Random Riches

On this Mother's Day, this is going to be a sort of random blog- with little snippets of things I wanted to share that are totally unrelated to each other. But, really, all the randomness ties together in the fact that each little snippet is a gem that comes together in the richness that is my life.

First, a Noah-ism.

One day last week, Noah got off the bus and in the biggest drawl I've ever heard, said, " I want some aaayyyyyeeess crayme" (ice cream). Now, let me first say this- most people don't know that I am southern when they first meet me. Upon conversing with me for a bit, inevitably a "y'all" or a bit of a drawl slips out, but I've been gone from Texas for almost twelve years. Ten of which have been living in New Jersey. The drawl is almost gone. Almost. So, how then, can my six-year-old pick up a drawl? I decided to ask.

"Son, you sound like you are from Texas or something. What's that all about?"

The response?

" Weeeellll..." (insert eye roll here) "... I WAS born from the stomach of someone from Texas. So, what do you expect?"

Oh, right. That explains it. "Texan" is like a virus.. it seeps to your insides and sticks there... forever. And comes out at random times... in your offspring.

Mystery solved.

On Friday, Noah came home from school with a cute little Mother's Day card and a Dixie cup with a flower and a spider plant in it. The card had an adorable little poem that they all copied from the board.

Now, here is where the gem comes in. My son loved this gift, but he felt he should make me a card with a little poem in his own words. Later Friday evening, he presented me with a handmade card, made entirely on his own with no prompting from anyone. He had carefully colored it with pictures of all the things I like and then penned on the inside:

"Happy Mother's Day. I love you as fast as a dog and as much as a cat, you will be my Mommy."

I'm tearing up just writing it. That is the sweetest thing I think he could have done. It makes no sense, but I know exactly what he was getting at. Since the beginning of time, poets have been trying to put into words the feeling of love. It can't be done. All of the best metaphors in the world still cannot accurately describe love. And my son was trying his best, with use of metaphor, to describe how much he loves his mom. And that moves me to tears. What a beautiful sentiment. And, I'm silently awed by my child and excited that he might love to write like his mother.

And finally, I bring you to the wealth of laughter I have in my house. My daughter is hilarious. She's like the court jester around here, always trying to get a laugh. So, here are a few of her "gems" from this week:

We were watching a television show that involved teenagers and there was a typical teenage love drama going on. I looked at DJ and said, " Ahh... teenagers and drama." Zoe was sitting between us and interjected, " TEENAGERS? GO AWAY TEENAGERS!" And we laughed. And then she said, " I'm scared teenagers." At which point I told her I would remind her of this conversation in ten years.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It was eighty-three degrees outside and I was helping Zoe get dressed. I had her clothes on and was preoccupied with her brother for a minute when she showed up wearing this:

I gently informed her that the last I checked, it was not snowing outside. She was pretty upset that I vetoed her outfit but then she finally gave up and skipped off to the other room, only to return in this:

Much more appropriate. Pick your battles. I already went to bat over the snow boots, I didn't feel like fighting over this one. So, this is how she left the house.

And lastly, did you ever realized that sometimes having kids is like having cats? I have a running list of the similarities, but this little gem was a new addition:

In case you can't make out what you are looking at, this is a two-year-old rump sticking out of a container that she usually keeps her toys in. She had folded herself in half and was playing around in it like a cat.

I hope your Mother's Day is filled with as many riches as mine.

Happy Mother's Day!