My Kids, to the Rescue!!

OK, enough about all the CRAP. I need to stay positive, because today has not been very good. I don't know why, just one of those days when I'm really down and nothing seems to help. Even though I still feel the "blues" I am not going to blog that tonight.

The last couple of weeks, Aaron has been dropping me off at work and then picking me up. It's actually been kind of nice, chatting in the car......alone..... I've been reading my blog to him, and I didn't realize how negative I can be. So, my kids are my focus tonight. I am going to wrack my brain and try to remember some of the great things they've done, that I have failed to mention.

Nathanael, Carson & Vanessa L-O-V-E Super Why and they are always pretending to be one of the characters on there. Yesterday, Vanessa would put a basket on her head (it's actually one we use for shoes....gross) and yell "boo" so I would make my "damsel in distress" cry and Carson or Nathanael would come running, shouting "Super Carson/Nathanael to the rescue!" and then they would tell me all about their super powers. It's the cutest thing.

Faith is really in to mimicking. It's adorable how she tries to copy my facial expressions. I tried to get a picture, but she won't hold still, so maybe I'll get one in a few days. She will come up to me, make a face, and walk off again because she knows she got me to laugh. She tries SO hard to copy words we say, and she will scrunch up her whole face, then spit as she tries to say the word. Her favorites are "pup" (puppy) "mow" (more) and, one our neighbor taught her, "ding-dong" while she pushes on her belly button. She also puts her hands on her cheeks and says "oh no!" or smacks her forehead. Cutest baby.

Karleah had a great idea to teach all the younger kids the Articles of Faith. It's adorable to hear Vanessa and Nathanael say them. I'm so proud of Karleah for wanting to help them all learn these. She is a great example to the other four. When I was pregnant with the twins, she was worried that we wouldn't have time for her anymore. I sat with her one afternoon, and told her that it would be a lot of work, but we were going to make the most of it. I said: "these babies are going to be SO lucky to have a big sister like you." She replied "I'm the lucky one, mommy. I get to have them as siblings." I try to remember this every time she asks me why I ever gave her siblings. Or when she says she hates them all. In fact, I'm pretty sure she denies that this has ever been said.

Nathanael loves to tell me about his day in school. He tells me about all his friends, and what they play, and what they learned. Karleah was never like this, so it's really fun for me. Plus, he tells really great stories, and is SO animated. I'm sure he'll be a writer or actor. He's so cute.

Vanessa is still sucking her thumb. She got a paper cut on it the other day, and had a band-aid on it for several days, I hoped that would break her habit....no such luck! She always sucks her left thumb and plays with her hair in the right hand. She twirls it so tight it looks like ringlets in the back, and her hair is NEVER going to grow long. She is a girly-girl, through and through. I am in awe at her personality. She will go far if she never loses her 'zest' (now I have a jingle stuck in my head....)

Carson is still not potty-trained. I'm thinking maybe by the time he is ready for college we'll try again. He is so sweet and cuddly (when he's not smearing toothpaste all over the bathroom, or coloring on walls/monitors/desks/floors/bedspreads/snake cages [this is a never-ending list] or wiping soap all over the hallway, or pushing the baby over, or throwing a tantrum because I want him to use a word instead of grunt & point).

I love the way Vanessa will tell me I'm the "best mommy in the whole wide world" when I wash her favorite pajamas so she can wear them again. Or when Carson finally decides to open up and talk to me, he has the sweetest voice. Karleah can sing like an angel. Nathanael, seriously the most loving, sensitive kid I've ever known. Faith is a great cuddler.

Mostly, I love the way they all play together. I say mostly, because they do have those typical sibling rivalries, and I hear a lot of "MOM! so-and-so did such-and-such" but sometimes, I just sit back and watch them play. They are so imaginative. Karleah comes up with the silliest games, and she can motivate the little ones to do just about anything. When I can't convince them to pick up toys, she makes a game of it. I wish I had that kind of creativity. When they're all getting along, it's the most peaceful thing to sit back and watch them all. Crazy as it seems, I also love to watch them eat. When they are enjoying something Aaron & I worked to buy, and I worked to 'create' I feel fulfilled.

So, even when I'm depressed, or angry, my kids always come to the rescue and make my life worth living. They were worth the wait. The pain of giving myself shots for 3 months, the never-ending tests and doctor visits, the tears shed....none of that compares to the joy they bring to me.

Tonight, it was frozen pizza in front of the 1987 movie "Hansel and Gretel" (the kids were all very enthralled) and LOTS of cuddling. I'm pretty sure Nathanael, Carson, and Faith all sensed my need for love. They all wanted to be in my lap, and I didn't mind ONE BIT. Aaron was cuddling with me, too and it was sooo nice to feel needed.

I love my kids. I can't say it enough. They are my life. My joy. My comfort, peace, happiness, and chaos all at once. K,N,C,V,F thank you for "choosing" me as your mommy. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for lending me these amazing spirits. I hope I can teach them their potential.