Two Little Rugrats

You two really do beat all. Sometimes I am really at an absolute loss as to how to deal with you individually, never mind when you pair up and use your antics against me.

The latest episode.

The Hero comes into the dining room with a half full baby bottle, nipple pointing down and dripping formula on the lino.

"Whoah, flip it over!" I urge, reaching quickly to grab it from his grasp.

"No! Wait!" warns the Hero.

Too late. Me, being the mother that I am, know better than a 4 year old, and quickly turn the bottle nipple side up. To have the whole bottle of formula come gushing out the bottom onto my pants.

"What on earth?!"

"There's a hole in the bottom!" The Hero informs me with a shocked and innocent expression.

"Well how did that happen??"

"I don't know!"

"Yes, you do know!" (I, being the mother that I am, just KNOW that he KNOWS how this happened.)

Silence.

Then from the living room comes the pit patter of littler feet and a sweet little insistent "my did it, mommy... my did it!" confessions of a little rugrat.

"You did it?"

"Yah. My did it." big eyes, head nodding, very insistent.

Something's fishy. Me being the mother that I am, I just *know* that something's fishy.

"Did he do it?" to The Hero.

Silence. Eyes staring right at me, guaging what is the wise choice to make in this moment of truth. Truth being the operative word of course.

"Did he do it!?" I ask again, more emphatically. "You know, refusing to tell the truth is the same as telling a lie, right? It's no different. I need the truth. Now."

"Well....." The Hero begins.

"My did it Mommy! My did it!" The Rugrat insists.

"My pencil kind of.... poked a hole right into it!" The Hero recounts in amazement, like he can't quite fathom *how* that could possibly have happened.

I turn to The Rugrat with a look of incredulity on my face. "You lied to Mommy?"

His little expression does a quick double take and then; "No, Mommy. Joo-Joo do it. Joo-Joo do it, Mommy!"

Little Rugrat. He didn't want his brother to get in trouble, but if it came down to him taking the knock for it he was bailing fast.

This was one of numerous chuckles I've had at the expense of my boys this morning. Another one being; "Fwow bwake my head mommy!" (the floor broke my head). I calmly informed him that if he would treat the floor a little more gently, and not run around on it like an elephant all the time, the floor might cease to "bwake his head."

Oh the joys of raising boys.

The Rugrat

I love...
how you run to get the dustpan when I am sweeping and crouch down to hold it for me. It's a job that's just your size.

I laughed...
when I asked The Hero to do a favor for me and you pouted and stomped your little foot and said, "No, Mommy! My favor you!"

That does beat all.

The Hero

I laughed...
when I sent you down to the cold room to get me an onion and told you to be careful not to drop the flashlight (you can't reach the light down there). You came back with the flashlight safely clutched in one hand, and the top and skin of an onion in the other. The onion itself having fallen out somewhere along the way. You were utterly "surprised" to realize you were holding nothing but a skin.

Prairie Poppet

I love...
your songs. the words you write, the tunes you invent. the heart behind the words and music. this song you wrote today brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. I'm keeping the original in my memory box, but here is the text in all your phonetic glory.

"the lord is my sheperd
but I am a lam
and I Folow him throow his word
I shall nevr Gow of his traill of words
Satin will tri two temt me
two wondr of in the woods
But I will not
becus the lord is my shepherd."

Prairie Poppet, 6 years old.

Prairie Guy

I love...
that you woke up in the middle of the night and gave me an amazing back rub on your own initiative when you knew that my back was bothering me.

Thank you...
for getting the christmas lights up and running for me. they bring me daily delight, and I love that your hands were responsible behind the scenes for their merry glow.

I'm glad...
that you are feeling better. it's just no fun when you are sick, and I mean that empathetically, even if it is cloaked in a mantle of humor.

I'm thankful...
for your thoughtful caution in making decisions and directing the course of our family life. I'm glad you're in the driver's seat and that you trust me to help navigate. Together we can make it wherever we want to go.

Prairie Hero

I love...
seeing you appear in Sherlock Holmes costume, or any costume for that matter. You are so passionate in your dress up and role playing, it's truly entertaining.

I enjoyed...
an afternoon alone with you in the city. I didn't enjoy the city. but I did enjoy you.

