The Little Things

Because of the uninvited Faye, we were not able to get my wife's instruments out until last night. Today, though, we should be out, and the house should be cleaned and ready for the new owners. The kids said goodbye. My daughter even gave it a hug (one of the posts in the entryway). I can tell she'll miss it, but amazingly, she's not screaming about it. A year or so ago, we casually mentioned the idea of selling and she flipped out. She did not want to leave our house, she loved our house. I was glad to know she enjoyed her home, but it made me worry as we embark on this journey if it would be hard for her to give up that house. She'll probably remember it as her first home, whereas her brother is more likely to remember where we go next that way. Amazingly, though, I think she somehow senses that our family is about to embark on an adventure, or she may even understand that Daddy has something he needs to accomplish. Whatever the case, she certainly likes to tell people that "We're selling our house 'cause Daddy's going back to school." She also likes to ask me, "Daddy, are you gonna be little again?" She's adorable, and she's handled all of these sudden changes in her life with relative calm. I'm proud of her.

I'm proud of my son, too, for the record, but he's not as emotional as her about the house. He's more adventurous than his sister, and I think he'll be pretty happy with whatever comes next. Meanwhile, he is busily growing up on us. My Dad and I were discussing last night how patient he can be in making sure we know what he's trying to point out. He'll say a word over and over and keep pointing until we pick up what he means. Then we'll tell him the what that object's name is (if he wasn't right to begin with, which he is more and more often) and give him a ruling on whether he can have it or not. It's amazing how fast he's gone from mostly sounds to lots of words. He is as much as sponge as his sister, though in different ways. I know one thing: I am glad they both love each other so much. My hope is they remain close that way throughout their lives. Right now, he adores her and wants to do what she wants to do, and most amazing of all he tries to make sure she gets what she needs. There was the time he even made sure she got what she needed when she was mean to him. He's a great little boy.

And to think, I started writing this post with the thoughts of casually mentioning the house, and then pointing out I turned in my first two applications in the last few days. Amazing how much more my kids can play the muse to my inner writer than some litany of facts. I love 'em.

-- Robert