I notice it most when I compare pictures. It is so cliche but they really do grow up and before you know it they're gone. Mine aren't going anywhere just yet but I no longer have little boys. I feel a certain sadness about this. Sometimes I want to hear Sesame Street in the background and I want them to sing with all their might when they are in the bathroom. It's funny the things you miss, like them needing you when they skin a knee....they're much too big and brave for that now. I do, however, love the mobility and capabilities that come with this stage. I guess the trick is to embrace them in all of their glory and make sure that you make the best of all of it at all times. Oh how I LOVE these little men!

Last published on April 17, 2009. Wow. That's depressing. Time to start again. Stu, great man that he is, has started writing consistently in his journal. This is my meager attempt to follow his example. I'll start later........

It's Friday night. All motivation to prepare a healthy, well-balanced dinner went swiftly out the door with Stu on his way to work. Frozen waffles and apple slices all around! Just as he is finishing his second waffle, Jonah looks at me and with all sincerity asks,
" What amimal are waffles made of?"
"What animal do you think they are made of?" I ask in return.
"Giraffe," comes his reply. He has decided that if you take the long neck of a giraffe and slice it up you get waffles. I can see it.
Later we'll have a little lesson on wheat and flour!

Haydn should be on TV. Seriously, if I had connections he would be on stage or the big screen making some cash. The other day he came and asked if he could play the xbox. I said simply, "no". He looked at me with the saddest look on his face and stated, " I'm just a boy..... with boy needs!" He then covered his face and pretended to cry. I watched him for a minute and he suddenly took his hands away and asked incredulously, "Didn't you feel anything?" I felt like laughing, which is of course exactly what he was going for. I love that boy!

One night a week, each of my boys gets to stay up late and lay on my bed with me for a little bit of alone time. These have proven to be some of the most precious moments! We laugh, we talk, we relate. It is a safe place and time to share secrets and feelings and jokes. So tonight it was Cairan's turn. I mentioned to him that I had seen a picture of one of his friends and that he should write him a letter. He put on the appropriate pre-teen face, rolled his eyes with extreme disgust and said, "letters are so last century!" He promptly broke out into laughter. Not because he was laughing at what he said, oh no, he was laughing at me! What a punk!

Sometimes I'm not exactly sure how these converstaions evolve. We're in the car, driving to pick up Cairan from school. Haydn announces that he doesn't think that Santa will be bring any presents this year (testing me of course). I ask him why he would think that and he, ready with his answer, simply and flatly replies that their rooms aren't clean. Prompted by Alek we launch into a discussion of "naughty and nice". Jonah begins a sermon on how Jesus wants us to be nice. I ask him which he thinks Santa prefers and Alek promptly and emphatically shouts, "Nice!" Haydn in his philisophical way declares that no, he thinks Santa prefers more children to be naughty so that his elves don't have to work so hard. That's my Haydn, projecting his own distaste for work on Santa's elves of all creatures. Intending to discredit his argument, I explain that the elves appreciate the value of hard work and that they get great satisfaction from a job well done, resulting in some very happy elves. Therefore, Santa also chooses "nice". On hearing how much elves love to work, Alek asks, "can we buy an elf?" If only!

Haydn's favorite knock knock joke.

Haydn: Knock! Knock!
You: Who's there?
Haydn: I'm a pileup.
You: (say it out loud)

Now laugh out loud! HAHAHAHAHA