They're really just too much. They make my life so good and so rich and so full. I just can't imagine life without them. I'm having so much fun and fulfillment being a mom. I love what I learn from being their mom, like that Eloise has a soft heart and doesn't like if I get truly frustrated with her. Conley loves snuggling and absorbs things so quickly when he's listening.
Russia invaded Ukraine a week and a half ago and it's been heartbreaking to watch. I've told the kids about it a bit. His prayer the other night was this: "Please bless that Russia will stop being so fierce and that Ukraine will get to stay its own country." Eloise mentioned Putin and that he would stop or something like that.
Today we had a birthday party for Conley. It was so fun. I planned the activities with him and they were all a huge success. We put little dinosaurs in baking soda paste that hardened into eggs, and then squirted vinegar on them. And then the kids dug up bigger dinosaurs. And they excavated a T-Rex skeleton that I got from Target. Then they designed the most amazing LEGO dinosaurs without directions! It was impressive what they came up with: moving arms, legs, jaws, wings. I loved it and was super impressed. Then we had cake and ice cream and they just jumped on the tramp. Conley loved it so much. I love making him happy.
I read to him tonight. We give him melatonin nowadays, and it helps him so much. It's so cute when he gets sleepy. I've been reading him a book called Fudge by Judy Blume. Joseph had a good idea to start reading the Bible with him so he bought a kids Bible. It's gnarly and the art is crazy looking but Conley loves it. He insists on reading two stories every night. Joseph also started a journal with him, so we wrote in that tonight and he dictated all about the presents he got and the excavation kit.
I told him earlier today, "You are my favorite. Did you know that?" And he stopped and hugged my legs (we were walking to the kitchen) and said, "No." And I said, "Yep. You're my favorite." And he just looked at me and smiled. It was so sweet for some reason. Tonight, I said, "Do you remember what I told you are earlier today?" He smiled mischievously and said, "Birthday boy." I tickled him and he giggled.
He was so sweet to Eloise the whole party. I just love how he lets her play with him and his 8 friends/cousins that came today. It's just amazing. And this morning he cried when she didn't want to play a game with him that he wanted to play. He loves playing with her. They play really well together, for the most part.
We did Come Follow Me tonight, which we don't do that often these days. It was nice. Afterward, Eloise was like, "I know something about the Bible. There were guys with bandages all over and they were sick and they couldn't even go to their houses. But then they were walking and saw Jesus and his disciples and Jesus healed them all! And they were able to go back to their houses." I asked if they said thank you, and she said, "Only one!" We talked about that. Then Conley said a prayer, and in it, he blessed the people who don't have houses "that they would have a really good time." I know he means that they will be OK and be able to have a happy life. When he finished the prayer, Eloise said, "I worry about the people standing on the highway." We see a lot of homeless people these days. I said something about that there are resources for them like homeless shelters, but that it's hard to get long-term housing because it's so expensive. And she said, "Yeah and they walk all over and they are so tired." It was so, so, so sweet. She was feeling it for them. And Joseph was so sweet about it, too. He said, "Yes and it's hard to get a job when you don't have an address." Anyway, it was a special moment for us, all mourning together for them. I just felt so touched that she (and Conley) notice.
Eloise is a delight. She's been a beautiful, bright, delicious delight every day of her life. Her language is amazing right now: amazingly cute. She can't say her Rs, so words like church, shirt, river, on and on, are just too much. She has big feelings but can be comforted with love and snuggle. She reminds me to be calm and patient and gentle, because why wouldn't I be? I feel like she and Conley both do that: they make it so clear to me what they are feeling and that they are thinking and feeling and intentional beings, and that impatience or fierceness are just a waste and also harmful. I love feeling how they feel and seeing the world through their eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment