Just Today

So many things...just from today...forgive me it I get to rambling...

I was sitting on the couch as Dora the Explorer ended. I thought to myself - I would really like to read some of MY book (an adult book with no pictures) and thus I allowed another TV show...Ni Hao Kai'lan. (For those unfamiliar - Dora helps kids learn a minute amount of Spanish and Kai'lan helps them learn a wee bit of Chinese.) I looked up from my book and saw Saela sitting on her couch (criss cross applesauce style) holding 'her baby' in her arms and it just warmed my heart. She is going to be a good Mama someday. She diapers her babies, puts them in timeout (for not listening...hmmm, I wonder where that comes from) and puts them on the toilet. Miraculously, her babies do go potty on the potty. Maybe...just maybe some of our lessons on potty training are starting to sink in...but I digress - a very good Mama indeed. All of that makes up for the 1,012 times that she said no to me today and had to sit in timeout.

Asher...well he is just a ham. Saela and I were looking for the TV remote (so I could unpause the 2nd Dora of the day) and we got down on the ground to look under the furniture. When I got up, Asher was on the ground too "helping us look." He got this huge grin on his face like "look Mom, I can do it too." It was so funny and sweet. Later on I was changing his diaper and I pinched my nose and said STINKY and he looked at me, smiled so wide, put his fingers by his mouth and said 'stinkies.' At first I thought I was imagining things...then he did it at least five more times! This made up for the fact that he pooped in the tub tonight. Yes folks...turds in the tub.

I guess mostly I'm writing because I just want to remember this day. We had breakfast, played, read books in the corner of the couch and watched a little TV (where I noticed my little girl growing up right before my eyes). We went to the grocery store and they were great. Saela held the coupons (I didn't tell her that she got the expired ones) and Asher held the bananas as always. The kid really loves bananas. We came home, played and had lunch. Ravioli. Out of a can. Then nap time...beloved nap time. I did read a little bit of my book and it was extremely relaxing. (I even left the mess in the living room!) Kids up, played, looked for the remote and then took a short wagon ride to avoid pending meltdowns. We had not even exited the driveway when Saela exclaimed, "I am going to be sweaty forever." Not two minutes later, she busted out with, "The sun the sun, it's burning my arm." Maybe she's the ham...or just our drama queen. Steve thinks she gets that from me...I have no idea what he is talking about. I never overreact about anything... Back in...dinner, bath which will be further known as "the incident" and milk for Asher. Then to bed with his new loveys: a green football pillow, blue soccer pillow and sports blanket. Dora's Birthday Adventure was then finally finished with Saela sitting calmly and peacefully in my lap. We read books which she put in a circle as we finished them and then lights out for her.

All in all, tantrums, sassy talk and poop in the tub aside...it was a good day. The good far outweighed the bad and all I can say is that I'm just so lucky and God has blessed me so much. Life is just going by so quickly and they are growing up so fast and I just wish that I could stop and hit rewind sometimes. Pause. Stop. Don't grow so fast. Yet each stage is better than the one before. I guess all I can do is record life when I can - so I have it to look back on when my memory fails. So many times, I've thought, I need to remember this moment only to have it erased by the next one. So here it is because I didn't want to forget today, the way I felt or the moments that took my breath away.