Things That Make Me Smile 2/28/20

Jake (14), Alyssa (11 1/2), Zac (10), Tyler (7 1/2), Nick (5)

I posted a Things That Make Me Smile list consistently every Friday for many years. Every now and then, I'd miss a week but was always able to catch up right away. 

Then something happened and I got behind. Really behind. One week turned into two; two turned into a month. And now here we are with over a year of unpublished laughs. 

My purpose in sharing these is two-fold: to share the funny things my kids say, and, more importantly, to preserve these memories for our family. While I have  kept track of many things, there have been many more that I've forgotten. Quotes, jokes, sweet words, and special moments have been erased from our memories. I let the amount of work it would require to catch up discourage me from being truly present in all my moments with my kids, looking and listening for those precious reminders of my abundant blessings and writing them down. 

I've lamented that I would never get caught up. Then Leighton--always encouraging, always supportive--had a suggestion. Why don't you forget about catching up for now and just pick up this week. Start posting the current week again. 

He is a wise man. And while it's taken me a couple months to heed his advice, ahem, I'm starting that today. Here's to appreciating little things and recording more memories.

1. Nick, playing with Legos: "Mama! I made a portal!"

Me: "Cool! Where is it gonna take you?"

Nick: "To you!"

2. Me: "So, your mom kinda knows how to cook, huh?"

Ayssa, shocked: "Understatement of the year! No--understatement of the century!"

Me: "Wow, that's saying something."

Alyssa: "I couldn't say year, it's only February."

3. Me, to Jake: "I want to make sure your brother and sister stay alive."
Nick: "Me?! I'm already alive."

4. Nick made a chiropractor out of Duplo and asked, "Who needs getting adjusted?"

5. Nick, staring at an image of a person on the computer: "I'm having a staring contest with him! He's winning."

6. Alyssa: ". . . Come on! Let's go try it!"

Me: "Are you guys trying to give me a heart attack?"

Jake: "Mom, the simple way to avoid that . . . is to make sure you don't know when we do these things."

7. Alyssa started learning calligraphy. 

8. Me: ". . . biscuits and gravy."

Nick: "And eggs! You always forget the eggs."

Me: "Eggs, of course. I'm sorry."
Nick: "You need to write it down on paper so you don't forget. Every time you talk to Daddy, if there's a paper in your pocket, check what it says."

9. We spent the day at the hands-on museum. 

10. Nick: "Can I ride my bike?"

Me: No. It's not even bike-riding weather."

Nick: "What? Bike-riding weather?! That's not even a thing!"

11. Me: "Who left this here?"

Alyssa: "Probably Zac."

Me: "I'm going with Nicky."

Nick, innocently: "You're going with me where? You're going with me where, Mama?"

12. Nick: "You know how much I love you? A 0 and a 0 and a 1!"

Me: "In that order?"

Nick: "100!!!"

What made you Smile this week?