I laughed...
when I asked you what you would like for a special treat on our "date". You replied, "Cake." Of course. "Where shall we get the cake?" I asked. "At the bank." you matter of factly insisted. "The bank?" asked I. "Yeah. You know, where you get the money out?" "Um. Yeah. Well, I've never seen cake at the bank."
Your eyes got big and you launched into a "tale" of having seen a fantastic spiderman cake last time we went to the bank. Apparently while I was getting money out of the bank machine you were drooling over this cake you saw in the window. Only problem being I have never taken you INTO the bank with me. So I asked you, "I don't remember you ever coming into the bank with me. Are you sure that wasn't a dream?" You were adamant that it was *not* a dream. You did come in once and there WAS a fantastic spiderman cake at the bank. You were so sure, and I am so prone to be scatterbrained that I *almost* was ready to believe that you had indeed seen a spiderman cake at the bank. Then... sheepishly... "Oh.... never mind." My face starts to break into a grin, "What?" Even more sheepishly... "Never mind!" Oh this is good. "Why never mind?" I ask. With an embarassed air, "I remember now... it *was* a dream." Oh the dreams of childhood... so real you can taste them.

Prairie Rugrat

I laugh...
at the things you put up with. one day I am sure the tables will turn and the girls are gonna have some dues to pay. but for now, they rule the roost.

I love...
hearing your little feet come stomping across the dining room towards the kitchen when I am making supper and hearing you say, "My help you Mommy?" every evening without fail. I take you down the cups and silverware and you grunt and huff and puff your way over to the table. Then you hunt down the sock box (your personal stool), push it over to the counter where I am working and climb up to keep me company and snatch any stray pieces of food you can get your little mitts on. It's become one of my favourite rituals in the day.

Prairie Poppet

I was so proud...
when we were at friends for supper and you politely said, "thank you for supper, may I please be excused?" and then proceeded to clear their table and take the empty dishes to the sink. You are the woman.

I am so thankful...
for how helpful you are with The Pumpkin. You know exactly what he needs and know how to take care of his any need. Sometimes I have to tell myself to stop you so that I can actually do my job of mothering him, and giving him the cuddles and snuggles he needs. I can't even begin to tell you how much your help and concern for him helps me every day in so many ways.

I love... how you find fun in the simplest things (like 6 month olds and stickers). I adore that about you.

My heart melted... when I asked you guys if you feel you are missing out at Halloween. You snorted and decidedly replied, "Nope." When I pressed you, you insisted, "it's a silly holiday... it's about nothing but candy." Nothing but candy?! My jaw just about hit the floor. A six year old recognizing that candy is an empty momentary pleasure that doesn't hit the spot? I just about cried after. The more we talked the more I realized that already, at such tender ages you have come to realize that meaningful celebration begins in the heart, and is focused on a person, and His goodness and grace towards us. When I realize that our efforts to instill the heart of celebration within your little lives is already bearing fruit my heart just about bursts with thankfulness and delight.

Prairie Pumpkin

I love...
how happily you go to bed. You literally sigh and bury your cheek against the sheet. It is delightful.

I'm thankful...
that you have discovered the joy of sleeping through the night. I didn't know what hit me when I woke up at 8:30 to the realization that I had not stirred or moved a muscle from the position I lay down in the night before.

I laugh...
when the girls treat you like a living doll and you just lap it all up.

I enjoy...
hearing you say "da-da"
the way you clap
watching you rock on your hands and knees
watching you eat. You are like clock work. Open O of a mouth, lean toward the spoon, close over it, pull back, plug your thumb, suck it down, repeat.

Prairie Girl

I love...
That you kept stopping to go back for The Hero in skating lessons. That you never want to leave anyone behind. That you were utterly unconcerned about your own affairs, and were solely concerned with being there to help him up everytime he fell. You are precious.

Prairie Guy

I love...
You. Everything about you. Even the things that drive me nuts.

I especially love...
watching you play with The
Hero, snuggle The Rugrat, pack The Pumpkin around against your chest and tease The Girl and The Poppet.

Thank you...
for sending me scrapping twice this week
for keeping your cool (figuratively speaking) while you fixed things gone awry outside all morning and afternoon on a bitterly cold and windy day.
for coming to the rink to help out at skating lessons
for making supper on club night

I can't wait...
for the inauguration of the hot tub tonight. Yeah baby.

Prairie Rugrat

I love...
your funny talk. "My stuck" "My do it" "My fall"
the way you say "hubs" for "love". "I HUBS oo, Mommy."

And the BEST? "My pray, mommy." Yes, baby. You pray. Always pray, and never stop praying.

Prairie Poppet

I love...
watching you play with Prairie Rugrat. you are such a natural and he adores you. yesterday you swung him up on your back and were spinning around trying to catch a glimpse of him saying "where's my little boy? where did he go? I can't see him, where is he?" and he would giggle and shriek and squeal "Here! here little boy!!!" It was the sweetest sight for sore eyes.

