Reason # 1,259

Reason # 1,259... How can you not be sooooooo in love?

Had a random hour tonight alone with the boy... At Publix...

JJ loves to ride in the carts that look like race cars or space ships.  Being the responsible Mommas Boy that he is, he insists on putting on the seatbelt that secures him into a front facing position...

As we began finishing our quick jaunt to the store, JJ started crying- Insisting, to take off the seatbelt.  He turned around and said, "Mom, I love you- I want to kiss your eye"... And he proceeded to kiss me on the eyelid... Over the course of shopping, this extended to both eye lids, both cheeks, both ears, my nose and the top of my head...

How can I not be totally in love with this amazing kiddo...

Reason # 1,259... <3 <3 <3

Reasons # 3,500 and 1,254

Reasons # 3,500 and 1,254...

Cinnamon Pie and I don't want to want...

I've been trying to get into the whole 'Thanksgiving' thing this year, but it's been hard... Not to say that I'm not 'Thankful'.  I am filled with gratitude and I give thanks every minute of every day for the incredible blessings that I have... I'm just not all into the whole cooking and gathering thing this year...

Bean has been a little put off by the fact that we are not celebrating in a 'traditional' way this year, so in a last minute effort we made a night time trek to Publix on Thanksgiving Eve... I thought that it would be a horrible experience- filled with last minute shoppers crazed on filling their lists.  But, it was actually cool...

The store was crowded, but the kiddos were soooooo well behaved...We saw so many familiar faces (the employees at Publix know us VERY well...)  We were filled with well wishes and high fives and hugs.  It was a really nice trip to the grocery store...

I bought a small turkey breast and some pre-made sides and some cinnamon scented pine cones to make a centerpiece out of.  I don't know if we will have the turkey and sides tomorrow, but we will have a Thanksgiving meal at some point this weekend.

After we got home, Bean was coloring some pictures of Pilgrims and Turkeys that she brought home from school.  I put the pine cones in a basket and placed them in the center of the dining room table. She asked me what they were and I explained that they smelled like cinnamon and it was a nice scent in the house... Part of Beans dx/syndrome/anatomy is that she has no sense of smell.  She was very excited that the house would smell like cinnamon, although I'm not sure what that means to her.  She declared that anyone coming into our house would think that we were baking cinnamon pie... I don't know what a cinnamon pie is, but I am going to make sure that we have one this weekend..

JJ has a new thing... He responds "I don't want to want" to everything that he wants...

For example... "JJ, do you want to watch Cars?"... "No, I don't want to want to watch Cars" But, he really wants to watch Cars... "JJ, do you want a cookie?"... "No, I don't want to want a cookie."  But, he really wants a cookie...

Putting him to bed tonight, I told him, "JJ, I love you."  HIs response... "No, I don't want to want to love you"... For a split second, it made me sad- but, then my heart was filled with joy....

These kiddos just fill my heart and soul with Thanks and Gratitude... I hope that you all have a great weekend...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Reasons # 1,247 and 3,493... Random...

Reasons # 1,247 and 3,493... Random...

Sometimes, its just the randomness that gets me through the day...

Bean had an appointment with her Plastic Surgeon today for a followup to make sure her incisions were healing well, no discomfort, etc... Even though he is a "Childrens Cranio Facial" specialist, he is still a Plastic Surgeon.  Today, Bean noticed the display of breast implants... She asked what they were, so I very honestly explained what they were... She looked at me, in disgust, and said, "When I grow up, I'm NOT doing THAT!!!"... hahaha... We finished our appointment and we were alone in the room.  As we were leaving, Bean walked back to the display and started squeezing each one... "Oooohhh they're so soft!!!"... Ugh... Let's go...

Fast forward through two hours of traffic and we finally picked up JJ... Had to run to Office Depot to run an errand...

As I'm looking through paper stock, I hear JJ squeal, "MOM!!!! Come here!".  I find him in the next aisle dancing and giggling and keeping the staff very well entertained... He discovered the display of Justin Bieber Singing Toothbrushes (btw, Thanks Tammy for giving me the heads up on these... haha).  He was hitting the dispaly button over and over again to play the songs over and over... Dancing like a fool... This could have led to HOURS of entertainment if I had not finally had to convince them that we HAD to go home and eat dinner tonight...

Random silliness and giggles... I so love these kiddos...

Reasons # 1,245 and 3,941....

Reasons # 1,245 and 3,941....  Thanksgiving...

Everyday this month, I've had friends posting on the fb about what they are grateful for... A month of gratitude broken down by day... Day #1: I am thankful for.... Day #2: I am thankful for....

I've been meaning to jump on this train and write out my gratitudes aech day, but the time just gets away from me...

Therefore, today, I am thankful and grateful... for these amazing little lives that touch my heart and soul every day in a way that I never thought possible.  Even when I am in my darkest place or my heart feels cold, they manage to pour into me a light that is brighter and hotter than a thousand suns...

There is never a day that goes by that I am not brought to the heights and depths of emotion for them.  When they are sad, I drown... When they laugh, I am elated with glee...

I love that, at the end of each day, I get to hold them tight and let our love and bond be their last memory as they float off into slumber...

The kids spent the day with their Dad on Sunday while I did some stuff... When I arrived hometo make dinner, JJ ran to me and had this wild look in his eyes.... A strange mix of fear and happiness... Almost like an actor portraying a crazed person... And he kept repeating, "You scared  me!"- In a kind of laughing, sing-song voice and hugging me non-stop...

After all had calmed down and dinner was done and we were getting ready for bed, JJ came to me and placed his hands on my cheeks, and looked into my eyes and said, very seriously,"You scared me."  He genuinely missed me during that course of 6 or so hours and it seemed to scare him that I wasn't coming back or something...

It really touched me, because it made me realize that *I* have the same impact on my kids that they have on me...

They truly are the Reasons Why I Love...