Holding

Lauren is three and enjoys asking to be held. Several times a day she'll come to me, usually when my hands are thick in dirty dishes or I'm helping someone with homework, with her blankie in her hand and thumb in her mouth and ask "can you hold me?" I try soooo hard to always take advantage of holding her when she asks but more often than not, it is too hard b/c I'm in the middle of helping someone else or getting dressed to leave because we're late. My favorite is when she'll say "can you hold me for forty minutes?" Or sometimes it's just 20 minutes - silly little girl.

Parent-Teacher Conference/Swinging

Last Fall I had a parent-teacher conference with Vincent's preschool teacher. I remember it because I think it will be the only conference in my children's careers that we began with a prayer (since he attends preschool at a church). Anyway, it was just a short 10-minute briefing on our child. Everything was fine. Great. No problems - c'mon this is preschool. When we were starting to end Miss Jolene excitedly said "Vincent is a good pumper! I mean he is a really good swinger. It is amazing! I wish he could teach the other students so I wouldn't have to push them."

It is true. Ever since he learned how to pump from our friend Hallie, he is really impressive. He swings really high and pumps with great determination. Kinda a funny story. Let's hope all of his parent-teacher conferences in the future go as well.

Tender Memory

I frequently remember this and finally thought today of writing it down. I'm not sure why but I can remember it so vividly:

When Gentry was only months old I took her and the other kids to Grandma Sylva's to watch them while I went to the nearby thrift store in Ontario. When I returned to pick them up Gentry was and had been VERY upset. Sylva told me she was fine until about the last 20 minutes. There was nothing anyone, including A.Laura, could do to comfort her. I remember she was wearing a little onesie with pink and red cherries and pink pants. I took her and she nestled on the crook between my left shoulder and collarbone (note: my kids NEVER snuggled and slept on me - maybe this is why I remember it so well). She was still sniffling from crying so hard but instead of resting on me and going to sleep she just stared at me. She laid there on my should as I rocked in Grandpa's chair with the saddest little eyes that told me how much she had missed me. How much she longed for me. How much it hurt her to be separated. I looked at her as she stared back at me, in between sniffles, and just relished in the experience. I am glad that I have this tender memory of her.