stories

I've been wanting to write lately and I've started a few times, but my thoughts all seem to be just fragments. Like the sadness I feel when I hear people talk about their rowdy, full of life teenage boys and their friends crowded in the kitchen. Or the heartbreak of our little friend who has been in the hospital for three weeks straight battling leukemia. There's always the daily grind of life with my buddy and two girls who can tap into teenage angst in the blink of an eye.




Maybe it's just the winter glums. Or the lack of sleep blues.




So I'll cheer myself up with stories of things that make me smile. My buddy loves YouTube Kids. There is a search bar and he usually taps it and asks me to search for his favorite videos. Lately, I've been telling him which letters to push so he can spell it himself. Wouldn't you know the other day, he independently typed in eggs and found the surprise egg videos he loves! Little victories.




We've been trying hard to get all the kids to try different foods. Believe it or not, my buddy is the best at this. The girls complain and gag and let me know that I am the worst mom ever. But my buddy pops whatever it is right in his mouth. He chews (washes it down with milk fast if he doesn't like it) then says, "Mmmm. Yummy." After I praise him and ask if he wants more since it's so yummy, with perfect comic timing he says, "Nope."




Big sister goes through these phases where I see what life will be like when she is a teenager. Even at her most challenging, she is still so kind to her brother and sister. She lets her brother have a turn on her bike and helps push him. She cuddles rara when she feels sad. It can be hard to remember sometimes, but she really is a fantastic kid.





Most of all, I'm grateful for those days when we are all together making memories and laughing.