Harper-isms

I don't want to miss out and forget to give Harper some "blog time"...so with that, I bring you some recent "Harper-isms."

To begin, this past Sunday was my turn to be the parent helper in Harper's Sunday School class.  I have to give it to his Sunday School teachers.  Ms. Alyna and Ms. Shannon are two of the best.  They work hard to keep the kids active and having fun, but they also weave in the weekly Bible curriculum...not easy with a class of 3 year olds I learned.  On this particular morning, the Bible story was on loving one another and showing love to each other.  (How fitting, as Sunday was also the morning Westboro Baptist Church chose our church to picket.)  Anyway, Harper was all ears as Ms. Alyna shared the Bible message.  He was one of the few to actually remain seated and participate in the lesson...very loudly, I might add.  So, when Ms. Alyna asked the kids "Who knows where love comes from?"  Harper did not hesitate to shout out his answer.  "Lovebugs!"  So, maybe weaving in the Bible story is a bit harder than I imagined. 

Fast forward two minutes to music time.  As the kids crowded together on the small carpet, they were ready to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."  Harper loves music and this time was no different.  He stood up and started belting the song, complete with hand motions.  That is...until the sun dried up all the rain.  Not only did the sun dry up all the rain, but the sun also smacked Harper's friend in the face. You might be thinking, as I was, "This would be a perfect time to model 'showing love."  And, you would be right.  However, Harper was more interested in showing love to the spider than his friend, apparently.

Also this week, Harper surpassed his brother in weight.  Harper (who is 3 years younger than Warren, mind you) weighs 47 pounds, while Warren weighs 44 pounds.  And this weekend, I figured out why.  On our way home from lunch Sunday, I glanced in the rearview mirror to find Harper stretching his neck to either side.  I asked him what he was doing, to which he replied "I'm just exercising, Mom.  This is how I exercise my neck.  But some time it might just come off."  And, I believe that is the extent of Harper's exercising.  My kind of kid!

Finally, leaving Chick-Fil-A tonight, with balloon animals in tow, Harper's green dolphin says to Warren's Orca whale, "Don't kill me.  I'm your best friend, remember?"  To which Warren's whale replies, "Um, Harper, I think you mean brother."  Harper's response:  "Oh ya, but it's the same thing."  I hope so, sweet Harper, I hope so. 

 

Buckle Up!

As I sit here on my last day of Spring Break, I cannot believe that Monday we return to finish up the last nine weeks of school.  This year has been filled with major learning, especially for Warren.  We are so impressed with the things he is learning in Kindergarten.  Not only is he reading like a champ, he's blowing us away with his math and science.  And, equally important in our household....he is learning so much about music and the arts.  He comes home telling us about crescendos and decrescendos and tempo.  Just last week he asked me if we could listen to some jazz, because Ms. Cunningham played some jazz for them in music and he really liked it.

Outside of school, he has been taking a boys gymnastics class this month at the YMCA.  It's been wonderful!  There are four boys, ages 5-12, in the class, with two instructors (one of which is a boy).  He has class just one hour, one night a week for a month.  Then, it starts over again.  It's not competitive at all and he just loves it.  In fact, he sat at home today (during Spring Break) and drew pictures of the rings and the balance beams.

Tuesday night, during one of the breaks, his teacher spoke with Chris for a few minutes.  She said he really has "natural ability" and "strength" and "follows directions (hers anyway) really well."  She said that if he seemed to enjoy it, she would recommend he continue at the Y for another month to learn a few more basics, then he should probably move to a gymnastics club!  Exciting stuff!

But wait!  I have boys.  Boys aren't supposed to be interested in jazz music and gymnastics.  Where are the loud guitars and cute t-ball pictures I had imagined...and that all my friends have?  No, leave it to my boys to listen to Duke Ellington and have pictures in leotards.  Well, I'm learning, yet again, that I don't need to compare my life to my friends' lives.  It's not my plan that is important here; I'm not driving this boat.  God's at the wheel and He's got a much bigger plan for us, I know.  And I'm slowly (very slowly) learning to move aside and let Him take the wheel.  Buckle up!    

