Sunday Sweet Sunday

Yesterday I substituted in Nursery for my Visiting Teaching Companion. While I don’t know that I have the patience for that particular calling on a long term basis…so Please Heavenly Father if you’re reading this, I don’t want to change callings. But I had so much fun! I love 2 and 3 year-old kids. There was one little girl her name was Keegan. She reminded me so much of my niece Sydney. As I was driving home I was thinking about my boys and how much I miss parenting young children.

While I love my boys with every fiber of my being…I would LIKE them a lot more if they were say 3, 4 or 5 years-old. Those are magical years. In fact I’d say anytime prior to 13 is pretty special. From 13 on they start pulling away. I know that’s a natural thing. They have to learn to fly on their own and as a parent my real job is to train them and give them the confidence they need to live in the world and be strong enough to keep themselves from being part of the world. Parenting Teens is so complicated and the rewarding moments are fewer and farther between.

I made a list of the top 10 things I miss the most about my “Little” boys.

1. Hearing Brein laugh. When he got really tickled at something it was a deep chuckle that turned into a big belly laugh, my heart exploded just a little bit. He would laugh so hard. One time we were playing on my bed and Dane and I were tickling him and when we stopped he let out this big sigh and said “oh I just yuv it”

2. Driving in the car by myself, with the music of my choosing playing loudly as I sing along…also choosing the music for Saturday morning chores and dancing around with the boys to Seussical and Broadway kids.

3. Making popcorn and cookies for Saturday movie night. Dane was always working and so the boys and I would hunker down in the family room and watch Anne of Green Gables and Air Bud etc. Sweet and silly family movies that had no violence or swearing and no super heroes.

4. Praying with Wes, especially when he had “add-ons” after we’d say, “Amen.” It usually went like this: “Oh, wait! Thank you for blueberries. In Jesus’ Name! Amen! Oh, wait! Thank you for friends. In Jesus’ Name! Amen! Oh, hold on, my new Bionicle. Thank you for…”

5. Laughing at the most random line in a TV show or movie, and realizing that Dane, Brien and Wes were laughing, too, and knowing that we’re probably the only family in the world who thought that particular thing was funny, and that is why we’re a family.

6. Making Christmas cookies and watching cheesy Christmas specials. We would watch a different one every night in our count down to Christmas. It was especially great when ABC Family started the 25 days of Christmas. No one will watch the specials with me anymore.

7. Reading Goodnight Moon 12 times before Bedtime and playing the missed kiss game. I would point to a place on my cheek where they were supposed to kiss me goodnight and of course they would never get it directly on the spot because at the last minute I would move my face a little bit and so I would get 50 kisses before bedtime and we would all collapse in a fit of giggles.

8. Family Home Evening where they enjoyed the lessons and stories and didn’t have to be threatened to participate in Family Game night.

9. Taking naps with Wes in the afternoons. He was always constantly on the go, yet looked so angelic when he slept, as all kids do.

10. That hour of peace and quiet after the boys went to bed at 8pm when Dane and I felt like all was right in the world because our babies were tucked away warm and dreaming in bed.

Are you surprised by the almost complete absence of sarcasm?

Oh and 5 Bonus points if you can name the Musical that I got my title from.