Sunshine and scribbles: Lately

January slayed me like a beast. I felt such a relief to turn the page to a new month. I am so anxious for spring. The boys keep growing. Oh, how they grow. Sometimes I lay in bed at night and listen to my heart tie itself in knots over how fast this is all going. Someday I will ask God why he made it so painful to watch your children grow.

I am hanging onto each morning with Danny. These quiet times we share are numbered and I know it. He is so special to me. Mr. Keller and I often gush over our sweet Morgan, but Danny is every bit as sweet. It is such a privilege to be his mother. He is happy always, all the time. He is so funny and quirky and unique. How I love him. He's said a few funny, funny things lately. I wrote them down.

One morning, he came downstairs after Morgan was at school. He told us, "Someday when I'm a grandpa I'm going to say, "Don't run in the house, kids!" and I'm going to be rich, and buy all the toys I want." Hahaha!!!!! We laughed for so long over this. He's really into 101 Dalmatians lately, and Cruella diVil is his favorite. He runs and grabs my faux fur blanket and wraps it around himself and pretends to be her, calling everything and everyone 'Idiot' (just like she does), and he now says 'wretched' all the time, too. He calls her "Cwu-wewwa Abeewl". He also has been really into jokes. His favorite one he claims to have made up by himself is:

"Knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"You."

"You who?"

"Yoohoo! Yay! It's my birthday!"

I keep asking him if he wants to go to school anytime soon (preschool, or otherwise). He so matter-of-factly replies, "Nope. I don't need to. I already know my ABCs." Morgan has informed him there's a lot more to learn than that, but he thinks he knows it all already. He tells me he just wants to stay at home with me. Oh, my little bear. Please do. For forever.

Morgan is doing so well in school. I think we've settled into this routine of part school, part homeschool. He finished his very first chapter book, a vintage reader from the 50s with the sweetest little graphics I've ever seen. He really enjoyed it, and retained so much of the stories. We will be getting a milkshake to celebrate him completing this. He is way ahead in math. Daddy often picks him up from school and he gets to hang out at the office for an hour or so before Mr. Keller comes home for lunch. Mr. Keller types up a bunch of math problems and when Morg has completed it all, he gets a treat and to play on daddy's phone. I didn't realize how much this has advanced him in math. He's working on a report on Ukraine right now. He still loves Star Wars and on a daily basis tells me he can't wait until December 2017, when the next one comes out. Like in two years. This child. We talk and talk over how perceptive he is for such a young little boy. He's my Charles Wallace. The other day, the boys were running through the house and Danny broke one of my vintage doors. It came crashing down, glass and all. I began to cry, in part because it was a favorite. But mostly because it was the end of a very long day. Because I was so tired, and so overdue for expelling emotion about so many things. He ran to the cupboard and got his crayons out and began writing me a letter, which said, "You are the best mother in all the world" with a drawing of me in the middle of the earth with hearts all around. While I finished out a good long cry in my room, in the dark, behind a shut door, he waited for well over a half hour with his allowance jar in his hand. And after Mr. Keller had come home, and came to my side and comforted me, I left the room to find little Morgan sitting on the floor in the hallway He lifted his jar and offered me all that he had so that I could buy something new. I do not know why God has seen fit to bless me in such a way as to be his mother, but he has. And it humbles me over and over again.

Mr. Keller and I keep on. Date night on the weekends, evening fires, netflix binges, laundry folding, ice cream. My best friend. I'm so thankful for him. We have a new house we're in the process of flipping. It's been fun to pick out colors and remodel plans, etc. I set up shop in a new booth in Old Town Mercantile. It's such a slow time of year business-wise. The junker in me needs a good pick or two like nobody's business. Yard sale season seems so far away! It almost brings me heartache!!! So silly, but even so, this means vintage farm is still good for my soul.

PS - Aunt Megan and Uncle Kevin welcomed a new little cousin for us to love on! The boys were so curious about her belly. Over Christmas, I kept telling Danny she had a baby in her belly. He was so puzzled and then asked me if she ate a baby and that's why it's in her tummy. So funny! Anyway, congratulations to our Barkers!

And Happy Anniversary to Grandma Lorrie and Papa Scott today! Thirty-six years!

Here's a bazillion pictures from the last six weeks or so.

Fog one morning! We rarely get fog here and it makes me miss mornings in Kuna something fierce.

It's been such a pretty winter.

Made, cut, frosted, sprinkled by the sweetest little hands.

Flowers from Mr. Keller

Running around yesterday

Valentines for our little loves this morning before church!

Making Valentines for our grandparents for art one afternoon.

Best friends, 99 percent of the time. Sometimes Danny double fist punches Morgan, though. Then they are not best friends.

We are really into the show Barnwood Builders right now. The boys love it. We love it. Consequently they are really into lincoln logs, now. They line up all of their 'Bobs' (construction trucks), and build cabins and then take them apart with the 'Bobs'.

School one afternoon, post afternoon walk.

Breakfast one morning. Danny's bum is always hang out at least two inches. Always.

Such a tender, quiet moment shared. Danny looks like Morgan a little. Sweet little silhouette.

We get some amazing afternoon sun upstairs each day. These boys were sitting on the stairs and being so silly. I took at least one hundred pictures.

Mornings are such tender times for Danny and I. We love our time together. I love the sunlight shining on his sweet little head of hair. I also love that the wall is missing one picture that was shot down with the bow and arrow we got for Christmas, by Danny boy. It broke, and I got mad, but I shouldn't have. He was so happy he actually hit a target! And now this picture is so sweet. And so him. Overalls, shiny yellow hair, tractors, and a missing photo he broke.

Another quiet morning. Always backwards undies.

Danny is obsessed with 101 Dalmations right now. "Cwuwewwa Abeel" is his favorite. On this day, he ran and got my faux fur blanket and a straw for a cigarette and was pretending to be her. He thinks she is so funny.

Watching Beauty and the Beast one snowy Saturday. They both complained so badly about having to watch a 'girl' movie. However, they didn't move the entire time. They loved it.

Weekend morning. We love these weekend mornings. It's done wore me out taking Morgan to school and picking him up every single day of the week. Even though he is there half of the day, it still wears me out.

I love this photo. It was a different morning.

Morg had a day off of school one Friday so we decided to have an 'unbirthday' party for the boys. We made cupcakes and they each got to open a little present.

One Sunday afternoon. Again, that sun! My heart.

We also get morning sun upstairs. I love laying in it. Danny came and climbed on me to give me the best big boy loves. I snapped this photo and I love it.

Another school afternoon. Danny has been excited to join in. He loves his workbook.

Papa Corrie and Grandma Stacy came one weekend and the boys got to go to Cal Ranch with them and papa bought them another hunting set to add to their collection. They love it.

The boys and their Fisher Price collection all set up. Morgan loves collecting things. I love that he still loves Fisher Price.

Mr. Danny also loves collecting things too. Here's his pile of Grinch goods I found under his bed one afternoon when I was cleaning. So dang cute.

More Danny time in the AM while brother was at school.

This is his famous lick-kiss. He licks everyone he loves. Very few of us really appreciate it too much. It's still sweet.

Morgan finished his first chapter book ever. A little vintage reader from the 1950s with the sweetest graphics you've ever seen. I was so proud of him, and he was too. He loved all the little stories, and could recount them with ease. His reading comprehension is pretty good for his age.

Legos with Danny boy ---he brought them to me and if you notice, there is two statues side by side. One is me (the mama), and one is him (the little one).