I laughed...
when I told you and your sister to "be like Jesus" to each other and that you didn't need me to referee and you turned to her and with that stinker twinkle in your eye bugged your eyes out in her direction and said "Like Jesus?!" followed immediately by a hip shaking, fist motioning rendition (in tune mind you) of "We've got the power!" Mercy me I just about split a gut.

I think you are growing into a serious rival who will have to battle Berry Girl for the position of my favourite comedienne. I'm sure she will claim I am exercising an unfair bias though...

I also laughed when you kept accidentally referring to the Sumerians as the "Samaritan's" in school the other day.

I adore... your stories, and your geography and your spelling.

Prairie Pumpkin

I laughed with tears in my eyes...
when you looked at me with sparkling eyes, raised your chubby hands up in front of your chest and clapped enthusiastically for the first time.

I love...
that you have finally settled into a schedule. 6 months. We did it baby. 2 hour morning nap, two hour afternoon nap 9 hours at night followed immediately after your feeding by another 3. YES.

Prairie Hero

I can't believe I am actually about to say this, but... I love....
your endless fount of exuberance. We studied definite and superlative adjectives in Language Arts this week... you my dear boy are superlative to the marrow. The biggest, the fastest, the loudest, the strongest, the happiest, the saddest... you are true to your pet name, you are my *super(lative)*hero. And that my dear boy, is your new blog handle, because "boy" just does but doesn't cut it. It's definite, but you are superlative.

watching you sword fight, with anything you can get your hands on, against anything you can get your hands on. I especially like it when you swordfight with a sword in each hand, because after all.... you *are* a superhero.

I smiled (and my heart melted)...
when I asked you to help the rugrat get a snack down from the cupboard and you managed to get one for yourself and conveniently "forgot" to provide one for him. When I went to the cupboard to get one for him you said, "Oops. I forgot. I promised myself I was going to be a good helper." Did I say SUPER hero? Talk about chalking up brownie points in a Mama's heart.

Prairie Girl

I smile...

at your literalism. The other day in school we were reading the biography of William Wilberforce and arrived at his grave prognosis of two months to live. Conquering the odds he was able to return to parliament some 6 months later, and somehow you missed the sequence of events. When he got the prognosis, that sealed his fate for you and you were unable to grasp how he could possibly be sitting in parliament six months later. "What do they mean?" you asked. "He's dead!" LOL! Doctor's orders you know... but God is the One who determines a man's days.

Prairie Hero

I love....
Your goofy expressions; both physical and verbal. You are a card. I laughed out loud when I gave you pudding after lunch and you said; "Mommy...." hmmm? "...I'm really enjoying this." =)

I embrace...
your energy. there's no fighting it... you can't walk (you skip, trip and tumble), you can't approach someone gently (you literally JUMP and land in some inevitably comical stance before a person. My nerves.... I won't even try to describe what you do to my nerves). Truly, you are a bundle of testosterone... there is no making you sit, stand or be still. And I embrace it, because I embrace you.

Prairie Rugrat

You made smile when...

I was standing at the sink washing dishes and you came running up from nowhere, stuck your little nose into the corner of the cabinetry and called out "three.... two.... one!" and then ran off in your flat footed little stomp, playing hide and seek all by your lil' ole lonesome. The other kids are all playing outside while Prairie Pumpkin naps.

You drive me batty when....

I am trying to read to one of the older kids and you are coloring on a paper at your little desk saying; ""I" mommy... see.... I. See "I" mommy? Mommy.... "I". Dat "I" Mommy. Dat "I", Mommy?" and I am so not using hyperbole here.....

Prairie Poppet

I love
...Your imagination. That you use the ashes from the fire pit as face paint to "play the part" in your frontier play. That you make necklaces out of the most interesting things, and give them to me. That you created your own mailboxes for each individual child and you guys take turns writing encouragement notes to each other and sticking them in there when noone is looking, and the joy you get from giving and receiving them.

...Your spunk. How you begged and begged for Daddy to pull your loose tooth out, and how you thought I was the coolest mom ever for doing it for you. (pssst. dental floss dear husband, easy breezy... wrap behind, cross in front, yank).

Prairie Rugrat

I laugh
...when you stand beside the water cooler with your hands over your eyes and say; "no see me? no see me?" and then jump out with your exuberant giggle and shout; "See me? See me?"

...when you come to wake me up in the morning saying "Potty, mommy." and when I sleepily respond with "you need to go potty?" you adamantly insist; "No mommy, Joo-Joo potty!" Ie, wake up your brother and send him to the potty before he pees the bed. Now when the 2 year old is training the 4 year old... that's funny. Or not.

