I like Girls:)

Ok,  so really I did not expect a 4 1/2 year old to get crushes.  And this is not the first... the first was a cute blue eyed sweet girl at Tae Kwon Do named Casey.  Gabe would look at her with doe eyes the whole time and tell me how beautiful she was when we left the class.  One day Casey moved to another class time.  Gabe was disappointed for weeks. 

This last Labor Day weekend was another chance for Gabe's girl craziness to show itself.  It was the cutest thing ever.  We met a bunch of friends an family at the beach for the day.  One friend brought her 9 year old daughter and 3 of her daughter's friends.  They were all cute sweet girls who were enjoying laying out on their towels chatting or rafting around in the Kayak.   The only thing is,  attached to these three girls was a little shadow.... Gabe.   He followed them everywhere they would go.  He sat just a few feet away from them for hours, staring at them. When they kayaked he pleaded with me to be allowed to sit in between them on the kayak.   He was so involved in watching the girls that he never noticed his cousins or friends.  At one point the girls went out on the kayak on their own,  Gabe slipped over beside me and whispered in my ear..."Mommy... the girls are beautiful. "   Noting that one sweet freckle faced girl named Claire was "the most beautiful girl of all."  

Well,  the entire beach day went like this.  The poor girls had to paddle way out into the ocean to be free of their shadow for a few brief minutes,  but he was always happily waiting on the shore for them when they made their way back.  On our drive home  Henry and I kidded Gabe about the girls a bit.  He was not embarrassed at all.  No,  he was more disappointed that we did not get the directions to Claire's home.  And how will be see her again?  

Later, that evening during dinner he brought it up again... Claire must live near that beach and surely we could hunt around to find her house.  We kidded around a bit with him and then said, now you know... you can group date with lots of girls and friends but you can't date until you are 16:)   Big eyes turned to me and said Why????  Well,  because that are the rules.  I did not date until 16 and daddy did not date until....well...20.    Do you know what dating is?  Yes,  going to dinner.  Good.. then no taking a girl to dinner until you are 16 yrs.  Ok, but I can take the 3 girls together?   Yes, but don't you think that is a lot to handle?  No.  But you only have two hands to hold their hands.  (Confused and concerned look... thinking....hmmm... "one could hold my foot"  he laughed and then shook his head no, no that would not work.  

Well, maybe he will have to stick to admiring from a distance for a time. Lord help me when he turns 16.  I almost regret my words.  Why didn't I say he could not date until he was 18????

Driving along the other day with the kids in the car Gabe says out of the blue..."Mommy, I can't wait to be a daddy."   I thought for a minute what would prompt such a statement, and responded that I knew one day he would be a wonderful daddy.   It was quiet for a moment and then he said"  I want to be a daddy so I can see my kids.  I can't wait to see my kids."  Well... there is no question in my mind that someday Gabe will be a wonderful father and husband to some lucky family.  It amazes me that a 4 year old boy would be having such mature aspirations.  It confirms to me that our children at such a young age are shaped not only by their divine nature but by the home environment.   What a great responsibility it is to raise children and teach them those things we know to be true and correct.  To show love and nurturing so that they too might pass this blessing along to their own posterity.  

I will miss the 4s

I will miss the 4s.   Some of my favorite things are Gabe's love of Super Heros and Comic books.   The sweet belief that they are real and even better that he compares them all to Jesus and then states that "Jesus is the strongest and fastest because he can do anything".   

Both Claire and Gabe are in Tae Kwon Do.  I take them twice a week and sit and watch with a smile spread across my face. How cute they are!  Gabe really takes it seriously and Claire likes the attention she gets, as she steals a  peek at me trying to hide her cute little smile.  But my favorite part of it all is at the end.  Once they bow to Master O they turn to me and run as fast as their little feet can go and land right in my lap!  How precious this moment and one I shall surely miss someday.  These moments will be forever engraved on my mind

My birthday 2008!

A visit from Tessa.  What a wonderful birthday!  A visit to Armstrong Woods.   Ice cream in Sonoma,  staying up late and lots of good food:)   Can't beat it! 

In the eyes of a child

The other day Gabe and I had a conversation about strength.  He asked me to squeeze his muscle and see how strong he was.  As I did I said "Wow Gabe,  you are getting so strong!"  and his reply was "but I am not as strong as daddy,  daddy is so strong he is even stronger than..."  and a long space of time came as he searched him mind for the strongest person in the world.   I was anticipating him to say Spiderman or Superman or even a Ninja Turtle.  But after the delay of thought he replied, "daddy is even stronger than Jesus!"   Wow,  I stood there stunned.  How do you reply to something like that?  Of course there is no one stronger than Jesus I thought, but how wonderful that Gabe at 4 years old recognizes that Jesus has more power than even a super hero.   And even better,  how great in a child's mind that he can compare his own father to Jesus.  

I'm no lover of chickens

   I have distinct memories of my mother telling me to go get the eggs from our chicken coop.  Now,  I must have been no older than 6 or 7.  It was a love hate relationship... me and the chickens.   The rooster loved to attack me and peck my back as I ran away and I just hated the chickens.   Even now as an adult I can't stand the smell or idea of touching one of those hard wirey birds.   But, it was no problem for Claire.  She could  not wait to hold one.    Good thing,   because next week we have the job of caring for newly hatched chicks for our preschool.   We will take them home over night and make sure they are kept warm and safe.  I think Claire will enjoy most of this responsibility! 

First tool kit

They grow up fast!  Gabe got his first "real" tool kit this year.  No lie... the real deal.  Equipped with hammer, a set a screw drivers, ratchet set and much much more.   He can hardly wait for some toy's batteries to run out so that he can unscrew the battery case and replace it.  He unscrews the screws in our door jam hardware.  Anything that "needs" taking apart is.  If daddy is doing any handy work what-so-ever Gabe want to be involved.  It is so fun for me to watch him turn into a little man.   

    Yet, the innocence is still there.  He still crawls into my lap many times during the day for a good snuggle and of late he tries to out best me on the "I love you more than..."  the latest is "Mommy... I love you more than 50/20 bigger than Heaven down to the Earth."   Now,  can you get better than that???   The other day when reviewing a little stranger danger I asked Gabe what he would do if a stranger tried to give him something.  He said,  " I would pray for Heavenly Father to protect me."   

A day at Slide Ranch

   This week we spent a day at Slide Ranch.  For me it was a day of appreciation of our beautiful world and most especially for my children.  The first thing the leaders at the ranch taught was respect for the land and for the animals.  At 4 1/2 our children really understood.  

   We started our day by milking Bata the goat.  As you can see,  Claire was a ready and willing milker.   Before it was even time to start she was taking off her jacket and rolling up her sleeves!   She wanted to be first!   She was not shy about digging for worms in the worm box either. 

   When we arrived at the worm box,  it was Gabe who was truly in Heaven.   He could have explored this box for hours,  digging through half eaten fruit and worm compost finding as many worms as possible.  I guess this is what being a boy is about!