More Gush 'bout those I love

We were blessed with our first child having a heart of gold. Soft and wonderful, trusting and forgiving. He is first to love and comfort, choose the right, and make people smile.

This year at school, he told me that during a thunderstorm he and his friends were scared on the playground. So they wanted to say a prayer. He had them all kneel down at the back of the field. “No one wanted to say it mom, so I did.” Angelic.

He also told me that he and his friend made a promise that they would always take care of the girls at school. “Mia was cold today so I offered her my coat, mom. But – she said she was fine without it.” Prince Charming.

He cleaned his room last weekend and as we were finishing up looked at me and said, “Mom, I think I can feel the Holy Ghost. It feels so nice in here.” A mothers dream.

With all of these sweet-as-sugar events, I have also recently encountered a bit of the opposite. He’s pushing buttons and testing limits. Suddenly, my first born loves to argue. This is new for him, but with a mom like me; who’s surprised? Really. The arguing comes, like clockwork, at homework time. As I urge and prod, he pushes and bucks. He is one who, while easy going, is also easy going on his homework. Like, a snail, easy going.

“Why do you always have to yell at me?” He says.

“You think this is yelling? This is firmly asking you to get to work. But if you’d like me to yell, I can.” (I then proceeded with the ‘I am helping you because I love you’, and the old – ‘try living with another family for a while and see how you like them’. Business.)

“Fine! Why don’t you just leave me outside for three weeks and I’ll throw snowballs at the house!”

What do you say to this? I swallowed a GIANT laugh and we both calmed down a bit.
We talked for a few more minutes about why it’s important to keep trying and do your best. Not to get discouraged, and little improvements are all that matter.

“Now, I’ll never be the smartest kid in the class like Brandon!”

“Well, you’re the nicest. And really, that’s what Heavenly Father wants more than anything. You’re just as smart as anyone else in your class. You’re just not the fastest at your timed facts. That’s okay.”

“But I want to be the nicest AND the smartest, mom!”

We all have lofty aspirations, Samuel. Being the nicest and the smartest are two of greatest things a kid could want to be. Now if he could only hang on to this for the next 20 years, we’d be fine.

I just love this boy. He brings such love and joy to our family, and really, to everyone he knows.

On the day of our Fall Party, he says to me: “Mom, do you need help? I have to go put on my cub scout uniform. (with a big smile and an ere of matter-of-fact-ness) Because a scout is helpful!”

In December, it was Peter’s MTC entrance anniversary, 16 years ago.

We ate at The Training Table to celebrate, as this was his last meal before his entering. I said to Peter, “This would be a fun tradition to look forward to” as we drove up the hill to drive through the MTC, “we could take the boys there, like you did, before we put them in the MTC.”

We both looked at each other and almost started crying. “Ahh. What am I saying!!!” I said aloud, and thought inside - "I don’t want my babies to leave me for two years! "

And Peter says, “The only place I’m 'putting them' is in their beds!”

Oh, please don’t get any bigger. Stay home and argue with me about homework, let me step on your blasted legos a little longer, laugh and giggle ‘til I yell down the stairs each night, please still call me from school telling me you forgot your lunch, keep turning on your way out the door and say “Oh, I forgot to give you a kiss!”.

And please oh please, let me remember all of these wonderful times, time that sometimes I wish would hurry up and end. Let me live in the now and love every single second with you. Because, I know, that all too soon I will be dropping you off at the MTC and wishing I could have my little eight year old back for just a few minutes.