Matt making me smile...

While watching Chloe get numerous strikes while playing Wii Bowling, "Holy my moley! Holy my moley!"

When summoning Grandpa Ray, "Hampa! Hey Hampa, don't buy Diesel. He's mean! And I love Thomas so so much!"

In Dreams...

For the past week and a half, Matthew calls for me when he wakes up and asks me to lift him off of our bed. It's a high cherry wood poster bed that's too high off the ground for him to reach himself. I'm usually nearby working on my laptop and am happy to oblige.

I'll tell him good morning and give him a kiss on his cheek. Then I'll ask, "Did you have a good sleepy time?" To which he always whispers a gentle, "Yesss." And I'll ask, "Did you have any dreams?" He gets an enormous smile and nods his head. "What did you dream about, Angel?"

He confessed that he'd dreamt about Emily and Thomas the first three mornings that I inquired. On the fourth, he said he'd dreamt about Emily. "Not Thomas?" I asked. "No. Only Emily," he gleamed as he responded. I've since concluded that he really loves Emily. More than his other engines. More than Thomas, Rheneas, James, Ben, Rosie, Molly and even his beloved Lady.

On the fifth day we were in the middle of what was becoming our latest routine and I asked, "What did you dream about, Baby Boy?" To which he replied, "You." Then he poked my belly with his finger and smiled.

That was last week, and I haven't stopped gleaming since.

Splish-Splash

It has been extraordinarily rainy and grey thus far for a June in Colorado. Amid the thunderstorms and rainy afternoons, Matthew has definitely taken to the silver lining among the coulds. I was on my way to drive into the office when Matt, Chloe and my folks returned from lunch. They all ran from the car to the open garage to escape the rain. Then Matthew turned around. He screamed and smiled and shook his head in a crazed fashon as he ran out into the rain. He was genuinely having fun. Then he found a corner puddle and jumped around in it and splashed around as he sang and laughed. Then Chloe wandered out and before I knew it we were all jumping around in the rain.

From that moment on, I have not complained about the weather, I don't roll my eyes at the rain. Those former dreary looks are instead replaced by a reminiscent smile. Thank you Matt!

Chloe and Matt have been ill with coughs, pink eye and runny noses since last Thursday. Today Chloe threw up after eating a piece of chocolate from Easter and got red dots all over her face and chest. She broke a blood vessel in her left eye too. Alan picked her up after work and panicked. He called the Dr. and insisted they see both of the kids today instead of the appointment scheduled for tomorrow.

When they all got home, the kids crashed out on each of the couches in the living room. Then Chloe woke up and said, "Mommy, I want you to hold my hand." I said, "Ok baby girl, I will. Why do you want me to hold your hand?" "Because I don't feel good." Then she clutched my hand tight while she rested. A sigh of relief ran through me to know that she still needs me, no matter how briefly.

On my way out the door...

Matt said, "Momma, I wanna go to store with you." I said, "Should we invite Nana or Chloe to go too?" To which he shook his head, pointed his finger at me and replied, "No ma-ma. You, me and you."

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Somebody got not one, but two pair of diamond earrings for her 5th Birthday. Somebody got an awesome Tinkerbell cake and spent the day with her friends and family at Chuck E. Cheese. Somebody also got Birthday phone calls, cards and gifts from Texas, Mexico, and all over the state. I keep insisting she's not a spoiled little princess. She's simply loved very much. I hope Chloe remains humble, stays true to who she is, learns something new every single day and remembers how very much we love her. She lost one of my own diamond earrings that I treasured very much a couple of weeks ago. At first I was upset, but then I remembered that in the grand scheme of things, Chloe's precious love for me and mine for her is far, far greater than any shiny gem I could ever buy.

Oh baby...

Tonight during an episode of Grey's Anatomy, Chloe suddenly asked me where babies come from. Astonished, I gave her the answer that I presumed would satisfy the curiosity of a soon to be 5 year old...

Her: So Mommy, where do babies come from?
Me: They come from your belly!
Her: Well yeah, but how do you get them out?
Me: Well, you go to see your doctor at the hospital and they take the baby out.
Her: Well how do they do it?

Then I realized that I had to be completely honest. I know it's a bit early for the birds and bees talk, so I tried to be general.

Me: Honey, when two people, a boy and a girl, love each other very much they get together and decide to make a baby. Then you eat a lot of food to feed it until it's ready to come out. Like you!
Her: Yeah, but how do you get it out of your belly?
Me: Well there are two ways... they can come out of here (pointed to her parts) or the doctor can make a cut with a doctor knife and take it out of your belly.
Her: Babies can't come out of my pee-pee! Don't you just pump on your stomach a few times and then it comes out of your mouth?
Me: No baby, it doesn't work like that.

We talked a bit more and I showed her my c-section scar and explained that it was how her and her brother were born. She was in disbelief and said that she doesn't want to have babies because it would hurt too much. I explained that mommies don't think about that and that babies are so much fun to feed and dress and play with so we don't mind having them at all.