Want true love? Have kids.

In fairness to my whipper-snappers, I thought I'd better post some of the wonderful things they do and say after yesterday's post. I certainly don't want to give the impression that my kids are little bundles of meanness and rudeness, because they are not at all.

My son:

I'm not sure what we were talking about one day, but I remember making a comment that everyone isn't cute all the time. My son responded with, "You are." Aww. I said, "Have you ever seen me in the morning?" I have naturally curly hair, and since I shower at night and, therefore, go to bed with damp hair, I do a wonderful impression of Medusa in the mornings.

He said, "Yeah. You're still cute."

(Then my daughter reminded me that when someone compliments you, you don't point out how they are wrong, you just say "thank you.")

My daughter:

On one of the rare days that I actually get to be home during the week, I was getting ready to take my daughter to school. I put the aforementioned morning Medusa hair into a ponytail, put contacts in, but no make up, and headed out the door.

As we drove, I glanced at myself in the rearview mirror and commented that I hoped I wouldn't see anyone I knew since I wasn't looking all that great. She said, "You look like yourself." I was thinking that myself could use a bit of eyeliner and mascara, and she said, "You should never feel bad about looking like yourself."

My son:

Sometimes he'll just walk up to me, give me a big hug and say in the sweetest, most contented voice, "Mommy."

My daughter:

One of my favorite things is when I'm chatting with my daughter and saying goofy stuff, and she laughs and says with true emotion: "I love you, Mom."

Actually, I love when I make my kids laugh. I have a pretty silly nature, which at the ages of 9 and 7 they usually think is funny, though I have a feeling at 16 and 14 they'll be over it. Since they've inherited from me a boisterous (read: loud) laugh, it's very satisfying being the one who tickles their funny bones.

My son:

Just now, as I was walking over to our PC, I said to him, as he's playing his 560,586th game of Lego Star Wars, "You are so cute." And gave me the cutest smile and said, "You are the mommy I love most in the world."

My daughter:

At the end of the last school year, she told me that she and her two best friends decided that out of all three of their moms, I was the best one. Aww.

My son:

One time at dinner, which he was enjoying very much, he told me that if I had been on Chopped (on the Food Network), I would have won the $10,000 prize.

I'm so blessed, and believe me, I never take that for granted.