You Rock!

I am Dutch.  And in Dutch there is a saying that translates to something along the lines of: "I could shove them under the carpet".  Sigh, this sucks.  Whenever one translates expressions or sayings, they always lose their strength and impact.  This one just did as well.  What I'm trying to say here is that I love my toddler with all my heart and that sometimes he drives me crazy and all I want to do is to make him shut his mouth or stop doing whatever it is he's doing (and is not allowed to).  Know what I mean?  I assume this sounds familiar to some of you.  

Well, there are moments like that in our house.  Especially when I am nursing Ryder and Kai knows that I can't come running outside to keep him from .... [fill in the blank.  Use your imagination and sense of humor and you're probably spot on!]  I choose not to pay too much attention at moments like that, even if it's only to keep myself calm and relaxed while providing Ryder with his oh-so-longed-for and oh-so-desperately-needed (in his mind) meal.  Really.  The boy is well nourished.  His thighs are getting so chubby that he is starting to get stuck in the Bumbo seat and I need to start prying him out of it.  Trust me, the kid's not lacking anything.

And then, in sharp contrast to those moments described above, there are the moments that make you fall even more and deeper in love with them then you already were.  Just when you think you can't fall any more in love, you do.  Shebam!!  How do they always manage to walk that line?  I guess it's their intuition: testing how far they can go and getting to half an inch from the limit followed by the biggest hug, the biggest (and wettest) smooch or the most loving smile.  Sigh...those moments almost make me go "okay, what is it that you want?  You can have it"  Mind you, I said "almost"!!

On my birthday I went in to Kai's room to snuggle with him for the duration of 1 song (that's our rule) before he fell asleep.  It always starts with him wanting to wrestle, but when I tell him that at the end of the song I will go "bye bye", he usually calms down.  When I asked him if he could give me a hug, I got the biggest hug ever.  He cuddled and immediately gave me a big kiss.  The conversation that followed:
Me: "You Rock Kai!"
Kai: "You Rock Mommy!"
[pause]
Kai: "And Papa rocks and Baby Ryder rocks and A. rocks and M. rocks."
(A. is my best friend, M. is her daughter and Kai's 'girlfriend')

Sigh...I'm in love (again).