The Holiday Season- Part 1

Hi All-

Does it seem to anyone else as if the holidays start at Halloween and just never STOP?  Yes, this is a two (or three, or four/five/six) part-er.  What can I say?  We were busy the last couple of months.  In a good way.  It all started with a performance and a feast…

Rin’s class sang four sweet songs to celebrate Thanksgiving and what it means and had the parents come in and share food.  I just love Thanksgiving and the message that it sends.  It’s not about what you buy someone or what you get in return. There are no obligations aside from eating a few bites of each dish that someone made and telling them it’s delicious.  It’s all about appreciating what you have.  And boy do we appreciate things around here.  Especially these boys.  

I am so thankful every day for my boys, even on the more trying days.  As Rinat asks me sometimes in the middle of playing Lego’s or reading a book or just hanging out, “Mommy, do you still love me even when you are being mad at me?”  But he knows that I do.  He knows because I tell him about a hundred times a day.  Sometimes in the middle of 'being mad' at him even.  And so when I answer ‘yes’, he looks at me with a smile and says.  “Yeah, I know.”  It’s like he’s just sorta checking.  Just in case.  But really just cause he wanted to hear it for the hundred and first time that day.  But for every bit of aggravation that he brings to me at times, he also brings out the best.  He melts my heart on a daily basis- being so gentle and caring toward his little brother who sometimes hits him and steals his stuff, working so so hard to spell a word for one of the books that he’s written and illustrated, being so proud of himself when he cleans up his room all by himself during quiet time without being asked- I mean, sometimes I can hardly stand it.  He’s amazing.  And I am so thankful that he ended up in our family.

And as for the other boys in my life, what can I really say?  I am just as obsessed with them too.  Little BekMan just gets cuter and lovey-er every single day.  He is the highlight of my day every single day- even when he hits me in the face and laughs, even when he has a diaper blowout, even when he screams his head off when I put him to bed.  It’s still the best day possible because he’s there. 

And Peter too.  I have been in love with my sweet hubs for 18 years now.  EIGHTEEN.  I can hardly believe that I am 18 years old, much less that I have been with Peter for that long.  (And yes, I am way waaaay past 18 years old.  Don’t remind me.  Seriously, don’t.  I just want to live in LaLaLand and pretend I am NOT approaching 40.)  Just like my other boys, Peter can make me furious sometimes and I might still wake up with smoke coming out of my ears the next morning but then he does something like say, “No, Hon, you stay in bed.  I got the boys.“ and I am smitten once again.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to stroll downstairs at 8:30 and see all my boys around the table playing Lego’s or PlayDoh just as happy as three little clams.  It's absolute heaven.    

And I am so thankful that I have someone who truly appreciates what I do and doesn’t pressure me to earn money outside of the house at the expense of the kids.  I feel like time with them is so limited and I want to be there just as much as I possibly can.  And I am.  Day in, day out, I am there.  I know one day I’ll get a real job but for now, this is my work and I love it.  Every day I am so thankful I filled out that application for position of mother (literally!).  The pay is crappy, the hours long, and my coworkers sometimes annoying but the payback is beyond measure.  

Love to all, -m