Life goes on...

It's hard to believe it's been over three weeks since our lives got turned upside down when we got the terrible news my little brother had been killed.  I am so grateful for the resilience and joy that kids are so full of  - God has blessed me with many reasons and occasions to smile.

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N: "Ab, I love you SO much.  I even love you more than lemonade and lollipops."

How can I help but smile about that?  :)

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J (Pointing frantically at the people near us):  "MOM!  LOOKIT!"
Me:  "J, it isn't polite to point at people."
J:  "But there's some humans over there.  I haven't met them yet."

I swear my kid really thinks he is a robot...or a T-Rex.

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J is running crazily from room to room GROWLING.
N:  "J, that is not what pterodactyls do."
J:  "Duh!  I'm a T-REX!"

Clearly.

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J:  "Mom, lookit.  It's my miracle!"  (holds up a plastic baby spoon)
Me:  Your miracle?"
J:  "Yep.  It's a talking spoon."

Hugging Days

Sometimes life is hard.  We are grieving the loss of my little brother who was killed when a car hit him as he was riding his bike to work for the night shift.  Noah was one of the best uncles the world has known. He loved my kids, and they adored him.  Last night, after a long day of seeing all of the big people in his life grieve, J came over to give me hug, looked at me with a very serious face and said, "It's a hugging day today."  

We love and miss you, Noah David.  Our hearts are broken.

A little Catch Up

It's been a while...so here are a few tidbits:

N:  Ab, the KIMONO zoo is bigger than the Minnesota zoo, right?
Me: No, the COMO zoo is smaller.
N:  Pretty sure it's the KIMONO zoo.

I'm pretty sure it's not, but okay.

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While camping in the north woods by beautiful Lake Kabetogama, J got to do some fishing and also watch Papa Mike fillet a few sauger.  The next time we were at the beach he decided to fix everyone on the beach "chicken fish".  He carefully found some aquatic plants with thicker stems and broke them into pieces.  Then he proceeded to "whack 'em on the head so they're dead", cut them up with a "knife" (stick), season them by sprinkling sand on them, toss them in flour (more sand) and cook them, and then serve everybody on the beach one by one.  "Want some chicken fish?"  Thankfully, all of them were moms/grandparents/other kids who were familiar with fishing, so they weren't too traumatized.  In case you were wondering if he pays attention while he's running and playing, the answer is, apparently, yes.  :)

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J:  Mama, you can just make mine food in the "heat wave".

Me:  ?????

J: You know, this.  (points at the microwave)


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At the McDonald's indoor playground, J comes down crying to the table:
Me:  What's the matter, sweet pea?
J:  That...that...that HUMAN hit me.

Yes, as opposed to the robots that were nice to you.

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Steve was holding J, and J was drinking out of Steve's glass of pop:
J: *loud belch* (tips the cup and looks in it) "Dad...is this BURPING JUICE?"