The Little Things, Part 1

This morning on NPR I heard a quote from Cormac McCarthy's book, The Road, that stuck with me.  "You forget the things you want to remember and you remember the things you want to forget."  Jackson, Alex, and Kenyon--it's the little things about daily life with you that are so wonderfully rich, and often I am so busy experiencing those things with that I don't take the time to record them.  I'm going to make an effort to start more regularly posting some of these recent memorable moments so we can look back and laugh, and so you can know your younger selves.

Jackson, on the way home from school I was telling you how I want us to visit the Bellinger River while we're traveling in Australia, and how I read that we could see platypuses there.  I thought it sounded so neat, but you immediately cautioned me that male platypuses have poisonous spurs on their back legs.  You recently told me that you want to be a park ranger when you grow up.  With all your knowledge of the outdoors that you've amassed already, sweetheart, I think you'd be a great ranger.

Alex, I went on your fall camping trip with your 1st grade crew.  I was battling a cold and it rained the whole time, but you were so sweet to check in with me about how I was feeling, and you and all your friends were so positive despite the wet weather.  As we hiked, the adventure coordinator told you and your classmates to find an interesting rock to share.  During the sharing, kids said things like, "I liked this rock because it was really shiny," and "This rock was so smooth."  The adventure coordinator compared his to an Oreo cookie because it had two layers of black with white in between.  When it was your turn, you said matter-of-factly, "This is a rose quartz.  It's a semi-precious stone."  You, Alex, are so, so precious to me.

Kenyon, the other day you came up to me while I was standing and you hugged your body close to mine, burying your head in my legs.  You looked up at me sweetly and said, "I'm nestling my head in your balls."  I didn't know whether to be proud of the fact that you used the word 'nestled' or dismayed at my parenting because you thought I actually had balls.  The worst part is, I didn't correct you.  I sincerely apologize for any confusion this may cause you in the future.