I'm not quite sure how it is already January 28th! The days go by ... and although there are certainly moments in my days that feel like the minutes are barely ticking away, I am amazed at how fast this month has gone. And how full it has been!
We REALLY enjoyed our Christmas break. Eli had more time at home, and the boys and myself needed our break from homeschooling. I got to take off the "teacher" hat and just be Mommy. Which was a breather on both ends! Needless to say, the first few days getting back into the school swing of things might have been a bit rough = ) We made it, and now the routine and rhythm seems back to normal. The boys gave me some pushback that first week.
Some of my most precious moments this month as I look back have been with Matthias. He is at a great stage. Still a little boy, but growing so much in mind and heart. He wakes up every morning and hopes to find Eli reading his Bible in the recliner. Crawls right up into Eli's lap and just wants to snuggle. Those mornings when Eli is early at work or at the gym, I make sure to find a moment to wrap my arms around that little brown haired boy and give him lots of kisses. He is often running to catch up with the two bigger boys, and I strive to ensure each day he (all of them!) gets a bit of one on one time with Mommy.
But at bedtime? At bedtime it is Mommy that he wants. And so I lay next to him to sing the EXACT SAME THREE SONGS that he wants every night and to pray over him. But nearly every night, he interrupts me about halfway through the first song to talk. He wants to talk. He wants to ask questions. And how they make me smile! For about three nights in a row, it was all about who he was going to marry. Mommy? No, Mommy is already married to Daddy. Ms. Betty? No, Ms. Betty is already married to Mr. Ed. And so then I had to tell him he will marry somebody around his own age ... and to that information his eyes opened wide: "I never thought of that before!" And we have had to discuss over and over that he can't really pick who he is going to marry right now. And he finally decided that at age 22 - he'll pick his bride!
We've also had long discussions about Rome and Romans. Because of various Bible stories and acting out of Bible stories at church, he has questions upon questions about Rome (think Roman soldiers, Jesus' crucifixion, etc). Are there bad guys there? Do they live in houses? Do they have food? Can he go to Rome someday? Are they still "hunting" Christians in Rome? Are there nice people in Rome? And on and on and on we go. This topic comes up at bedtime, in car rides, and any other random moment you can think of. Yesterday I finally reassured him that someday he can go to Rome if he really wants to! And he was so thrilled! And then had to be reassured that yes, there is water there to drink and food to eat and even houses to stay in.
And at bedtime after I redirect him back to his songs and we pray, then he relaxes and is asleep within minutes. And I look at those cheeks that still have some chubbiness, his long brown eyelashes, and just want to give him one more kiss.
Thankfully, no one my boys are yet too old to love Mommy and love hugs and snuggles. But I also see how the 6 and 8 year olds are busy. They are lean, muscular, and don't have any of that toddler fat left! And it causes me to - rightfully so - take time to pause and appreciate the little ones. Remember that this is such a fleeting moment in their lives. Not that each stage isn't wonderful! They are. But this halfway between toddlerhood and boyhood is special. The days are full and go by fast, but I hold these memories tight.