A Heart Full of Love

With all the hype of Les Miserables right now (which, I might add is well worth the hype), I thought I might steal a quote.  Tonight could easily have been my own "Les Miserables"...minus all the French Revolution drama.  Chris was teaching a percussion class at Harrison, which left me with both boys.  I had to stay at work until close to 5:00.  So, my afternoon went something like this:

3:00 - start tutoring sessions
3:15 - leave to pick up Harper
3:45-4:15 - wait at the bus stop for Warren's bus, which is supposed to arrive at 4:00 (with Harper in car seat)
4:15 - rush across the street to school when I see the bus pull into the school parking lot; leave Harper in the car, while I jump out to make sure the bus driver knows I'm there
4:20-4:45 - attempt to finish up work, while entertaining the boys in my office
4:45 - head to running club
5:15-6:00 - hung out with Harper and my friend, Jessica, while Warren and his friend, Jack, ran during running club
6:00 - dinner at McDonalds, with Jack and Jessica
7:00 (or whenever we made it home) - bath time
7:30 - breathing treatment for Harper
7:45 - story time
8:00 - bed time

Oh, and, did I mention that I woke up at 4:30 this morning to run the lake with my friend, Stephanie?

So, while that looks and sounds like all kinds of "les miserables"....it was anything but.  I was reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to be the mommy of these two little boys.  Instead of dreading having them at my work and thinking "How am I going to get anything done?"....I got to prance them around and show them off to my friends in my office.  And they could not have been more perfect.

And in the car....they have both really gotten into pop songs.  I will be the first to admit that I generally live in a happy little bubble.  I normally listen to Joy FM...and only Joy FM.  But, lately, I've been testing the waters with pop stations.  And, I am happy to report that not only is my bubble expanding...the bubble my boys live in is expanding as well.  We have our own little dance party in the car...and I like it....a lot!  (Warren started riding the bus from his school to mine and, along with that, comes a lot of new experiences.  I've realized that while I can't shield them from everything, I can talk to them about what they experience and teach them how to handle those things their eyes are opened to.) 

And, at running club...instead of chasing Harper around, checking my clock and thinking "How much longer?"...Harper sat like an angel.  And, when he wasn't sitting, he was being his adorable self and entertaining Jessica and me with his version of "Jesus Loves Me Grass."

And at McDonalds....I watched as they showed both of their very distinct personalities...in a good way.  Little Harper is so friendly towards everyone.  He is so simple and blind to differences.  We could all learn something from his childlike innocence.  And Warren....he is quiet, sensitive, but confident.  While Harper is very social and goes with the crowd, Warren is a leader.  He does what he knows is right.

And at home...as I tucked them in bed, I heard (as I do most nights) "Mommy, will you hang wif us?"  And most nights, I'm sad to admit that Chris and I draw straws to see who has to 'hang.'  (Aside from the fact that Chris wasn't home...) tonight was different.  There was no place I wanted to be more than hanging with them.  So, I laid down on the floor with my iPad, just like we do most nights.  And in a few minutes, Warren climbed out of bed and snuggled beside me, on the floor with just a pillow and a blanket.  Harper wasn't too far behind.  So, there we lay.  Just the three of us....snuggled close to one another, covered with blankets.  And, just when I thought my night couldn't have been any better, Warren took his blanket off and covered me and said "Mommy, I just want to be kind and give things to people who don't have things."  With that, he fell fast asleep.

Harper wasn't quite ready to sleep yet, so he and I went to the family room to rock for a bit.  He settled down soon after and told me he was ready to go to bed.  As I tucked him in and kissed him for the millionth time, he said "Mommy, Jesus is in my heart." And, as my old pastor and dear friend says "and that's the truth!  Amen!"