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Last night when I kissed each of my kids goodnight as they lay sleeping in their beds, I thought about how much I love them. With all the commotion of the day-to-day, I rarely have time to reflect on the things that I love so much about each of my children. I mean, I love them. And we have fun amid the chaos. But, when they are sleeping and the day is over… that’s when you just want to squeeze them to death and tell them how much you love them.

JACK. My first. I love his *beaming* smile. When he’s happy or excited, EVERYONE knows it. He isn’t shy about showing it and I just love that. As we get older we tend to hide our emotions. I hope that Jack never feels the need to hid his smile. If he does, we’ll all be missing out. I love how he just has to know how all things work. He is fascinated by motors, pipes, wires, machinery, etc. Those aren’t things that really interest me, but I love that he is so interested. I love his individuality. He likes to do things “his own way,” and within reason, I think that’s great. I also love the tiny little freckles that are just barely showing up across the bridge of his nose with all the time we’re spending outdoors.

MARIA. My little girl. I love her nurturing side. Amid all these boys, she easily stands up for herself but nurtures all of them at the same time. She takes care of her brothers and is very family-oriented. I love her girliness. I know. No one can believe I’m saying that. But, it’s true. I do love it. It’s fun to accessorize with her - her room, her hair, her nails. It’s so much fun to have girl time together. I love how she can memorize an entire book after one reading and then read it back to you - perfectly - every time. And, I love how every night when I kiss her goodnight she’s sprawled in her bed, surrounded by 16 books and a very bright night-light.

LUKIE. My goodness. I absolutely love his laugh. It’s contagious. And, I love that even when he’s really, really mad at me, I can still get him to crack a smile and even laugh if I put a tiny bit of effort into it. I love how he globs onto things he likes. He’s the first one that has had something that he carries around with him everywhere (like his Cars cars). I also love that he’s following in his GrandDog’s footsteps and likes to have a hat on wherever he goes. I also love how great his manners are… he is always thanking me. And, I love that he tells me that he loves me at least 100 times a day.

SAMMA JAMMA. My baby. My happy baby. I love how happy he is. He just seems so thrilled to be alive and part of this family. He thinks he is SO BIG now. He can do most of what the other kids do and this just thrills him. It’s hard not to be thrilled for him. I love how when he’s tired he can lie down right in the middle of chaos with his blankie and fall sound asleep. Or, pass out in a noisy van, a snack still in his hands. I love that even though he isn’t even 2 yet, he’s still smart enough to use my iphone. And, I love how he runs (never walks) through the house, from one place from the other. He shows so much enthusiasm for just being able to go from the kitchen to the living room and back, you have to smile.

Happy Love Thursday everyone.