Recent Kid Stories

My kids are so different in the ways that they approach life.

Example: Juju is quick to engage in any kind of craft.  Once she starts, she puts together something very quickly.  Popeye is more reluctant to do anything crafty, but once engaged she takes her time and is very meticulous about every part of her creation.  She selects her colors carefully and makes very calculated decisions in color placement.

Today the girls were playing with markers and construction paper.  Each of them brought me their creations and were very proud of themselves and excited for me to see it.

Peyton's was very...busy.  And very, very colorful.  I said, "Tell me about your picture."  She explained to me that it was a map.  She showed me the shapes and lines that were mountains and she pointed out the bridges and crocodiles.  She showed me the route one would take to get from A to B.  Prior to her explanation, it looked like clumps of weird shapes and purposeful lines going every which-way.  After she explained her thought process, it was kind of impressive and I could see that it was exactly what she said it was.

Juju quickly climbed into my lap next and pressed her picture against my face and with a big smile said, "Ees o you!"  I said, "Wow!  It's for me!?"  I looked at the picture.  She used two colors that were scribbled together in the middle.  "Tell me about your picture!"  She looked confused and a little put out that I couldn't figure it out.  She said, "It's blue and red."

Yep, that's all I got out of her.  But it was a great picture that is now prominently displayed on the refrigerator.  I guess the girls are not all that different, though.  There are definitely similarities.  They both struggle with color identification.  Peyton consistently confuses every color that is not pink.  And the two colors that Juju used were purple and orange:)

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My girlies are the sweetest, most loving children.  Lately, Pops and I have a conversation that is some variation of the following:

Me: Peyton, my girl, you are so beautiful.

Peyton: Thanks, Mom.  You are more beautiful, too. (Sweetly smiling)

Me: But what's more important than being beautiful?

Peyton: Being nice!

Me: Yes!  What nice things did you do today?

Then she'll tell me about something nice she did.  Sometimes she can't think of anything and decides she should go help her sister make her bed :) Often Peyton begins the conversation and asks me what nice things I did.  (She stopped having this conversation with her dad because when she asked him what was more important than being pretty, he jokingly told her "being rich."  She was not impressed. :) )

Anyway, I have no heart anymore.  I have no heart because it melted right out.  Seriously.  Peyton's sweetness melted my heart clean out of me.

We had just finished eating a cookie in bed while doing our homework.  After a period of focused productivity, our conversation proceeded like this.

Peyton: (In the sweetest, more sincere, child-like voice you can imagine) Mom, you are so beautiful.

Me: Thank you, sweet girl.

Peyton: Do you know what is more important than being pretty?

Me: Being nice!

Peyton: Yes!  And you are so nice and strong and smart and brave and tough like this (Grunt while pounding her fist once into her open hand).

Then she looked back at me and said, "And that is why you are beautiful."

I know, guys.  She is the greatest thing ever.  Juju is learning from her sweet example, too, and is getting cuter and sweeter every day!  I almost can't handle it.