20 Questions With Gabe (2009 edition)

I was cleaning out some files and I found a little Q&A I did with Gabe a little over 2 years ago - so he was the same age as Hunter is now - 3 years old.  It was fun to read his answers to some of these things.  Sometimes it just hits me that time is going by SO fast with my kids.  I need to take a few extra minutes to cherish them, treasure our times together and give them extra squeezes and kisses.  Sure do love them!

1.  What is something mom always says to you?

Don't slap Hunter - even if he throws food on the floor!

2. What makes mom happy?

Hunter playing with me, and laughing, and when we sing songs to her.

3. What makes mom sad?
When Hunter fights me up.


4. How does your mom make you laugh?
When you watch Playhouse Disney movies with me


5. What was your mom like as a child?
You'd read books


6. How old is your mom?
14

7. How tall is your mom?

14 long - like a giraffe neck

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Play "Playhouse Disney" computer games with me.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Play with Hunter

10. What is your mom really good at?

Fighting - like with swords

11. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Hawaii - with ME!

12. What is your mom not very good at?

You can't play toys - because you don't do it.


13. What does your mom do for her job?
You play toys with me - that's your job. That guy we watched on the computer - his job was to catch allitgators - but yours is to play with me.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Pasghetti!

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
That I'm good at playing toys

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Woody (from Toy Story) - because you're funny

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play toys.

18. How are you and your mom the same?

When we match and we talk the same.

19. How are you and your mom different?

You're wearing green, and I'm wearing this (camo)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

To infinity and beyond!

Sweet Innocence

I have to admit we haven't said much to our kids about the situation in Haiti. I didn't want to scare Gabe about the earthquakes, or make him worry about the hurt people. I wanted to shelter him from some of the pain of the earth.

But tonight 2 sweet neighbor kids came to our door. They were selling flower hair clips or bead/leather bracelets to help earn money for the children in Haiti. I had the boys each pick out a simple little bracelet. We gave the kids neighbor kids several dollars and sent them on their way.

Afterwards I decided to explain a *little bit* about what we'd just bought. I told Gabe that there had been an earthquake and that there were little kids who were hurt, or whose parents had died in the earthquake. I told him we needed to remember the families in our prayers. I said, "Sweetheart, maybe those dollars we used to buy those bracelets will be used to buy food or clean water or other things those kids need."

He looked at me with the innocence of a child and asked, "Or buy them a new mom?"

My. Heart. Broke.

Then later tonight in his sweet prayers he said, "And thank you that I am a part of my family. Please bless those kids who are in Haiti to get what they need. And help them to find families who love them."

So I add my prayer to Gabe's and the millions around the world - please bless those heartbreaking children, families, and others affected by the recent natural disasters.

Man I love those boys!

Man I love my little boys. I'll be honest, there are days when I hide in my closet for a minute of quiet, or pray for naptime to last a little longer.....but then there are days like today when I am overwhelmed with feeling blessed to be called Mom.Today we just had a few sweet moments, a few silly, and a few tender and sweet. I wish there were ways to take you all along for some of those moments. I don't write it all down quite like I used to....and sadly I'm not remembering the moments as well as I used to either....but I really want to try harder. The sweet moments are what life are about - right? Here are a few random thoughts about the boys:

• Hunter has been working really hard at talking lately. We've had a couple of meetings with a local Speech Therapist. She comes and gives us some tips on things we can work on with increasing his vocabulary and helping him speak clearly. He is also going to a Toodler preschool class one day a week for a couple hours. He LOVES it. He loves getting ready for school, loves his friends, teachers and telling us (or trying to tell us) about his fun when we pick him up. It makes him seem just that much more grown up....and when he took his Christmas treat to his teachers last week it was just like taking a glimpse into a few years from now when he'll be taking his 3rd grade teacher a present. Man, life goes by way too fast.

• Today after Gabe got home from school I was talking with him in the couch and Gabe gave me a big hug. Hunter came over, tried hugging me and then looked totally hurt. He said, "No, Hunter Mom's favorite". In his sweet little language and his pouty lip sticking out. So sweet. So I hugged and snuggled both of them extra tight. They're both my favorites - right?

• I was teasing the boys and asked if either of them had a girlfriend. Gabe quickly said "NO!" (which is not the answer he gives his friends - he tells everyone else about his girlfriend Naia) but Hunter called out "YES!" He told us a name over and over again but sadly we didn't understand who it was.....so apparently Hunter has a girlfriend...her name? Not quite sure.

• Gabe had his preschool Christmas program today at school. They sang some really cute songs, made me a sweet ornament with a picture of him for a gift, and made me smile. His teacher made a really cool crayon keeper for them and he was so impressed by it. He LOVES it. He was so cute to hear through the whole day saying sweetly, "Mom, I just love my crayon case." We're so lucky to have a great teacher who clearly cares about the kids in her class, and who Gabe has a great time with. So lucky!

• Today we were driving and listening to Christmas music. Clay Aiken's voice came over the radio singing one of my favorite Christmas carols, "The First Noel". Gabe said thoughtfully, "Mom - did that guy just say 'No elves?'" He's repeated it many times tonight, including singing his version as we sang together tonight.

• The boys were both thrilled to have "Family Game Night" tonight. Apparently the television ads that have been on the last few years about "Family Game Night" have gotten to Gabe because he was beyond excited to play games together tonight. It was fun to all laugh together like that. I look forward to a time when the boys will be ready to play some of our favorites (Rumikub and Uno to name a few). And for the record - I totally smoked all 3 of them at Candyland the first round!

