lucky

How is it that God gave Erik and I such beautiful children? And I don't mean this in a self-absorbed way. Truly, I have been blessed beyond words. I spent an hour on Sunday evening at dusk teaching Kieran how to fly his Buzz Lightyear and Woody kite from Nonna and Nonno, while Anna trailed (more like ran away) behind. It was peaceful, calm, and in Kieran's words, "there's no one here!". I didn't mind though, because for a moment, it was just me and my babies, and nothing else seemed to matter. You won't see a picture of the kite, as it was impossible to take a picture, while flying a kite, while chasing after a 17 month old "crazy" baby. Picture a kite flailing to the ground with little wind to help it sail, a little boy trying desperately to keep his kite airborne, and a pint sized, red headed, complete sentence speaking baby, turning to see if we're following her:

and laughing while running away:

It was a bit windy in the morning, which would have made for better kite flying, but we had portrait studio pictures scheduled for Kieran's 3rd birthday (yes, I know, he turned 3 in March and we are now at the 3 1/2 year marker-better late than never)! I promised Kieran that we would fly his kite, and when I promise, I ALWAYS follow through. Promises should not be made, if they won't be had-that's the way I look at it anyway. We managed to lift Buzz into the air on a few occasions, and it brought back memories of flying kites in Sonoma with my family. Buzz and Woody in all their plastic glory made me want to go home, go online and purchase a quality kite, like the ones that we had growing up. Mom, do we still have those? At its highest peak (with all of the string let out), a few passers by shouted out, "my goodness, how lucky you are!" I thought to myself, my children or me? As lucky as I am, I would hope that my children feel the same.  Another woman strolled past and said, "I'm not sure who's having more fun, them or you?" I replied, "It could be me!" We gave our Toy Story friends a few more whirls, before the wind decided to rest, and Kieran and Anna decided to explore in the sunlight left from a Fall October's day. A little boy can never pass up a good tree:

It reminds me of The Giving Tree:

"And the boy loved the tree very much. And the tree was happy."

"And they would play hide-and-go-seek":

"And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade".

"I don't need very much now," said the boy, "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired." "Well, said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest." And so the boy did. And the tree was happy.

My wish for my children is that they will never lose the sense of joy and wonder that flying a kite on a brisk evening will bring. My hope for my children is that they will always see a tree and admire it for its age and beauty while figuring out what game to play next. My promise to my children is that I will take care of myself, so that I may take care of them to the best of my ability. As I put Kieran to bed this evening, he turned to me and in his gentle manner, wrapped his arms around me and said, "Mommy, you have me." Have my children, I do. And for this Lord, I am lucky.