Saturday Reflections

1.At the beginning of this week I read the article in this months Ensign about Father's. The whole time I was reading it I just felt SO grateful for Mark. That seems weird to me. I didn't think about my own Father or my Heavenly Father. I just thought about Mark and they were good thoughts. It made me happy. He makes me happy. Here is one of my FAVORITE things that he does:

Each morning Mark gets up early and then goes and wakes up his Zina Zee. They visit and, if I'm still asleep, make breakfast together. Zina loves those special mornings with her Papa. And Mark loves to gather the family at the breakfast table before he has to leave. And I love that he wants us to start his day. Monday mornings Mark has exams and is usually gone to school around 5 or 6am. Those are sad mornings. On mornings when Zina wakes up first or I wake her up her first question is always, "Is Papa gone to school yet?" The kids run to open the back gate when Papa leaves and cry and cry if they didn't get to say goodbye. Every night at 6pm they start watching and listening for that back gate to clang open and Papa to ride his bike in from school and then it's always a joyous chorus of , "PAPA PAPA!" I don't think there is a sweeter sound.

2. Zina Zee

Has started to be REALLY responsible. She loves to wake up, make her bed, get dressed, brush her teeth, make Wilson's bed, make my bed and then surprise me with all that she has accomplished already in the morning. I LOVE IT.

She is quite the little mother and is very anxious for Baby Sam's arrival. When viewing the picture of Uncle Matt and Aunt Michelle's new arrival, sweet, little Brigham she could hardly help herself and said, "Oh Momma, I just want to jump right into that picture." She loves to love and help other peoples children and gets very shy and embarrassed if I think she's helping just a wee bit to much.

She has got some sass. Sometimes when she has certain opinions that differ from my own she will tilt her head, sniff with her nose in the air and say, "Huh, well I have a better idea and I'm doing it my way."

She is very into beautiful things (including herself). She loves to exclaim, "Don't I just look beautiful today!" I'm not sure if I have fed this vanity or if it is a phase that will pass. I do say things like "Good Morning Beautiful" just as I say "Good Morning Handsome" to Wilson, but Zina has definite opinions about beauty. She tells me each day how to do her hair ( and usually begs to have it curled) has started wanting to only wear skirts and dresses and absolutely refuses to wear her little mermaid panties because in her wistful words, "there just TOO beautiful Mama." It's almost painful they are so beautiful.

The other day at Preschool (as related to me by Max's mom Lindsay) Max burped and said excuse me. Zina promptly (in her now-it-all-motherly-way) informed him, "You can also say Excuse moi. That's French for Excuse me." (Any Fancy Nancy fans out there?)

This girl is all expression - In her face, her voice, her attitude. She feels deeply, and strongly and she shows it and I am so grateful for her. I am excited to see the ways in which she will grow and learn when this new little baby joins our home in 8 weeks - each day she amazes me with the mature little girl she is becoming!

3.Wilson Needs His Mama

and if Mama is frustrated or short with him then he really really needs his Papa. This boy is affectionate. If you are standing right beside him he still needs you. If you are holding his hand he still needs you. If you are holding him in your arms he still needs you. If you are holding him in your arms with his arms around your neck and his cheek pressed against your cheek then his needs are filled. Often, as in pretty much every night, I hear the pitter patter of little feet and know that it is my Wilson needing his Mama. Sometimes it happens at 2am, or 11am or 5am but it always happens. He climbs in bed and has to lay on the same pillow as me with his little cheek next to mine and then he will smile and slip back into sleep and if I'm lucky will stay asleep when I roll over my (rather large self these days) so that my back is to him. If he were awake he would instantly "need" me again. I have thought about "fixing" this little habit before new baby comes, but secretly I smile when I hear that pitter patter, and I love those little cold toes tucked under my legs and I like trying to sneak out of bed in the morning so that I don't wake up my sweet peaceful Wilson. It's nice to be needed.