Just some things.

We colored Easter eggs this morning. Regan picked the glitter egg kit, and Tyler picked the marble dye kit. These selections were made at Target last night. Target also provided time for races down the aisles, knee slides in front of other patrons, and a chance for Mike to browse their pitiful swim trunk selection.

Speaking of swim trunks, we are soon going to be here:

Goals for the week: get a tan to burn my acne off, get a tan to not look like I have jaundice, and drink cocktails with my family so we all seem funny. Oh, yeah, I'm gonna play with the kids a lot too. When I'm not tanning and cocktail drinking.

I signed Tyler up for preschool for next year. I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT! Regan will attend kindergarten registration in a few weeks. This means next year, for the first time in almost 6 years, I will have 8 glorious hours a week all to myself. Sweet love above, I can't even imagine what I will do. Meditate, knit, sing hymnals? The possibilities are endless, really.

I helped judge the varsity and competitive teams at a near-by high school. Those girls were amazing. And wore really, really short shorts. Overall, yet another event that made me sort of terrified/excited to have my very own teenage daughter. Neat.

Regan started softball last week. Her team is the Cowgirls. So far, she has shown lots of interest and great promise. She loves trying new things and is never scared to join a new team. She even knew how to hit the ball, which put her about 20 levels above mama right from the beginning. Thank the good Lord above daddy is athletic. And smart.

Regan also had her parent/teacher conference this week. Perfect review. Her teachers love her. She in turn, only cries a little each day before school and begs not to go. So, I'd say the balance of love is just a wee bit off balance, but once the day is done, she admits she survived and had a bit of fun along the way. Girl is funny. She says she thinks she needs to be in a class "only for fast learners cause all we do is color and sing."It's preschool, kid. What'd you expect, calculus? We got ice cream to celebrate her high marks regardless.

We have been to the zoo a few times in the past couple weeks because it's spring, and it just feels like a nice springy thing to do. The kids LOVE the zoo. I'm pretty sure they connect better with animals than I do. You know, 'cause they have hearts, and I in fact do not. I really do try to enjoy animals. I know that other people stereotype people like me as potential serial killers. I just don't enjoy them. But, the kids do, and I am glad for that.

We've only had a few playdates lately because we Ralstins really manage our time well and have decided to have a garage sale, go to three different sport practices a week, sell our house and go on vacation. That's just this month, were talkin'! But, we have squeezed a few friend days in, and I love seeing my babies with their little buddies. That's what Tyler calls friends. Buddies. Have I mentioned he's cute?

The kids have really been into finding four leaf clovers. She says they're lucky. I personally don't believe in luck but haven't told her this yet. I do know that when we are looking, I often want to give up looking far before either one of the babies does. So, I try to stay focused, just to see how long they will. They beat me every time. Determined little things. Regan will say, "There's gotta be at least one lucky one, mama, we'll find it." She teaches me more than she will ever know.

Be my baby.

I'll never forget the exact moment we found out we were having a boy. A wave of relief surged through me as those words were announced .I laughed and cried at my husband because I knew how badly he wanted a son. What I didn't know, is how badly I did.

It was never that we wouldn't have been completely over the moon with the news of another daughter. Two daughters would have been beautiful, but I feel, for us, what we needed, what we craved was our son. Our Buddy. He was what our family needed to feel complete and to give me, as a mother, the sense that I could wonder no longer. He helps define who we are. This little boy is magic. He is our balance. I could watch him, stare at his profile, for a hundred years without blinking. He has captivated his mama (and Daddy) since the day he came into this world. Three years has not been enough time to handle all of the cuteness. I know "cute" is typically such a cliche word, but I swear it describes this baby boy perfectly. Cuteness abounds in everything this boy does. I mean, he says he wants to be a coyote when he grows up. Could anything be cuter? I think not. A coyote. Adorable. Some days he says he's a "bibi" and other days he tells me he's a big "buh". Every single time I think about how my baby is becoming a boy, my eyes well up. I have to clench my teeth together so that my lip won't quiver. Never will I feel like I'm ready for him to be three, or four, or whatever ungodly age he turns each year. He is forever a baby. My baby. My boy that I had no idea I dreamed about. He will forever win me over with his kisses, the magnificent messes, how he tells me he "dubs" me, and his beautiful, wild imagination. The boy can literally pretend his hand is a spaceship and play with it for an hour. He is overly sensitive, loves animals and babies, and says hello to every single person he sees. He is a homebody, loves "moodie night", and loves to laugh. His tender heart will forever keep him sweet, and his mama will forever love him more than anyone in this whole, big world.

I pulled some of MY favorite pictures that show some of HIS favorite things.
Cuddling.

Sharing.



Riding the zoo choo choo.

Loving on his big sister.

Playing outside.

Celebrating his birt-day. He asks if it's his birt-day about every three days.

Resting.

Bathing.

Family times.

Toys.

Eating hee-hee.

Cake.

Going to "the big city where Daddy works."



Loving on babies.

Using his imagination.

Speech therapy.

Art projects.

Being sweet.

NOT being potty trained. Or anywhere NEAR potty trained.

Movie de-ate-rrrrr.

Dressing up?

Crafts and holidays!

Being funny and making mama laugh.

Breaking his mama's heart by being SO BIG.

Being okay with who he is. ie) Playing in a friend's yard wearing a pink helmet with his shoes on the wrong feet. Play on, playa.

Hot dog men.

Letting sister dress him. Bless his heart.

Tyler... You stole mama's heart the minute I met you. I know I will never, ever get it back because you hold it in your own heart. We are one. You help piece me together and give me the love I never knew I needed. But, now that I know you, my son, I know I will never be able to live one day without you. You are the light, the wonder, the reason that mama is able to know what a son's love feels like. I love you more than you will ever imagine. You and your sister give me hope. You each give me a love that I will never be able to repay you for, but I know you'd never ask me to. I hope you always know you are exactly what I hoped for, exactly what any friend, or sister, or teacher, or daddy would ever want. You are wonderful. Never, ever let anyone let you wonder. Just be you. I love you, God loves you, and I want you to love you. You still let me hold your hand, you ask me to play with you, you want to sleep in my bed, you still come to me when you are sad or hurt, and you let me love on you. Please, promise, to give me as long as you possibly can with these things. I already miss them, just like I miss you as a tiny baby because I know this time is so short. But know that I relish in it. Not a day goes by that I don't hold you, pray for you, and love on you so that you feel just how much you mean to me. You have big plans, love. I can't wait to see what they are, but for now, for a while longer, just be my baby.