2 posts tagged “kids”

This morning Rachel was sleeping on my floor next to the bed.  Daddy got up to get her cough medicine and after he went back to take the medicine back to kitchen I reached down and rubbed her arm and said "I love you baby girl."  She half-sleeping dreamily replied, "OK!"  LOL  Luckily it was followed by a brief pause and a, "I love you too mom!"

We have so many "love you" rituals.  I think the first one started when Luke was around 2.  I would say "Love you!" and he would counter with a "Love you too!"  and I would up the ante with "LOVE YOU MORE!"   One time I don't remember if it was him or me that countered with "I Love you 3!"   So then once he started learning numbers it was "I love you 100"  or 1000, or whatever his new number was.  One day he came home from school and his teacher had cued him with a new concept.  He said, "Mom - I love you INFINITY!"  Now even though the 3-4 year old could tell you infinity meant forever and without end, he would still add "Infinity 100" or "more than infinity" sometimes.  LOL

Daddy gets in on the act too. He started one where he would say "Luke - guess what!"  After Luke said "What?"  Daddy would say "I LOVE YOU! - Gotcha!"  So then the kids started turning the trick around on him.  Lots of hugs and laughs with that one. 

Now Rachel has a few phrases she's started using that warm the cockles of my heart.  We get "I love you forever" and "I am gonna love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever..........(get the idea)........"  One time I said to her "I am never gonna stop loving you."  So now that is what she tells us.  Yesterday after she said that I asked her, "Even when you're a teenager?"  She quickly replied with "Even when I am a teenager (or some approximation of that word)."  I wonder if I should print this blog out to prove to her in about 10-12 years!  She will also rattle off everyone she loves, "Mom and Dad and Yukie (Luke)  and Jesus and Grandma and KK and Nana....."

I really think it's an addiction.  Most days I can't be in the same room with my kids without telling them I love them every 2-3 minutes and hugging on them.  The exceptions are the days when they are bickering or whining and I am ready to pull my hair out! But even then I do say it.  I follow it up with a "but I don't LIKE it when you do ________, but I still love you!" 

Well, my neighbors, their daughter, and their grandkids!  The daughter and grandkids are visiting from NJ.  Every day since Sat. our kids have spent every waking possible moment with each other at one house or the next.  Today they called me at work and said - "come over when you get home.  we're grilling.  kids will play.  we will drink wine."

ahhhhhh I don't think I've ever heard such magical words after a BUSY day at work.  So that's what we did.  Me - wine.  Kids play.  We all ate.  Adults talked. 

It was heavenly.  I am so sad though because my neighbors are retiring soon and will probably sell their house in the next few years.  It won't be the same without them.  I sooooo wished their daughter lived nearby too.  We get along famously.  And the kids ADORE each other.  Seriously - 4 kids 5 and under play together for hours on end with NO fighting?  It's truly miraculous!