Kid Stuff

Things I love about my 12 year old:

He's truly funny, in a sarcastic, "I know how to push your buttons" kind of way.
He is passionate about soccer and skiing.
He loves babies.
He has fallen in love with his cello again.
He often helps me the first time I ask. (I said "often." Not "always.")
His grin is so huge, it nearly splits his face in two.
Watching funny movies with him makes them double funny because his laugh is so contagious.
He thinks he is Mr. Decorator and has Major Opinions about how we have decorated for Christmas.
He wore shorts to school every day this fall until 3 days ago, when he finally decided winter had officially arrived. I don't know, maybe it was because it was 25 degrees out?

Things I love about my 9 year old:

She now goes to violin lessons without complaining.
She is amazing with Ben, and often she just carts him around with his arms around her neck.
She starts projects for school BEFORE they're due, even if I'm dragging my feet.
She has a real eye for beauty and is constantly coming up with new ideas for art projects.
She is kind to her friends.
She decided to learn the last piece in her violin book and did it in one day. Performed it the next day. Didn't care that there were rhythm issues and wouldn't let me fix them.
She constantly does these flippy things off our stairs. It makes me crazy, but it's also very cute. Freaks her Grandma out, though. She's sure she'll break her neck.
She has a very specific taste in clothes.
She is passionate.

Things I love about my 5 year old:

She is passionate about playing the piano. I didn't know there were piano students like her.
She reads with darling inflection, especially when there are exclamation points. Oh my! Wow! Oh no!
She plays with Ben in such a darling way. Except when she's bugging him and making him scream.
She wore sandals to school almost every day this year until last week. And skirts and short sleeve shirts. And hardly ever a coat. Argh.
She loves to do hard puzzles.
She eats so many more foods than the rest of the kids.
She has a sunshine spirit.

Things I love about my 20-month-old:

He hugs us and pats our backs.
He loves chocolate milk. He opens the fridge, gets out the milk, goes to the pantry, gets out the chocolate milk mix, and says, "Muk. Chokuh muk."
He answers "Yesh" with a head nod when we ask him if he wants something.
His first sentence was "I want cookies." Good boy.
He loves to be outside.
I can lay him down and he will go to sleep. It's a miracle (a miracle that was many crying nights in the making.)
He loves books, and animals, and singing, and waffles, and did I mention chocolate milk?
He feeds the dog. Too often. Yesterday it was half a loaf of whole wheat bread. It's usually half his breakfast.
He copies all of us. David was standing by the couch a couple of days ago talking to me and leaned back against it, and Ben came running over and leaned back against it too, with just the right amount of nonchalance.

I swear they change everyday. It is lovely and heartbreaking, and I wish I could stop time and soak it all in.