i don't want to miss a thing

this is going to be a very long post; i haven't made a post like this for quite some time, and my brain seems to be overflowing with little tidbits that i want to always have. i really don't want to miss a thing with these little ones.

sam: you recently found your clock radio and set it back up. you were thrilled you had your own radio. you kept asking me to find some music. after scanning several stations you said: " i think this needs new batteries; it used to play cool music!"

you continued to search for music on your own. you landed on a talk radio station just in time to listen to glenn beck. after about 30 seconds sam said: "are you crazy or something?" those were his words not mine.

you finally settled on a station; you ran in excitedly to get me to hear. it was spanish music. you loved it and were dancing like a wild man.

sam: you LOVE stuffed animals. you accumulate one every chance you get. you hang them in containers from your wall once their rotation is up. right now you are loving your frogs. you got one from auntie's yard sale, and you bought another at a yard sale yesterday for a friend. their names are harry and stumpy. you always think the tag with care instructions says their name. you also made a sock monkey with me today. i'm glad you love your animals, and i love finding random photo shoots on the camera of your little pals. oh, and i love making things with you. :)

sam: you are in a bit of stinker stage. you are having a hitting problem. your favorite targets are me and will. it is not tolerated; however, i haven't come up with the best solution. it is driving me crazy!! last night you lost the "kingbed" privilege because you hit me. you lost your bedtime story because you hit will. you cried a lot, and in your tears you said "tomorrow will be a better day." and it was. you have also had a problem doing what i ask; often you just look at me and say no, particularly like leaving maggie's room when i try to put her down for a nap. i'm hoping it's all just a stage.

sam: yesterday we were doing drive-bys for yard sales. after driving by one i said we didn't need to stop because it looked like old man stuff. your quick response was "dad, did you want to stop?" we couldn't stop laughing!

sam: you love buying things. you love spending your own money. you want to buy something wherever we go. it is getting less annoying because you seem to remember to get some of your own quarters whenever we go somewhere. you love trying to win animals out of quarter machines. you are quick to share quarters with your brother, and you are always trying to bribe him quarters, too. he normally refuses, and you just can't understand why he won't take the bribe.

will: you got a stuffed animal monkey from auntie's yard sale last week, and i don't think you have put it down once. you LOVE it, and i have to admit it's pretty cute to see you walking around with it EVERYWHERE you go. if it's out of your arms for even a second you are frantically asking where your monkey is. you don't like to have a lot toys, but you sure treasure the few favorites that you have.

will: you are still so afraid of scary guys. you just don't call them "ary uys" anymore. you are so scared of the halloween display at lowes. you have me carry you every time. you also get scared at night and always want the lamp on. i don't think it's a stalling thing; you really are afraid. i have given you a spray bottle to spray the scary guys with at night when you get scared. that has helped a little.

will: i love your singing. you have made up a song that you sing often around the house. it just goes like this:

"i love my mom. i love my dad."

you sing it over and over, and it is priceless.

will: i feel like i never have much to write about you because you are so low maintenance. you are almost always content just playing by yourself with your train, blocks, or monkey. you really are an easy child to raise.

maggie: you are grabbing everything in sight! your preference is paper. you must like the way it feels and the sound it makes. oh, and the taste... you always immediately put it in your mouth.

maggie: you have become so interested in food. you are always staring at it and reaching for it whenever you are near. you've got a major look of determination, too. you are ready to start eating. pete wanted to give you a bite of a chocolate chip cookie, and i did NOT authorize that. you are the only treat virgin in our family, and i would like to keep it that way for as long as possible. i have been letting you drink some water, and you love that. you must be your mother's daughter. :)

maggie: you are totally trying to crawl. for the last 2 weeks you have been getting up on your knees, rocking back & forth, then lunging forward. you have started to move a knee forward, too, but that collapses you. you just look too little to be crawling. crawling at 5 months? that's still too young. i'm not ready for you to be all over the place. you are a mover and a shaker; plus, you've got some serious determination that is already manifesting itself.

maggie: you seem to have sam's determination & drive mixed in with will's charm. you have always looked just like sam, but now you are starting to be a mix of sam and will. you are the mixing link that will tie sam and will's look together, and perhaps your personality will be the tie there, too.

maggie: some of the things you love... being outside, laying on your blanket in the floor, pulling your butterfly mobile, having sam blow in your face (surprisingly you love that; it drives me crazy!), having will carry you standing up, and being held by mom.

maggie: your favorite song is:

"i am like a star shining brightly,

shining for the whole world to see;

i can do and say happy things each day,

for i know heavenly father loves me."

i sing this song to you every time you are put to bed. it must be your signal; you always just lay down and go to sleep after hearing it. plus, i love the message.