The Cuteness Factor

Today started out in a bad way with my 3-year old. I swear, 3-year olds are the biggest tester of your will. 2 was nothing compared to some of the stuff we're dealing with right now. For that reason I decided The Cuteness Factor was in order, to help me look for the positive. For all the negatives, there are WAY more positives, and sometimes I need to remind myself.

Matthew
I was thinking about something that started a little while ago. At his grandparents' house, there is an animal bingo game that Matthew loves to play. Only he doesn't want to play, he wants to be the bingo caller. It is the cutest thing ever. And I almost don't want to ever play it again because I just think it will get less cute the better he gets at talking. And I have this perfect recording of his voice in my head that I just don't want to lose. He hands out the round bingo cards, and proceeds to begin pulling little animal chips out of the bingo big. He'll pull one out, and say "adybody have a goat?", and he waits for someone to raise their hand and say "I do!" Or he himself says, "oh, oh, I do!" Repeat. (and some of these are difficult animals) "adybody have a wiraffe?" After a while he gets bored with waiting for someone to say "I do," and he becomes the master of the game, aware of who has what animals on their card, and starts handing out the piece before they can answer.

One of the times he played animal bingo was funny, because the night had started out rough, and first he had run out and collapsed into a crying heap when he realized how many people were looking at him, then a few minutes later, someone meaning really well tried to be silly and say "boo" from around the corner, and he then screamed, had a flight or fight response and ran head first into the stairs to hide, hurting himself and commencing into a scream sob routine. By the time we were about ready to leave, he became this master bingo caller, and while in another part of the house, I could hear him lighting up a whole room of adults with laughter. This kid has an amazing ability to light up a room, when he overcomes the shyness. I hope he keeps that trait because I absolutely adore the people that can animate a room full of people.

The past two days when I've come home from work, as I am now the last to arrive, the instant I open the door I hear "mommy's here!" and Matthew comes running to hug me. I was very thankful he did it tonight after the rough morning we had. And do I mean rough. That's another story. The funny thing with kids is their inability to hold a grudge. Another great trait!

Ellie
Ellie has started to crawl in spite of her giant casted arm. It is the cutest thing ever. At this point, it's more like she gets up an all fours, and pushes herself forward with her toes landing back on her tummy while moving forward. Sometimes she gets carried away and kind of topples over her cast onto her face. She takes a licking and keeps on ticking though. I haven't seen her even cry when that happens.

She has started this thing where she looks like she's talking to you, but doesn't make a noise. She just opens and closes her mouth, with a big gummy grin. I just love their gums as the get closer to getting teeth. She still doesn't have any, and I'm trying to memorize that gummy grin of hers before it's gone.

Last night, while Daddy pulled off Ellie's socks, he did it in such a way that she burst into a fit of giggles. Naturally he exaggerated the 2nd sock and dragged out the suspense even longer, so that even though she wasn't watching, she absolutely burst with excitement and a new fit of giggles. Baby giggles are the best sound ever created!

Mission accomplished. I am now fully aware of the good points of my children and can overlook that hideous morning. Thank goodness.