Five on Friday

1.  I am getting very excited about the kids' birthday parties!  I have a "goal" of wanting to make something handmade each year for our children's birthdays.  For his first birthday, I made Asa's Scripture lamb.  For his second birthday, I made his dog quilt.  I have been mulling over ideas and trying to decide what I want to make this year for him.  I *think* I have decided, and I am excited to see it come together.  It's not a fabric project--that's your only hint... I will share after his birthday!  For Anna Reaghan's first birthday, I think I will sew her Scripture animal.  I think I might make it a bunny though.... we'll see. :)

2.  I read a comment someone made online about trying to give their children delight this summer rather than just trying to keep them happily content.  It's been bouncing around my mind.  I do try to say yes when I can.  And I do try to treasure these days with little ones.  And I do tend to be a mom who isn't bothered by a mess that's not hurting anything.  But last night Asa desperately wanted to get in the pool.  I wasn't planning on him being in it until today (we just filled it back up yesterday after some much cooler weather).  That's another set of wet clothes and a towel, it's possibly the battle--right before bed--of getting him to get OUT of the pool and come inside.  And last night was taking on that potential battle alone as Matt wasn't home before the kids were in bed.  But I said yes.  And he was delighted.  And it was precious to watch him splash and play and revel in the fun of a swim before bed.  He even asked to bring some of his sandbox construction toys into the pool, and I got to listen in on his chatter as he talked to them and made up stories about what they were scooping (water, of course) and made up dialogue between them.  It still makes me smile to think about it.  Part of the time AR was playing in the sandbox, and the other part she was reclining in my lap.  I tried putting her back in the sandbox to have a hand free, but she wanted to be with me.  And that was sweet.  I cuddled her close.  I am thankful.

3.  This morning over the monitor I heard Asa saying, "That's silly, G-Ma!  That's silly, G-Ma!"  G-Ma is in Tennessee, but he was remembering something silly or making up a silly exchange with her in his head.  Love!

4.  Along those lines, after his nap yesterday I heard him call out, "Moooooommy!  Come get me!  I can hear you! [I was on the phone]  Come get me!"  When I went to get him, he told me he'd been calling for me.  I replied that I heard him calling to me and did a little impression of him.  He giggled and then told me Favorite Puppy had been calling for me, too.  I asked him what FP said, and in a high, squeaky voice he said, "I'm ready to get up now!"

5.  Last night Matt would not be home yet when the kids were going to bed.  We were finishing dinner when I asked Asa what he wanted to play after dinner.  He immediately said he wanted to mow, and then he immediately asked where Daddy, his mowing buddy, was.  I explained that Daddy wouldn't be home til after bedtime but offered for Asa to talk to him on the phone before we went outside.  He can be shy on the phone, so I didn't know for sure how it would go, but he said that he wanted to talk to Daddy.  He wouldn't stop talking!  He was a total chatterbox to Matt on the phone, and after a long time of letting him chatter away, I got him to say goodnight to Matt so I could take the phone off speakerphone and finish a conversation with Matt myself.  Asa got upset and kept asking me to put it back on speakerphone because he had more things to tell Matt (which really involved holding toys up to the phone and asking Matt if he could see them.  We have simple phones--no video calling was happning--but Asa is used to Skype on the computer and showing G-Ma things around the house on video chat, which I guess he extends to phone conversations as well).  At one point at the dinner table (when the phone was still on speaker), AR had a look of recognition cross her face and she grinned and held her arms outstretched toward the phone.  It was so sweet that she recognized Matt's voice and responded to it. :)  We had fun. :)