The New Season...

Having both Littles in some form of organized (and expensive) (but worth it) schooling feels like I am just coming up for some air.

After being underwater for three years.

Perhaps that's slightly over the top.  Which is an oddity for me since we all know Southerners are not at all prone to exaggeration.  

Not at all.

Truly, I am LOVING this new season.  

Rhys is all boy and spends his days imagining battles with "bad guys."  As in, he literally just came to me and asked me to put his sister's pink and blue jeweled plastic bracelet on him so, "I can shoot the bad guys with it."

Clearly, wearing the bracelet just for the fanciness of it is a total waste.  

Last night, I turned my attention away from him for about 42 seconds.  Which is the exact time he decided to give himself a "soldier face."

My apologies to all soldiers.  Every where.

It was impossible to be angry.  After all, I do have the markers out on my kitchen table for quick and easy use.  Granted, I never imagined they would be used to draw on one's face.  But that's where I am lacking in Boy Imagination.  

I laughed.  Hard.  All the way to the bathtub where, thankfully, it mostly came off.  The one remaining stubborn red line on his cheek was rubbed off during the night.  

High Five, Monster Pillow!

Rhys is crazy in love with school.  He tells me all about it, in his boy way.  Which is to say, he SCREAMS it at me.  For example, "I PLAYED PUZZLES!!!  I PLAYED TOOLS!!!  I PLAYED ON THE PLAYGROUND!!!"

The important questions get vague boy-like responses.  

Such as, "Did you eat your lunch today?"  

"Yep."  

And when I open his lunchbox, I realize he ate his yogurt.  

That's it.

More days than not, he falls asleep on the way home.  Because three-year old preschool is hard, y'all.

I sit there in the car while he sleeps and marvel at how amazing he is.  For some reason, I feel like his littleness is sliding away.  And at a much faster rate than I am really comfortable with.  

Every day, whether I'm picking him up from school or from the kids' park at the gym, he sees me and comes full-on sprinting towards me yelling, "MOMMA!"  I scoop him up and kiss his still chubby cheeks and he says, "I missed you today!"  

And I could just die of joy right then.

Every day, y'all.

He still asks to sit in my lap.  Or read him a book.  And no matter what I am doing (within reason) (obviously I'm not getting out of the shower immediately upon demand), I stop to let him crawl in my lap or read him that book.  I feel like every momma has to decide what they drop everything for and what can wait.  Playing Super Hero's?  That can wait.  Snuggling in my lap?  That will not wait.

Most of the day (when we're actually at home), the kids play really well together.  There's a lot to be said for having kids close together.  They are great playmates.  Within reason, of course.  They negotiate well with regards to what they are actually playing.  Sometimes it's family.  Sometimes it's Super Hero's.  Sometimes it's Box Trolls.  And yes, occasionally, it's still Frozen.  They take turns being Anna and Elsa.  They have the whole darn movie memorized and no lie, it is super cute when they recite every word exactly.

Here they are giving me their "Monster Face."  I've looked at this picture 259 times every day.  I cannot get enough of Aubrey Kate's face.  Can.Not.  

As for Aubrey Kate, I can JOYFULLY report she is LOVING school.  

Prayer works, y'all.

She seems to be thriving with the additional structure.  And the reinforcement of stickers.  Homegirl is getting a TON of stickers.  Stickers for bringing her daily folder back empty.  Stickers for her homework.  Stickers for reading her books to me (I initial the calendar to confirm she read it to me).  Stickers, stickers and more stickers.

It's her love language.  

She is also walking around the house singing songs in Spanish.  That's been fun.  We have conversations like this, 

"Momma, do you know what the Spanish word is for 'restaurant'?"

"No, baby, what is it?"

"I don't know.  That's why I was asking you!"

Anyway...

She's excited to go every day.  Walks right in.  Barely giving me even a wave.  And when I ask for a hug, she reluctantly consents but adds, "Okay, but that's the last one today!"

Touch.  Not her love language.

Her littleness feels totally gone.  She's five going on forty-five.  Her vocabulary (excluding any and all Spanish) is massive.  Her handwriting is improving every day and she seems to be picking up her site words quickly.  

But then we visited a new small group on Sunday and despite her crazy excitement, she was totally overwhelmed once we were inside the new house.  She crawled into my lap and buried her head in my shoulder.  We sat there together for the next five or six minutes.  I whispered assurances into her ear, kissed her head, rubbed her back and soaked up this rare moment of little.  

For as long as she needs, she will always be able to crawl in my lap for comfort.  She's independent and determined but those moments remind me of her introverted nature.  New is scary for her.  

Momma's lap is not at all new.  

She can entertain herself for hours.  On those days when Rhys falls asleep in the car, Aubrey Kate watches a movie in the house.  I go back and forth between the two to check on them.  But really, Aubrey Kate is fine.  Today, she got some leftover hamburger and an orange out of the fridge.  She put a napkin down on the rug, spread out the food and made herself a precious picnic.  

Then she got out her crayons and paper to color a picture for her new piano teacher.  

I love my girl.  

These two little people...they are the best.  

This season of life is the best.  

And I am grateful to be home with them to serve as their taxi and favorite lap for snuggles.