Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

It was a Sunday morning like so many others. Andrew helped daddy make pancakes and got his serving first, as all good helpers should. As we went to sit down and eat, Andrew looked up at me, eyes brimming with tears.

“Mommy…monsters!” He proceeded to tell me that there were monsters coming. And that giants were going to steel his pancakes.

I had no idea where this came from. The only monsters Andrew has ever seen are the lovable furry variety on Sesame Street. I gave the little guy a hug and tried to tell him there were no monsters, that the only one coming to steal his pancakes was ME if he didn’t eat them.

But he was insistent.

Then he started telling me how scared he was of the big gorilla. There was a gorilla at the end of the movie hubby and I had watched the night before. Old Dogs. A Disney movie. Not really scary stuff, but apparently it really freaked Andrew out. Badly.

I told Andrew the gorillas were only mean if they were hungry. Andrew nodded and told me in very serious tones that they needed banana. He dissolved into hysterical laughter as I tickled him, both of us shrieking about gorillas needing bananas for their bellies.

Tonight he acted afraid of the dark for the first time in as long as I can remember. He told me where were people out there in the dark. He even didn’t like the dark kitchen when we were playing in the other room.

I don’t know what brought this on. But I hate seeing my little guy unnerved. He’s usually so fearless. So what do you do when your kid suddenly becomes afraid of the dark and things that go bump in the night?

You swoop in, vanquish the monsters, slay the giants and give the gorillas a banana. You let your kid know you’re there to protect them. You assure them no matter what the demons, you’ll always be there to chase away the shadows and pick up the pieces.

At least, that’s what I did…with extra hugs and kisses.

Have a great weekend everyone. And happy mothers day to all the moms out there.

In honor of Mother’s day approaching this weekend, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things.  These “things” make me smile and think about the little things in life that keep me going, especially now that i am a mom.  I hope all the mommies out there have an enjoyable and relaxing Mother’s Day!

~ Belly laughing.
~ A baby’s toes.
~ Coming home to a clean house.
~ The smell of a vanilla cake baking.
~ Hugs and kisses, especially from my child.
~ Listening to my son laugh.
~ Taking a nap.
~ The taste of the first bite of pizza.
~ The scent of lemon.
~ Hearing my son play independently and secretly watching him.
~ A sleeping baby.
~ Climbing into my bed with clean sheets.
~ Listening to the birds chirp on a morning walk.
~ A good night’s sleep.
~ The feel of grass on my bare feet in early Spring.
~ Reading a great book.
~ Hearing “I love you.”

~ Singing Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service.

~ Being with my family.

~ Holding my husband’s hand.

~ Finding peace of mind.

I am blessed beyond measure to be able to work from home (most of the time). And I am also blessed that I can afford to pay to take my son (and a grandparent) along to visit some neat places: Washington, D.C., Houston, Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and more. While it is great that Brady gets to travel and see all of these fantastic places, it also does have its challenges!

For example, we recently visited Houston. There were some amazing children’s locations: we visited some beautiful parks, a few CVS’s (which were an adventure in themselves, via train), the most incredible aquarium (with rides, inflatables, walk through tunnels – full of sharks), the Galleria mall (where Brady got to jump on one of those HUGE trampolines with the ropes harnessing his body) and much more. It was an amazing experience. I don’t think Brady even knows what his favorite part of the trip was we were busy.

Unfortunately, we were only there from Wednesday afternoon through EARLY Sunday morning, so we didn’t have too much time. So Wednesday basically included dinner, a quick swim, and bed. I had time with him on Thursday for about 6 hours in the afternoon. Friday was down to about 4 hours in the evening. Saturday, well, lets just say we did see each other for an hour or so in between meetings and convention hall exhibits. I can’t imagine traveling to a convention by myself, being able to swim laps, sit in the Jacuzzi, and read a magazine. Maybe when he is older, at this time, my heart would stay in Pennsylvania with Brady. I wish we could have spent more time together, but I think he enjoyed my parents and exploring Houston with mamaw and papa.

I think it is great that Brady gets to see the world. He told me on the third day we were in Texas, that he really didn’t want to go home. He would prefer to live in Texas! I told him that wasn’t possible; he would miss his daddy and all of his friends. So I don’t think was overly excited about flying home. But the great part is he had a blast, we did get to spend some quality time together, and he is ready to fly again!