Of all the things I am thankful for…..

……I am SO very thankful for my family — for each and every quirky, sweet, interesting, crazy thing….

….from the boy who loves to draw, to the boy who loves football, to the girl who loves her daddy, to the boy who loves everyone….

I am thankful for being given the chance to be their mom…..

…..to love them, teach them, hold them, and learn from them,

……everyday is a chance to grow, and celebrate, and sometimes even fail pretty spectacularly.

My oldest, on the cusp to pre-teen.  Heaven help me, I’m not sure how well I will handle it.  The oldest, the often experiment — breaking new ground with mom so that the younger siblings won’t have it so hard.   His love is strong and quiet.  His teacher told me that he makes her laugh everyday, and that’s good for a boy who often takes himself way too seriously.

My second….. his face a window to his soul….. that look– it smolders, it melts, it makes you want to squeeze him until you die laughing.  He is the antithesis of his older brother, by will if not by nature.   His love is abundant and warmly ferocious. He can put on a pout for an eternity, and laugh for an eternity and a half.   (I fear greatly those years when hormones will rule his emotions — it will be a bit of a wild roller-coaster ride)

My third….. like a young shoot that is easily crushed,  he has taught me to look at the world with gentle, trusting eyes.  His love is ardent and persistent and pure. He sees the light and shadows that others often miss.  He relishes quiet contemplation, creating art with his trusty paper and pencil, and snuggling with his momma…..so much so that I often wonder if his umbilical cord is still magically attached to my womb.  I pray that I find the right balance between sheltering him and nudging him out of his comfort zone.

And…….. with much fanfare….. my fourth.  Don’t worry, as you can see she often creates her own fanfare.  She is half wild-child, and half sweet princess.  She can turn from a precious, glowing angel to the perfect, dark storm in 0.3 seconds flat.  In her I see myself (without the advantage of 3 older brothers to love and support me).  Her love is effervescent and beautiful and deep.  She is toughness and softness all wrapped in one sweet little face.

And last, but certainly not least, is my man…… the one who balances us all out, who loves us all just as we are, who makes us all appreciate a good book, and a good pun, and an evening of wrestling on the living room rug.  I love you.

(and thank you for waiting until the day after our family photos to get your nose broken by the mean ol’ cow)