Andrew’s declarations of love

My four-year-old son has such a loving heart.  With his little impish smile and twinkling, adoring eyes, he regularly melts my heart with declarations of his love.  For example, this morning he was snuggling with his dad in the bed, and he said, “”Dad, I love you so much I could hug the whole world.”

He also regularly says, “Daddy, I love you so much my heart is going to explode.”  Or, “I love you so much, I can’t even stand it!”  Or I love you all the way to P3 (the lowest floor of the parking garage in Terry’s condo).”  Or of course, the classic, “I love you, Nunu (his completely made up term of endearment), up to the moon!”

He bends down and talks to Sylvia in a staccato, sing-songy, baby voice, “Hi Syl-vee-aaahh.  How are yoouuuuu, ba-beee?”  “I love you Syl-vee-ahhh.”

Moments later, they’re throwing books or blocks at each other, but then one of them giggles and glances sideways at the other, and before you know it, the tears and yelling is transformed into ruckus giggles and the pounding of little bare feet as they dash about the house to hide or find a new game, or just to fill the time with their important discoveries.  Oh, and they are both usually naked.  ‘Cuz that’s how my kids roll.

It’s a good thing that they are so cute.  It’s a critical form of self-preservation.

I feel so lucky to have them in my life, and I feel so grateful that they are mine.  Andrew’s declarations of love are amazing feedback in a job (parenting) that doesn’t always involve a lot of direct positive feedback.  When my boy goes to bed at night, he likes me to be the one to tuck him in and talk about our day.  Every night, he says, “You know the one who is going to put me to bed tonight?  The one whose closest to me!”  I’m always the one closest.  Bryan asked if he couldn’t do it some day, and Andrew told him he could do it on the 4th of July.  So they put it on the calendar.  Bryan’s looking forward to it:)

Ahh, those kids.  I love em!