those unforgettable moments

Today as I rounded the corner into the kitchen I caught Eliza spraying 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' directly into Roger's mouth. I could not believe that I was actually witnessing this blessed event. I scolded Eliza and took the bottle away, but alas, Roger was hooked. He started to cry like I had just taken away a half-eaten lollipop!!

At this point, I had two choices, 1) I could ignore the crying and stick to my guns or 2) I could let him have the spray-butter back. A little voice in my head rung out to me. "Pick your battles," it said. I then decided this was a battle I was willing to loose--on certain terms. I grabbed a plate and sprayed a thin layer of fake, salty butter over the top and gave it to my one-year-old. He happily sat at the table and licked the plate clean (by the way, Eliza did not want to be left out and she, too, had a plate of spray butter).

Do you ever have those moments where your kids just totally gross you out-- you know, you are at church and your toddler has a poo-ooze-out all over the nursery floor? At moments like these you understand those movies when the main character is walking along the sidewalk and every bad child they encounter is freeze-framed in some obnoxious or otherwise undesirable behavior. The character is totally agast at why any sane person would be willing to have children of their own.

But, somehow, when it is your own child, it is different. Despite all the irritating stuff your kids' do, you just are addicted to them. Your life revolves around them. You just want to talk about them all the time. All the bad stuff is there, but the good and cute things they do outweigh the negatives.

People say that you never know now much your parents love you until you have kids, and it is SO true!! I also feel a lot more empathy towards lay people I encounter in random situations- "Gee, they must be pretty special. Their parent's love them as much as I love my kids."

This Thanksgiving was a great event with my wonderful parents, my siblings, my aunts and uncles (who, by the way, are GREAT cooks), some cousins, and my Grandma. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be surrounded by these people who care. I love the familiar sound of my Aunt Dawn's laugh reflected in her daughter--my cousin Janet. I love it when my Grandma calls me Milly (she has since I was little). I love my Uncle Craig who is seriously one of the most attentive and empathetic men I've met-- he always looks me earnestly and asks me how I've been. I love listening to my Aunt DD's sayings and then realizing where her 5 daughters (my great cousins) got it from. I loved getting to know my cousin Gwen's new husband. I love singing songs and hymns surrounded by the people I love. I truly feel blessed to be a part of a family who has loved me despite my stupid and abnoxious moments (and there have been plenty of those, for sure)!!! I am so grateful I could just soak up these moments.