...When you come to me with the quad keys in your hand and say "I drive dis, mommy?" and then when I look at you with *that* look you grin and say "Daddy, drive dis, mommy?" and head off to put it back in it's place. One day, I just know you are going to take it and go and start the thing on me.

I almost split a gut when
...I heard you calling "Duck dirt! Duck dirt!" from the kitchen and came to find you hung up on the cabinet handles after trying to climb off the sock box you were using as a stool. Your pants pockets were hung up but I do believe you were attempting to say "Stuck shirt."

...I made you stay out in the landing while I closed my door to get changed before leaving for town this morning. All of a sudden I hear a rustling and your sneaky little voice saying; "I see you Mommy!" through the key hole. Stinker.

You made even the ugly funny
...When Sophie "bit" you, when you were trying to feed her green tomatoes, and you cried "Fofie EAT me! Bad Fofie!"

**Sorry bud, I have to change the blog-handle here while I still can. You are my little rugrat and there's just no getting around it.

Prairie Guy

Thank You...
for letting me go ahead with the cat endeavor even though everything in your personal interests and desires is counter cat. For giving us the chance to earn this money and contribute to family life in this way. For saying "This is your thing. Whatever you decide I will support you." That's the world on a platter to me.

For going to the store to buy treats for the girls when you heard about how they had washed the breakfast dishes this morning before I came down. That was special, I love moments like that. And the interchange between us; "wow, we have great kids." and "yes, we do." I mean, sometimes that fact gets lost in the craziness.

For letting me "out" to scrapbook TWO NIGHTS this week. Wow. I don't know what hit me. And thank you, thank you, thank you for the photo lab. It's the best birthday present EVER.

For conversing with me about tough stuff. We are getting so much better about that than we used to be, not to imply we don't have a ways to go yet, but I really appreciate how far we've come

For making family devotions a priority and for taking the lead in this vital and foundational aspect of our family life. I so enjoy the discussions we have, the worship and the prayer. It is a true highlight of my week.

I Loved...

Taking the quad and going out to the lake for the day. Seeing you relaxed and just "soaking up life" rather than busied with lists and projects and visions and plans.

Prairie Girl

It's a new school year. Fourth grade. Nine years. Half grown. You are spectacular.

Prairie Pumpkin.

Daddy had the camera the other day. Words can not express how much you light up my life.

Prairie Rugrat

You just about gave me a heart attack when....
I poked my head around the kitchen door to wave at you knocking on the dining room window from outside in the sun porch. Knock, knock, knock rapped the little knuckles of your left hand against the pane. Then a smile. A very wide smile, as you raised your right hand up above the sill, hammer in tow. Back it swung, before I could even swallow... back... and..... forward. I think my scream just about gave you a heart attack as well, even from two rooms and one thick pane of glass away. Thank goodness for quick reflexes. You dropped that hammer like a hot potato.

Prairie Poppet

I laughed...

When we were having family devotions last night, and discussing what each person's favorite bible story was, and you said the story of Adam being made from dirt because it shows that boys *are* dirty. Oh how we laughed!

When Daddy asked "was it good for the man to be alone?" and you said no. When asked how you would feel if you were alone you said; "Sad. Bored. Bummed." LOL!

My heart melted...
when I took you out to the fields for "school" pictures and I saw you in your polka dot dress in God's beautiful creation, you shining like the sun, one of His most remarkable creations. Remarkable you.

Prairie Hero

I laughed...When we were doing family devotions and you said your favorite bible story was about God's Box of Presents. We were quite befuddled until we figured out you were referring to the "Box" of God's Presence. ie the ark of the covenant.

Prairie Guy

I love...

• when you say "money is not an issue".... something about it just makes me smile.
• discussing scripture with you first thing in the morning, and you know I don't like discussing anything first thing in the morning.
  

I laughed...

• when you exploded out of bed at 4 am and hollered; "Something's on fire!" I mean I laughed when my heart-rate slowed down and you sheepishly came fumbling back to bed after assuring yourself that *nothing* was on fire.
  

My heart melted when...

I looked out the window and saw....

There is nothing more beautiful than a Dad with his boy.

Prairie Hero

I laughed...when I came out to find you playing pioneers with your sisters, all "painted" like an apache (with ashes from the fire pit no less). I smiled...when I overheard you conversing with Daddy after he read you the bible tonight. The enthusiasm in your voice as you informed him; "Daddy did you know that one day Jesus is going to come riding on this big STALLION, and there's gonna be a big WAR, and Satan is going to get KILLED and then we are going to HEAVEN? Not that we have discussed this much, I found it intriguing. In need of some further doctrinal explanation at some point, but enlightening nonetheless. Love you little man.