Fun Times, aka My Kids are So Cute!

Even though I'm stressed on a daily basis, my kids do things that makes me forget everything for a little while.  There aren't any grand gestures or amazing things that they do; it's the ordinary stuff that make me smile.  For example, whenever they're walking (and getting along), sometimes they will hold hands and walk together and talk about making sure each one is okay.  Smurf 1 will also help Smurf 2 out of her carseat if I ask, and they always hug afterwards (I can just see the sugar oozing out of their heads!).  One of the best things is when we go visit my wife (now known as Mommy Smurf or MS), they like to hide things behind their backs and give to her as a surprise.  It could be anything (toys, socks, food, the newspaper, maps, etc.), but the look of joy on their faces to give Mommy Smurf a present sends a smile to my face and makes me forget about all my concerns.

Something else we have been doing since they were young; we name parks and playgrounds by what is there so they can easily identify things and tell us what they like.  There's the bus park (there's a play bus there), the drum park, the train park, the airplane park (because it's near an airport), the sand park, the castle park, Julian's park (near a school friend's home where they had a birthday party), and the inside park (which they don't really like because, well, it's inside).  We also do the same thing with the malls ("play store" and "bookstore" are two of them) and museums ("play museum", "bone museum" and "earth museum").

So now they plan out fun things they want to do; I'm only told about it right before we're supposed to go.  Apparently Smurf 1 and Smurf 2 discussed it, decided where to go, and i'm only told when I'm needed to provide transportation.  So there have been some heated discussions (as heated as you can get with a 3 & 4 year old) about what will and will not happen.  I'm trying to teach them how to plan ahead, although I know at times that can be a hard concept to grasp (especially for Smurf 2).  So right now as it stands we are going to several places tomorrow and Saturday, but not Sunday (according to Smurf 2).  Why?  "Sunday we are supposed to rest."