I Know... It's Been Forever...

Dear Nate,
I haven't posted for quite awhile because Mama's life is crazy.  But you've done some very sweet little things I wanted to jot down before I forget them forever.

-You LOVE books and you love to have stories read to you.  We're down to a set "two books and then scriptures" at night and you're finally used to it so you don't get upset that I won't read to you all night long.


-You love to go to the library with me to pick out new books.  The other week we were looking for books for you.  I'd pull one out that I thought you'd like and I'd show it to you.  I'd say something like, "What about this one, Nate.  It's about elephants" or "This one has animals".  You could see where this was going and so then you pulled out a book to show to me.  It had a mouse and a ball of yarn on the front.   You said, "Mama, how about this one?  It's about making balls and a quiet, little mouse."   :)  Sometimes I'm not sure if you're four, or forty....

-Several weeks ago we were running errands with Titi and Colly and we stopped to grab a bite to eat.  You were sitting on the bench next to Collin, happily munching fries, when suddenly you started crawling across Collin to get out of the bench.

"Nate, what are you doing?" I asked.

You said, "I need to fold my prayers" and there, in the middle of the restaurant, you dropped to your knees and folded your arms.  I was laughing so hard I almost didn't get this picture:

- The other day you asked me some random question and I didn't know the answer to whatever it was you were asking.  I said, "I don't know, Sweetness".  You sighed in the most exasperated way and said, "Well, if you don't know, I can't tell you!!"

-You really like knowing where things are going and what's coming next.  I figure you've had enough unbelievable things happen in your young life that you deserve to be cautious about how things are going to work out.

Sometimes, though, it's fascinating to see what you're thinking about.  Here's an example:

Grandma came over the other day to visit.  When she got up to leave, you asked her why she was going and she said she needed to go home and feed Grandpa.

About three hours later you came up to me and said,"'Mama, I not know what Grandpa eat.  What Grandma make for him?" so we had to call Grandma to find out what she'd fed him.

- You've been sick lately.  Seasonal allergies building to a sinus infection.  The day that it really hit and you couldn't breathe, this is what you said to me when I arrived home from work:  "Mama, my nose is broken AND... it doesn't work because it's full of boogers."

Hate when that happens....

- You and Mama went on a date to see the Lion King in the movie theater.  I was so excited to take you.  As the movie started, I leaned over and whispered, "Thanks for coming on a date with me."  You didn't move your eyes from the screen, but leaned back and whispered, "You welcome".

-I love the way you refer to time.  Anything before right now is "Last day" or "Last-er Day".  So you'll tell me a story and say, "'Member Last-er Day when we...."  LOVE IT!

-Speaking of time, you've been learning your days of the week.  Now, if you hear Daddy or Mama mention a day of the week (like, "On Saturday, we need to...") you'll hold up your fingers like you're counting and you say, VERY matter of factly, "Monday, Friday, Tuesday." and then you give this look like, "I know, I'm awesome, right?"

-  You don't like that I have to go to work every day.  If I don't get out the door before you wake up there's usually weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.  I remind you that Mama has to work and I say, "Why does Mama have to work?"   You sigh deeply and say, "So you can pay monies".

You know it has SOMETHING to do with money and I think it's cute that you say it that way, so I don't correct you when you say it.

- You can now swallow a pill with water!  I know, it's shocking!  I don't think my baby brother can do that and he's a dad himself.   But Benedryl actually works the best for your allergy nastiness right now so we taught you how to swallow it (liquid Benedryl gives me the heebee-jeebies as my childhood was filled with ridiculous reactions to mosquito bites.  Much better to swallow part of a pill in my mind).


-You know that you got your dimples from your birth mom in Haiti.  We actually have a picture of you with her and she's smiling so we look at it and talk about her.  Sometimes you'll come up to me and say, "Mama, I get my 'imples from B, right?"  (not spelling out her name for Nate's own privacy)  I love your 'imples, Little Man, and I'm grateful every day for the Haiti Mama who gave them to you.

I love you, Sweetness.
Mama