To my eldest three,
Tomorrow is August first, and what a summer it has been! You kids are growing so strong, tan, and capable these days. I leave you home alone for an hour if I have to run Frankie to school or head to Kwik trip, and you hold down the fort and *sometimes* put away a whole load of dishes for me. Last night, you finished a session of swimming lessons and I was amazed at how hard you worked. Jimmy, I thought you would burst into flames from the sheer speed of that side-breath stroke.
There are ups and downs in this family. Somehow, when Daddy and I take you out for ice cream, you guys can find the most minute factors about which to bicker. Most often than I would like, a kick-fight breaks out in a public setting. Currently, you are all on no-screen grounding due to too much laughter and bickering at church last weekend. How these two opposites can be achieved in a moment of life is beyond your mother's comprehension.
But I digress. You are maturing. You look at the world around us and wonder who you will become. Tom, you ask how you will pay your mortgage and afford college. Jim, you fix bike gears and analyze how things are constructed. Lucy, you don athletic shorts and an unfussy pony tail and set out determined to have as much social interaction as could take place before sundown.
You all share a great and protective love for your brother, Frankie. Since entering the terrible threes, Frank is prone to fits of screaming and poop accidents that sometimes, literally, have hit the fan. But then, he is sweet. Snuggling up with the closest individual, you can't help but love a boy who pops his thumb in his mouth and gives you his heart.
This is a houseful of big kids these days. Boys who ask if it might be appropriate to purchase a swimsuit calendar* (no!) and a girl who wonders why it is relevant to keep a room clean because if we lived in the jungle, it wouldn't make a differences.
Kids who, I hope, know they are loved so deeply that the magnitude of it is impossible to grasp.
As always, I pray that you know how God made you unique and strong in His plan for life. I pray, too, that Daddy and me might know the strength we were given to corral you and coax you and kiss you even when you spill milk again and again and again.
With great love,
Mom
*If you thought I would miss a chance to preach about the importance of recognizing women for our inner strength and beauty in addition to our God-given exterior beauty, you were, of course, mistaken. Keep it classy.