• "Grandma Tammy" (Cory's mom) sent the boys home with a little candle with a list of scriptures to read each night as a family. We're supposed to light the candle and read together. Can I just say that this has worked better than any other efforts we've made at reading the scriptures together as a family? The boys are thrilled to get our candle out and can't wait to help blow it out at the end. I have LOVED the sweet moments we've had together as a family as we've read the scriptures and explained the stories to them. They have seemed to just get it these last several nights. Tonight we read about how the Savior calmed the storming seas (Mark 4:35-41 I think) and had a very sweet talk about it afterwards. I ended up with tears (as I often do when I feel the spirit like that) and Hunter kept telling me to be "happy!". I explained to the kids that I was happy, super happy and that sometimes when I am that happy I cry. A few minutes later we were finishing bedtime preparations and getting ready for bed. I looked at Gabe and his eyes were full of tears. He came over and wrapped his arms around my legs. He said, "Mom, sometimes I cry when I'm really happy too. Like right now." The moments when gospel lessons hit home and it "clicks" are precious.

I love them - a lot!

Gabeisms and an update

One of my favorites is how almost every single day Gabe asks what day it is. He doesn't want to know what day of the week - but always clarifies by asking, "Is it a FAMILY day?" He thinks of Saturday and Sunday's as "Family Days" because Dad's around and we're together as a family most of the time.
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Me: "Gabe, you're kind of stinky - I think you need to go in and try to go poo."

Gabe: "No Mom - that's just your breath."

(Gee - thanks.....)
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Me: "So sweetie, we haven't caught any fish today (we had gone fishing for the afternoon) - so what are we going to eat for dinner now since we don't have any fish?"

Gabe: "Oops - looks like it's a cereal night!"
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Gabe has gotten to be a much better writer lately. After preschool we were kind of disappointed that he hadn't worked much on his writing or drawing. But lately he has gotten so much better with writing. He really likes to look at another picture (like in a book or something) and then try to copy it. I'll need to scan some of his pictures soon to share.
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Speaking of preschool the other day Gabe said, "I didn't learn ANYTHING when I went to preschool. All I learned was how to color and do art projects - and I already knew how to do THAT!"

(sadly this is somewhat true....he didn't really gain any "academic skills" from school....)
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Randomly through the day Gabe will out of the blue just say, "Mom (or Dad), I LOVE you!" It's funny because it always sounds like he's trying to butter us up and we'll ask, "yes....?" But he doesn't want anything - he is just sweet.
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A few weeks ago we had my favorite "Hot Fudge Pudding Cake" for dessert. As we were eating it Gabe said, "Mommy - you're the best 'maker' ever!"

Me: "Thanks Gabe, that means a lot to me and makes me happy when you like the food I cook for you. I don't know if I've ever made this for you before - have I?"

Gabe: "No you haven't. But I have had it before. I ate this when I lived in heaven. This is what you eat for breakfast when you live in heaven. You eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even for snacktime!"
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Two different times this week Gabe has made me VERY happy with cleaning up. One morning the boys had made a huge mess with toys. I was frustrated but hadn't said anything about cleaning up the toys or anything. Gabe said he wanted to do something (a treat, or play or something like that.) I said, "Not until you've cleaned up the toys with Hunter." He said, "But Mom - I already cleaned them all up." I didn't think it was possible but when I came out of the kitchen he had! Almost a whole toy box of toys had been cleaned up. Later in the week he cleaned up the toy room too - including lining toys up along the edges of the room like I love (my OCD kicking in). I LOVED it!
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In his prayers tonight Gabe also thanked Heavenly Father for the pioneers who came across the plains - I was sure excited that he'd listened to something I'd said about the pioneers - I thought it had all gone in one ear and out the other (as had much of what I had said this week....).

Gabeism

G - "Mom - I sure like your hair better when you wear it down".

Me - "Like this sweetie?" I take my hair out of a ponytail.

G - "Yeah - like that. And I like your hair better when it's longer. You should let it grow long."

Sheez - it starts young doesn't it? Men who like long hair on women (like my hubby that always wants me to grow my hair out) apparently start that way as kids....Too bad that I like my hair either long and pulled up, or short and out of the way. Now I can't keep Gabe OR Cory happy!

Gabeism

Yesterday Gabe came up to me, snuggled up and sniffed my shoulder.

"That's what I thought - you smell like a hotel."

(Me) "What does that mean exactly?"

"You just smell like a hotel."

He smells me again.

"Yup - exactly like the walls at the hotel."

Hmmmm.....wonder if I smell like a Motel 6, or something a bit more swanky like the Ritz Carlton.....

Gabeisms

• This morning we were telling Gabe that it was New Years Eve. He got all excited and said, "So tomorrow is Valentine's day?!?!?" We explained that it was still a while until Valentine's Day. We said that first we had New Years, then Martin Luther King Day and then Valentine's Day and President's Day. Then Gabe yelled out - as sure as he could be, "And THEN it will be PILLOW FIGHT DAY!" (We have determined with him that Pillow Fight Day is after President's Day and Grandma Tammy's birthday - but before St. Patrick's Day and Daddy's birthday - we've decided it's roughly March 12th - for those of you who are like Gabe and are DYING to celebrate!)
• On Christmas night after everything Gabe would NOT go to bed. He was being such a stinker and had gotten up several times. I got mad at him and turned to him on the couch and said, "Get your bottom off the couch and into bed!" He looked at me so sincerly and said, "But Mom - I can't!" I asked him why he couldn't. He said, "I'm stuck to the couch - I think it was from all the glue I put on the couch...."
• Another bedtime a few days ago I came into his room to turn off the light (he likes to read books for a while by himself) and he had a glass of water in his hand. He will generally ask for a drink of water - so we keep a glass of water by his bed - but he would have to get out of bed to get it (which he had been instructed to stay in bed). He looked at me and said, "Mom - I just don't know how this glass of water got into my hand - it just appeared! One minute it wasn't there - and then I guess it just flew into my hand"