{Wife}

My son was chattering away as usual when my husband gave me a tender peck. At the point my son expected a reply, my husband's response was, "Don't mind me. I'm just kissing my wife!"

A chuckle mature beyond my son's years escaped. "Nooo, that not your wife. That MY wife!"

We both laughed as my husband explained that I am indeed his wife and my son's MOM. Our son exploded, "You're being mean, Dad!"

My husband went on to assure him that he would grow up and one day find his own wife. His despair and frustration only grew. "Are you afraid you won't be able to find a wife?" my husband wisely asked. The tears overflowed as his anxiety was brought to light. He wrapped his little arms around his daddy's neck and his daddy reassured him:

"Are you a nice guy? Are you smart? Are you strong?" Our son responded in the affirmative each time. "Girls like smart, strong, nice guys, bud. You won't have any trouble finding a wife!"

To me, my husband asked incredulously, "What 3-year-old worries about not being able to find a wife??"

Our son is certainly one of a kind.

{Baseball}

All settled in for a relaxing Friday night of watching movies, my son approached me, glove in hand, and asked me if we could go play ball. Unfortunately, it was pretty wet outside due to the rain we received, so I suggested we play Saturday or Sunday when it should be warm and dry. Not sure what reaction I would receive, I braced myself {this is what the "trying 3s" does to a parent!}. To my surprise, my son said, "Let's play pretend baseball!" and threw an imaginary ball at me. As I caught the ball with my makeshift invisible glove, I smiled at his resiliency and creativity. Who knew a pretend game of catch could be as much fun as the conventional norm??

{Tickled}

At breakfast this morning, I was peeling and eating an orange. I kept coughing {once over my shoulder instead of covering my mouth...my son pounced on the opportunity to chastise me} and commented aloud, "Something is tickling my throat!"

My son's eyebrows shot up as he gasped, "Is it my baby?!?!"

Now I was tickled in a whole new way. I quickly assured him it was not baby brother, but likely the orange I was eating.

{Beautifully Bold}

My husband and I quite resemble the label "Backrow Baptist." The back corner is by far our preferred place to sit. This morning, however, we arrived at church later than usual. I cringed as I crept further and further up the aisle looking for open seats on the end. {I despise crawling over people to get to the middle seats--yes, even more than sitting in the front.} At about Row 5, we were able to slip into empty seats.

As the music started, my son stood up on tiptoes to look over the row of chairs in front of us. His eyes lit up as he watched the church's small orchestra at the front. Sitting in the back, he'd never been able to see them before! He was absolutely in awe, soaking it all in.

A few songs later, a group of children gathered on stage to sing the morning's special. He turned to me with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Them SINGING!" He watched a bit longer then pivoted and declared, "Me go sing too!" while scooting off the edge of his chair. Thankfully I was able to talk him down before he dashed on stage to join their chorus. However, at the end of service, when his time to go up in front of the congregation had not yet come--and indeed, his daddy was explaining that he would need to be older before that time came--there was a fat, quivering lip, shaking chin, and many tears spilling.

Taking in this sorrowful face and recalling the exciting passion he exhibited during the service, I was filled with pride and wonder at his courageous desire to clamber upon stage with children he's never met to sing before an entire sanctuary full of people he doesn't know. Sometimes I wish for such boldness in myself and I pray the world doesn't snatch it from him.

{Music to My Ears}

*FLUSH*

What an incredibly beautiful sound the flushing of a toilet can be!

There was a time that I quite literally thought our son would go to school in diapers. I had been potty training him for over a year with depressingly little visible progress. Every potty training trick known to mankind I had employed, but to no avail.

Suddenly--I couldn't even tell you when--he turned a corner. My husband and I noticed he was having fewer and fewer accidents. Last weekend, we discovered he is now tall enough to use The Big Potty. Then just the other day, my husband asked when our son's last accident had been. Neither of us could remember.

So now the training potty is being cleaned and stored away until *gulp* the adventure begins anew with baby boy #2 and a celebratory adventure {involving pizza, games, and prize-winning tickets, I'm sure} is in the works because...*deep breath*...{dare I say it?}... our son is OFFICIALLY POTTY-TRAINED!!! Hallelujah!

Now keeping our fingers crossed that baby brother's arrival has no backsliding effects...

{After Dinner Entertainment}

A few nights ago, my son pulled up his chair to the doorway of the dining room. He plopped down with a cup of Cheez-its and waited excitedly for the show to begin.

And what was the evening's entertainment? Me. Playing opposite the {vacuum cleaner}. Oh yes, the child who would run away screaming from the vacuum cleaner--easily through 2 years of age--now takes a front row seat, snacks in hand, to watch the magic happen.

Perhaps if I vacuumed more often, it would be neither a fright nor a novelty...

{Abandoned}

Deepest apologies to my poor, forsaken blog and followers. You have been abandoned long  enough. It's time for new beginnings and of course, new posts!

My husband's homecoming, the reintegration process, our son, a new, healthier lifestyle, our rollercoaster of multiple miscarriages, {finally} a HEALTHY pregnancy, and my monthly column have all kept me quite busy over this past year.

But, I'm ready for a comeback! So feel free to laugh and cry along with me as I share but a glimpse into our hectic, messy, beautiful, {abundant} life.