Seth laughs at my jokes - not everyone does that. And not only does he laugh at them, he often tells my jokes over and over. Like when I ask Darren what he wants to eat: "What'll it be, milk or milk?" And I love that Seth is one of the few people who can keep up with my project making. I love the excitement in his eyes when he sees something new - a four leaf clover, or a water skeeter, or a new plant. I love how he points to every raptor in the sky. I love how he smiles with his whole body.
Cora is a complete delight to me. She is quick to help .... especially with all things relating to cooking and Darren .... and she is very loving. She will smother Darren with kisses and hugs. I love how Cora is such a great playmate to Seth. She is always by his side, even in the mud in the driveway, rain dripping off the roof, or the vernal pool catching bugs. I love how she comes for 20 minutes of snuggles every morning to wake me up. And I love how she dances to music.
And then there is Darren. What is there not to love about a six week old baby that loves to be in his mama's arms? Just by wanting me, I feel loved. He makes my arms feel so full and he makes my heart glad. And his newly found smiles are fresh and joyful. How can I feel so much?
But John is my key to being a good mother. He is the one who picks up my slack, takes the kids away for a few minutes when I am at my whits end, who cooks supper, who constantly tells me how he thinks I am a good mother. He looks past the unwashed dishes and sees the smiles on the kids. He looks past the clutter in the living room and tells me how glad he is that I took the kids on a hike. He hugs me and encourages me when I feel like I have destroyed all chances of having my children to grow into productive citizens in society.
And most of all, he let's me sleep.
