Little Exchanges

An exchange between Daddy and Maya one Saturday Morning
as the sun makes it's appearance upon the horizon. We treasure the mornings when Daddy is home.

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This Mom's recent thought on being a parent...

When I am up with one of my little ones at 4:30 in the morning, tucking them back into bed, and they reach up and hug my neck and kiss my lips before they snuggle into their blankets, my heart sings.

I'm reminded that God gives us these little beings to gently love and firmly teach. In return for this, we receive an abundance of love and we are forced to learn so much. It is a beautiful and miraculous exchange.

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Some recent exchanges that make us chuckle...

Randy and the kids are outside in the garden cutting down cornstalks and hauling them to the burn pile.
Colter: "Dad"
Randy: "What?"
Colter: "It really smells like pigs."
Randy: " Maybe Duane and Janette are cleaning out their pig barns."
Colter: (very excited) "That's COOL that we can smell that all the way over here!"
Maya: (also very excited)"YEAH! and I have a stuffy nose and I can still smell it!"
So Duane and Janette, aren't you glad that your pig farm smell brings so much excitement to our country kids? ;)

Then at Kindergarten show and tell one day a little boy named Boe is showing his giant zucchini that he found in his Mother's garden.
Boe: "Does any one have any questions? Maya?"
Maya: "Why does it have seeds inside it?"
Boe: "Well that's how it was born!"
Maya: "Oh!"
Like they say... Everything I need to know, I learned in Kindergarten.

So this week is Red Ribbon Week at school and Maya has informed Randy and I several times that they have red ribbons to wear at school that say... "Free Drugs". Even though it doesn't seem like a laughing matter, we both have a hard time keeping a straight face as we inform her that they probably say "Drug Free", not "Free Drugs". Then she says, very straight faced, "Oh yeah! Drug Free!"
It makes me wonder just how much kindergartners can understand about this whole awful drug thing. These things haven't even occurred to their innocent little minds.
So, everything I didn't need to know I learned in kindergarten too. Although the sad day will soon come when they do need to know about the way the world is.

And an exchange between sister...
Maya: "Kyla, do you like the way I dressed baby Mia?"
Kyla: (reading her book-does not answer)
Maya: "Ky-la!
Kyla: (no answer)
Maya: "KY-LA, do you like how I dressed baby Mia?"
Kyla: (without looking up) "sort-of Maya"
Maya: "BUT KYLA! YOU SHOULD LIKE IT ALL-THE-WAY!"

All these little moments...
I wouldn't exchange them for anything!