Friday, April 2, 2010

Wrinkles & Gray Hair AND a "Mountain Mover"

What most people don't realize is just how funny (and beyond energetic) my boys are. They typically see them as quiet, reserved, and respectful in public. Wow----if they could see these boys dance, goof-off, and play together. They both have INSANE funny bones.

We have this HUGE problem with Bradlee. He doesn't sleep through the night and drives us bonkers. He goes to sleep in his bed with zero problem. It's the hours that follow that make us want to pull our hair out. He comes down & tries to squeeze in bed with Kevin and I several times a night. For the first couple of times, Kevin makes the trek back upstairs or my "mommy-only" voice convinces him it would be in his best interest to march his little tail back upstairs. Unfortunately, as the night goes on, he manages to sneak in without us knowing. The RULE is that he can get in bed with mommy AFTER daddy has gone to work OR when the sun is up. It just doesn't usually work that way.

Yesterday was one of those days that he had managed to get in bed and TAKE over. I tossed & turned trying to find ME a spot in MY bed to sleep. That little turkey had taken over ALL of my pillows and I was laying CROSSWISE. He had the nerve to sit up, did I mention IN MY SPOT ON MY PILLOWS, and tell me to quit moving around so much that HE couldn't sleep!!!! If I hadn't been a zombie, I would have marched his little booty back upstairs to his bed, but as he knows.....once we are zombies, he can get away with anything! So instead he got a half laugh and a "flap-flap"-----that's our way of saying buzz-off.

What makes it all worth it, is those morning snuggles that are beyond comparison. All of my kids have been loving & affectionate, but Bradlee has to be the BEST snuggle-bunny on earth. I KNOW these days are fleeting quickly, so I'm soaking in each and every one of them! However, you just never know what his little brain is going to send to his little mouth and he is absolutely the one that will tell you what he is thinking and has yet to learn "political correctness". I envision lots of apologies in our future! After he had informed me of his inability to sleep and had his precious snuggle time, he asked me a question. "Mom, mom, mom......what are those lines on your forehead?" He proceeded to point out the ones on my nose and then started counting the ones around my eyes. That was so thoughtful of him!!!! I always wondered how many I had :) He then decided to inform that he couldn't make his face do it. I told him he was the cause of lots of those lines because mommy was getting old and tired. He said.....NOPE.....you said I made your hair mess up (in other words, he's been told often that he was giving me my gray hairs!). Well, not the best start to the morning self-esteem wise, but it got a good laugh and ended up in a tickle war (which I'm ALWAYS the winner!). I guess that makes all those lines & gray hairs WORTH it!

It's just extremely important right now to remember that EVERYTHING we say, we do, or we expose him to is being soaked up like a sponge. This is the most crucial time to make sure that we go above and beyond to make sure that only GOOD & PURE things are around him. Even when we think he isn't paying attention, HE IS! WE have to guard his heart with our choices of music (thank heavens for WBGL!), the shows we watch (even when it's Disney or Nickelodeon), the books we read, the people around him, our treatment of each other, etc... It's always important, but no time is more important in that area than RIGHT now. I wish I had more time & energy to REALLY work with him more while his little mind is exploding since he is so incredibly smart! What I have to remember is that EVERY little song he sings & Bible story he hears IS soaking in and preparing a way for a deeper relationship with Christ in the future. He's been proud to tell EVERYONE the meaning of Easter. In his words, Easter is about Jesus. He died on the cross & came back to life. Why? Because he loves us SOOOOOOOO much and wants us in heaven with him. Granted, he's left out a few steps, but he got the most important ones!!!!! We barely get out the door of his church classrooms before he is telling us ALL about the story he heard. Even yesterday at Parent's Morning Out, he came home talking all about David and Goliath. It really warmed my heart to know that he IS getting JUST as much out of those 2.5 hours a week as I am.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for this little guy. I KNEW from the first second I held him that he was going to do something amazing with his life. My first thought after holding him was "MOUNTAIN MOVER". I don't know what mountains he will move, but I know they will be huge! I just have to remember to do everything I can to give him the opportunities to grow & learn AND to make sure that he finds his GODLY PURPOSE. Fortunately, I know I CAN NOT do it on my own, but I do know WHO can. GOD fills in where we lack and he puts special people around us to help us along the way. Thank you to all of those that are positively shaping our children's lives NOW and in the FUTURE!

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