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.