Compliments

We all know kids say the darndest things, typically they tell the truth, nice or not. I have told you of stories, usually to my embarrassment of Sam telling it how he sees it. These days he is learning to express himself even more clearly. Just the other day I had a morning out getting a new hair color and a cut. I needed the new "do" but really needed a break from my kids. I got home just as Sam was heading upstairs to bed. Secretly I was happy about arriving at this time, knowing I would have another few kid free hours. Sam came down the stairs to see my new coif, he gave me a hug and kiss and whispered in my ear "Mommy, you look like beautiful like a horse running through a pasture". I smiled and told my husband I wasn't sure what kind of compliment that was, all I processed was that I looked like a horse. As the clock ticks I feel a little long in the face, but couldn't believe that my 2 year old saw the resemblance too! Erik responded that for Sam, that was just about the prettiest thing he could conger up. Hmmmm, then the image of a graceful palomino galloping through a green meadow popped up and I realized I have succeeded in training my kid. Really, I think he is equipped with some of the most valuable skills he will need in life. Being able to schmooze up (brown nosing I think we call it) will help him to get what he wants (from me at least). Since then Sam has come up with a few other doozies, the nicest being that I am like a chocolate chip cookie with many many chocolate chips in it!!!

We have had a great summer filled with so much fun with the kids. My Sam is growing up and becoming more and more independent. I think he is just the perfect age right now, he is big enough to do some things on his own and small enough to love to cuddle and be held. The other night we were reading stories in my new King size bed before bed time. His little hand was holding mine while we read a story, when we were finished we were chatting about our new bed and I told him it was soo big that if we slept there together we wouldn't have to touch at all. He thought about that for a minute then said "Well that's not very good because I like to feel you when we cuddle". Do I ever love that kid.

Birthdays

I just turned 25 for the 9^th time. My husband is a year younger than me AND he has been ID'd three times this summer. Celebrating birthdays (aka "aging") has never been my thing.

These days though I have nothing but birthdays on my mind. Both my husband and I just celebrated our mid thirties and both of my kids birthdays are coming up. Actually, Shiloh was due one year ago today.... I remember very clearly the agony I was in just one short year ago, begging that baby to leave my body alone!

Shiloh will be one next week, and Sam 3 next month. My baby years are officially over. I am trying hard to feel sorry for myself, well up some kind of sad feeling and wither myself into a big blue funk. Fortunately it hasn't happened. So far, for me my kids always seem "the perfect age". I remember when Sam was a baby; I would see moms with toddlers and feel secretly sorry for them that their baby was gone. But as Sam grows I forget (sadly) the little guy he once was and marvel at the little boy he is becoming. As Shiloh grows into a big baby I am so happy to get see her powerful personality that seemed to take awhile to shine in that smaller baby of 6 months ago.

Shiloh is just about the cutest, cuddliest, jolly hardy laughing baby I have ever known. She is headstrong, and thick skinned; both good qualities when you have a smartypants big brother trying to steal the spot light all the time. She is beautiful. Really, it is not just because she is mine, I really think the kid is something else (she also looks a lot like meJ...that is my big head floating around cyber space).

Everyday I find many reasons to celebrate who my kids are right at that moment. Today Shiloh spent 20 minutes putting her head inside a box and squealing with delight at the hollow darkness before she peaked out to do it all over again. Yesterday Sam pointed out Sheldon`s (the dog) ``big stiffy`` as he was pooping in the park. Embarrassing yes, but I will gladly take it when I also get days like today. Today Sam was sitting on top of my neighbours slide, there were about 4 kids waiting for him to go down the slide and a few parents standing around waiting for their kids turn. I was trying to get Sam to come down when he put his little hand up in the air and said ``Mommy, I just have something to say.........I just love you....(long pause) because I miss you a lot (I had been shopping for an hour) and I just love you when you are with me.`` How could I possibly wish he was any form of himself other than that one right thereÉ I am sure that all the other parents were wishing it was their kid talking to them like that.

So in the next few weeks Shi will graduate to not counting her life in months but in years, and Sam will be 3, which according to him is big enough to do just about anything.

These are the `days of our lives` and they are pretty great!