I had a great weekend. My boys gave me stuff that will help me end certain obsessions — a special tool to clean under my fridge and a few bins to help me organize my life. I filled five grocery bags full of stuff to donate and I have filled many more in my mind… And Pop Popl stayed over on Friday and Saturday nights so we had lots of fun being silly with three generations. (This generated A LOT of sand in the house.)

I am a lucky Mom because:

1. My son says “Please,” “Thank You,” and “No, Thanks for asking.”
2. He loves to snuggle as much as he loves to play “lightsavers.”
3. He has a vivid imagination, enjoys telling stories and hearing stories.
4. TV is lots of fun and feeds his mind but give him a sand dune and some accommodating adults and he can be entertained for hours.
5. I can go away for a week to “other work” half way across the world and return to a relatively tidy home, a son who has learned to appreciate the ORIGINAL STAR WARS trilogy and has watched the scene with the girls in the second TRON movie about a hundred times.
6. I get to kiss my sweet little boy more than 100 times a day and he gives me wonderful kisses with his “pillow lips.”.
7. The majority of the photos I’ve taken in the last 12 months have been of Walker in some sort of crazy outfit or costume.
8. My son likes to challenge me — Mommy: “Walker, Mommy doesn’t like it when you whine.” Walker: “But Mommy, you DO like wine.” and Mommy: “Walker, no TV now.” Walker: “No is not a good word for me.”
9. He musters the strength to tackle things that make him scared, even when his initial reaction is to flee.
10. Walker is unquestionably BOY but isn’t afraid to show compassion. One moment he sees a lady bug and wants to SMASH it into oblivion, the next, he’s giving his sick kitty Raowr a hug and kiss so he will feel better.
11. Walker writes his own name and his best friend’s name on the bathtub.
12. Walker loves to give and receive butterfly kisses.
13. Adventures are fun, as long as we are together.
14. Mommy and Daddy days are the BEST, even if all we do is errands. As long as we do it all together.
15. And here’s one for Larry — Walker can sing the theme song from the cartoon series from the ’60s to THOR and IRON MAN but still likes to dress as Mommy’s favorites, Batman and Superman

Walker, there are so many things you do that take me back to the days when I was a tot. The first time we read together in bed and you dug your little feet between my thighs, I was taken back to the days when I was little and nestled up to my Mommy and warmed my feet against her warm skin. It was the greatest gift anyone has ever given to me.

Thank you Sweetie.