cuddle sandwich

At night, I'm often wonderfully sandwiched between Jonathan (age 12) and Keona (age 6) for cuddle-time before the kids drift off to sleep. Thought you'd like to listen in on our "conversation":

Jonathan: "I know, we need a huge battery and tall metal post to put out during storms. Then when lightning strikes, the battery can collect the energy."

Keona: "A boy pushed me in recess today and called me a name!"

Jonathan: "And why didn't God give us two breathing holes? This way we could drink water and still breathe."

Keona: "He called me lady!"

Jonathan: "Guess I'll ask God later."

Keona: "When I get to heaven, I'd like to ask God why he didn't give us magic."

Jonathan: "What? Magic? God doesn't need magic. God is all powerful. If there wasn't God, there wouldn't be anything."

Keona: "Yes, but I still think it would be fun to go 'poof' and have a pink horse."

Jonathan: "Listen, isn't the rain beautiful??"

Keona: "I'm going to paint my truck rainbow."

(pause)

Jonathan: "Mom, can you rub my back?"

Keona: "Mommy, can you scratch my head?"

(longer pause)

All in whispers: "luv you....."

underwater

My children have provided wonderful, thought-full moments all of their lives. Here are some of their recent gifts:

Keona
"Wow, you mean that when I do things that please God and no one sees, I have treasure in heaven?! That means God has presents waiting for me!!! I LOVE presents!"

Louie
(On Father's Day while in the car)
"Happee-to, Happee-to, Happee-to Daddee." (clapping)

Jona
"Mom, it's easier for me to swim under water. On top, I feel like I'm drowning."

As I've watched my eldest struggle socially this summer (Asperger kids often wrestle to understand interpersonsal scripts--it's like a foreign language to them), I've thought back to Jonathan's words.

• Underwater...all the noise is muted.
• Underwater...there are fewer distractions.
• Underwater...he can be himself and no one judges him.
  
• Underwater...our special son emerges with insight for those who live most of life on the surface.

"what will my last name be?"

Some thought-full words from my precious kids:

Keona:
"Mommy, does God have special needs?"

Jonathan:
"Mom, before I was born, I existed in God's thoughts. What was that like? Did I feel anything? Did I see anything? What was my version of life before God began growing me in the womb?"

Keona:
"Mommy, what will my last name be when I get married?"
"I don't know baby."
"I do: I think it will be 'hakuna matata.'"

Jonathan about his beautiful friend from speech pathology:
"Mom, do I like her because of her insides or just her outsides?"

Keona:
"I don't like that one." (Spoken about our newest family focus on the white board which reads: Taking responsibility strengthens your mind. Making excuses weakens it.)

Jonathan:
"Mom, I think I'm going to be one of the best animators in the world. Not THE best, just one of."

mother's day cards

Precious gifts from my three.

Jonathan wrote me a sweet letter that read:

Dear Mom, I love you.
Can I go do movie night with you?
Right now I mean?
Your boy, Jonathan.

Dear Keona gave me a pink card for Mother's Day that she created at school. She drew the two of us dancing under the sun on the top of the card and on the bottom was a fill-in-the-blank message that went like this:

My mother is the most wonderful mom in the whole wide world.
She is as pretty as "a poppy flower."
She weighs "43" pounds and she is "20" feet tall.
Her favorite food is "tacos."
I think mom looks funny when she "forgets what shes going to say."
I wish my mom would "go to bed" with me everyday.
I wouldn't trade my mother for "my school!"

And precious Louie serenaded me. I was in the bathroom reading when he pushed in his toddler wooden rocking chair RIGHT up to my toes. Then he left for a few seconds and re-emerged with a guitar in his hand. He sat down and began to play...

Life is beautiful.

prayer smiles

At night when I put baby Louie to bed, we first sit on the floor together and read the "bye-boo" (Bible) and then I lean over with my face on the carpet and pray for him before tucking him him. Louie loves these times and has taken to crawling on my back while I'm praying and pretending I'm a horsey. It was fabulous last night to know that God heard my prayers and my son's giggles simultaneously.

In the morning, our newest family tradition is to sing a hymn together at the piano. Then we read from the Children's one-year Bible, ask the kids if they'd like us to be praying about anything, and then Daddy prays for each one of us while he places his hand on our heads.

Yesterday, 5-year-old Keona wanted to pray. Just as Daddy did, she went to Daddy, me, and Jonathan laying her hand on each of our heads and praying. Next, she placed her hand on her own head and asked God to give her a "pink and purple wig" for her birthday.

Then Keona placed her hand on Louie who thought Keona was playing tag! So Louie took off running, but Keona was undeterred. Around the kitchen they went while Louie giggled and Keona prayed with her hand on top of the moving target of Louie's head until a breathless Keona shouted, "AMEN!"