Because I will forget...

My children – the men – the students. They say a million hilarious things each day. And I swear I won't forget. But I will. I do. And I don't take time to write them down. Our lives are so full of material for a book or a sit-com or random reality TV. I never watch TV because my life is better. But sometimes I stare at my kids and think, “Were you really smaller than this?” I don't remember.

Yesterday Jude ran into his “wiggles” teacher from our life before. Before Honduras, when he was two, and we went to Hays Rec center twice a week – just he and I. And he said, “at first I didn't remember her... but then I remembered that balance beam. I LOVED the balance beam.” He did? Good to know.

And then after dropping Maysyn and Lucy off at ballet at Hays Rec I took Jude to Aikido just a few blocks from our house. When getting out of the car he said, “I'll just walk home.” And he did. By himself. And I went home. By myself. Turned on some music and finished the laundry and started dinner, and thought, “Soon they won't need me.”

Well, what do you know? That 8 years went quick.

Soon I won't be giving them rushed baths 1 hour after bedtime with naked Lucy singing in my exhausted face, “Two children are a BL-E-SS-IINNNGGGG.” An out-of-no-where reminder that she apparently saw I needed.

Soon the three of them won't be serenading us before dinner with Martin Luther King's “Free at last” - complete with harmonic solo. And Lucy will move past her after-dinner international concerts and “ballon Korean dance.” They won't do “gungnam style” 50 times a day. At random. In the grocery store.

Soon they will realize that EVERYONE in the olympic swimming pool is starting at them as the waddle from one end to the other in the flippers, goggles, and foam weights they just scored in the supply closet. It took 3 whole minutes for the oblivious parade to finally get in the water. And we will have to teach Lucy that she doesn't need to “wiggle her booty” with every jump off the diving board.

They probably won't be as fascinated with the grass-hair they planted in a head-pot with Grammee. Meaning they will only check it twice a day like I do – instead of 15.

Lucy will someday develop tact and stop telling her Grammee that her face skin, “is just so shriveled” - unless of course these Chinese girls rub off on her too much... then she'll say such lovely things into her 30's.

And of course, how could I forget (But I am sure I will) that when Jude received 5 semester-end awards and we sheepishly complimented him asking, “Did you get every award available?” His reply was that, “No, everyone received at least one award.” Puzzled, we asked what they were. Half-embarrassed he tilted his head and said, “Honestly – I think they just look at some kids and think, 'What can they do?' - then they make that award.... 'Like, best smile.'” YIKES. He figured it out. When I told his teacher that perhaps, we were dealing with a bit of a strange kid – who might be too perceptive and blunt for his own good – she just stared at me and said, “Oh – I know. Yesterday when we were counting money he said, “Oh good – counting money. I'm so good at that. Someday I am going to be a banker, get rich and - ALL the POWER will go to my head.” Really? What do I do with these comments? And what do we do when he is old enough to know he should say them but still harbors them in his heart?

Someday it won't be impressive when Jude read's us 10 minutes from his Bible and I won't get excited when Lucy can actually open her school door by herself. (Right now I am still clapping for both.)

Yesterday, I got a good chuckle when I noticed that in 7 days of laundry Lucy managed to only have 3 pairs of underwear. Maybe we aren't ready to be dressing ourselves yet. Which I also should have picked up on by the eternally wrong-footed shoes, backwards shirts, and pants that still have store tags on them. All of which walk into school each day bouncing below the disheveled hair... me thinking, “bless her heart.. she just can't pull herself together... and I OBVIOUSLY have NOTHING to offer in this area.”

Someday soon they will quit acting out every movie they see – distributing lines and practicing accents. In the meantime I will try to hide my amusement as they say such lovely things as, “I'll give you to the count of ten to get your yellow-bellied Kester off my property...” followed by machine gun noises. My parenting just didn't turn out how I thought it would. Honestly.

And as I come to the realization that my “mother of preschoolers” 8 year season will come to an end in less than 8 months I find myself giggling over something John said yesterday in a meeting...

After his months of fits, tantrums, being fired for NEVER doing what he is told, regressing in drooling and table manners since my mom left the dinner table, 10 times a day telling Jarod and I that he is “going to report us,” falling down intentionally to try to get bruises that he can report, calling us bad names, walking off, and being a general pain in the neck for months on end – he was asked by his caseworker:

“How much do you like where you live and work?”

Very much

much

some

a little

or not at all

He wanted to just circle “VERY MUCH” and be done with it. SERIOUSLY???? VERY MUCH, John? Since when? Why don't you act like it??!! At least 10 minute a day - act like you like this place VERY MUCH!!!

And then he smiles and his teeth fall out and he says, “Weeeellllll, you're all right.”

And I giggle inside as I think, “Very much.” I like where I live and where I work OH SO VERY MUCH. These last eight years that are coming to an end... as my kids walk off on there own to school, library, Aikido, and pool. I liked them very much. I circle “very much.”

And to my friends who still haven't pottied in private or slept through a night, or finished a meal without climbing under the table to wipe up something for what seems like YOUR WHOLE LIFE. Someday you will probably circle VERY MUCH. Thank you for doing this season with me.

And to my husband who has allowed me to live these 8 years at home (babe, I really was at home some) – thank you for giving me this season. I liked it VERY MUCH. (I know, sometimes it WAS hard to tell.)

And to you Jesus, I'm sorry about the way John and I behave... we are a bit handicapped you know. We really do like this life VERY MUCH.

… but I MIGHT forget...

... also, there are no photos because my I-phone, I-photo, and other "I things" do not like me "VERY MUCH" - but you really can't blame them... I'm an idiot.  And Jarod is too busy and important to be bothered with this :).