my mom

my mother passed away shortly before Christmas last year. our family was already en route to Maryland to spend the holidays up there, but we just missed seeing my mom one last time. i kind of had a feeling that would be the case, but it was hard no matter. i tried to be clear and communicative about everything with Moses, using simple language and describing everything that was about to happen, and everything that was happening, and everything that had happened. he seemed to listen and understand.

about a month went by, and out of the blue, as i was kissing him goodnight, in the darkness, my little man says to me in a hushed voice, "mommy, i'm sorry your mom died." it was so comforting, and i was reminded how much i believe that moses will grow someday to be a powerful healer. i pray for his words to bring many to the knowledge of christ.

another month or so later, moses said to me, on the way home, "mommy, your mom died, and when people die, they go to heaven and become angels. halmuhnee is an angel watching over us now." and again, i was so comforted. moses is such a remarkable person, and i am just so proud to be his mom.

Spearmint

Moses had a spearmint candy the other day. About a half hour later, he says to me, "That candy tasted like your floss, Mommy." 

"Hum? Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, did it have floss in it??"

"No, buddy, but both the candy and the floss are the same flavor--spearmint."

"selfish"

moses, pointing to a swordfish in his book, says, "mommy, that's a 'selfish.'"

i was driving, so, without looking at exactly what he was pointing at, responded, "oh, buddy, did you mean 'shellfish?'"

"no, selfish, mommy. it's a self-fish."

this went back and forth a couple of times, and finally seeing that he was pointing to an animal that actually looked like a fish and not a shell, i realized he was trying to guess what a 'selfish' was.

cute, right?? :) haha, love that kid.

i agreed that selfish sounded like a type of fish, but that word means something else. it's when a person thinks much more about what he wants or needs than what other people want and need. we discussed that a bit, and he seemed really satisfied with that.

in related news, tonight at dinner, he voluntarily offered everyone a bite of his cookie. it was so sweet. that kid.

Favorite thing he says these days:

when he knocks Eden down, he goes over to her and says, "Are you okay, Babe?"

he should really learn to be more careful, but really really adorable.

Does he really have memories from 3 years ago?

I bought these Korean rice snacks last month, those ones that are the size of dinner plates. The last time I had bought them was when Moses was Eden's age, because they are easy to hold and eat for babies. And we never had them again because Shane didn't enjoy them, and the bag of them was just too big for me and Moses to finish. 

Well, I bought them again, 3 years later, for Eden to try and enjoy. I handed Moses one, and he immediately said, "I've had these before, Mommy!" With a little nudging, he told me more, "I ate these when I was a baby, at Colonial Homes (our previous apartments), and it was yummy, and I liked to suck on them, because I was a baby and I liked them." 

Wow, right? 

compliments feel so good

if you haven't ever had a 4-year old boy compliment you, you'll have to experience it sometime. it's rather awesome. it's been a few days, but i'm still enjoying the feeling. what's kind of embarrassing is that it wasn't for anything particularly substantial this time. 

i was buttering his bread, and he said to me, "mommy, you're a good butter-put-er-on-er. you're good at that." 

i like to slather it on thick and evenly across the slice. so, yes, i guess i am a good butter-put-er-on-er, if i do say so myself. 

also, these days, he remarks how certain parts of his body are getting larger, like his head, or his one hand, or his toes. it's really really cute. 

4 years and 2 months

our little boy is getting older right before my eyes. the other day, i suggested that he wear pants, and he turns to me and says, "no thank you, mommy, i have shorts."

He stood looking in the mirror the other day and said, "my head is getting bigger, mommy." Not sure what that was in reference to. 

i asked him in the middle of a fussy attitude, "buddy, does fussing and whining ever work?"

he responds, "no. <ahem> mommy, can you change your mind and give me some juice?"

on the other hand, he is still a little boy. a little boy who has peed in his bed approximately 793 times in the past two weeks. that's an exaggeration, but it is about 2 times a night. it's making me a little bit tired, to say the least. i thought it was because of his hand, foot, and mouth disease, which caused a terrible, quarter-sized, thrush-covered ulcer on his tongue. but alas, it's not there anymore, and he's still doing it. *sigh*

also, thank you, Europe for your special HFMD that also affects adults, including me! i got a little sore on my lip and one little one on my hand. and mose and i were business-as-usual the whole time we were contagious. so, you're welcome for the new European HFMD, CDC/Kindercare/Clarkston. you're welcome.