Thank Heaven for Little Boys...and Joys!!!

I know I have written a lot about how my boys do alarming things; They have hung from the curtains (Seriously!! Ripped the rod right out of the wall too), run around the house like wild banshees, left boogers in unexpected places, and dumped all the fish food into the tank…at one time. I hope I don’t sound like I’m always complaining. I’m not. Every moment is a joy. I have to laugh when I find a booger. Maybe someone left it in a high-traffic location because it was a really big one and worthy of observation. Plus, if I don’t laugh, I might just cry because it’s such bizarre behavior.
Believe me, though, there are moments where the joy does not have to be searched for. It is at the surface for all the world to see. I guess I often think, “boys will be boys” and expect them to act a certain way. Just then those sweet, tender moments catch me off guard. One day, for example, Carson took my hand as we walked across the street in the morning. He waved his little mitten around and said, “Mom, you’re the most beautifulist girl in the whole wide world.” Carson throws things like that out randomly and it makes my knees weak. Sometimes, he will blow me a kiss from the window of neighbor’s house when I leave for work. Ohhhh, those big brown eyes pierce straight into the soul! (I can hear those middle school girls calling already!)
Kyle is the big brother and tries to be tough like Dad, but now and then he throws me for a loop. One night, Carson was scared. I overheard Kyle telling him, “It’s okay Carson, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Do you want me to sleep with you?” How sweet is that?!! Two Christmases ago, I was sick and missed everything because I had to stay in the hospital. My in-laws took the boys to church and then brought them to the hospital to see me. Kyle wouldn’t look at me. I thought maybe he was afraid of all the tubes and wires. When I asked him to give me a hug, he turned and I saw his face. His mouth was turned down, lip quivering, eyes big with tears, and he buried his head in my arms. He was not afraid of the tubes and wires. He was afraid of losing me! We tell each other that we love each other several times a day, but that moment made me realize how important I am to him. He even mentioned it this Christmas when he said all he really wanted was for me to be home. Sweetness! (Of course, if I was going to be home, Guitar Hero was his second option.)
Oh, there are small joys too, like when I hear good reports from the boy’s teachers, when they play nicely together, when they hit the baseball and make it to first base, or when someone tells me I make the best microwave chicken nuggets in the world and I should sell my BLT sandwiches on EBAY!