The best parts of my day

Most of the stories that I have written about the kids are about funny things that they have said or done. Today I read a beautiful post by Michelle click here for that post and it inspired me to write this.

The best parts of my day are waking up with the kids and saying good night to them.

Some mornings Ben is already in our bed (I have been working on that), and Sam will often come in after Daddy leaves for work but will fall asleep for another hour or so. But then they all tend to wake up around the same time. I think that they are all on the same biological clock, it can actually be scary! Anyways, we all snuggle up in the bed and turn on TV. I am definately not a morning person and these few minutes of snuggling give me a chance to wake up enough to become functional.

Sam has never been one who likes to snuggle. He will not even allow me to put my arm across him, but he does like to be near enough to be touching. I usually turn my back to the TV and he will snuggle his back up to my back.

Carlee is usually the last one to come into our room and she nearly always has a big smile on her face as she greets us. Lately she has started to be a snuggle bug and happily snuggles with me. When I ask her for a good morning kiss she usually gives me three or four and then says "Hug" and wraps her little arms around my neck and squeezes.

Ben has always been the most snuggly. Even in his sleep he tries to get his feet under me. He is not going to be a morning person and it takes him awhile to wake up. But as he is waking up is when he needs to be the closest. There are some mornings when he puts his arms around my arm trying to bring me closer or place my arm across his body. Sometimes he will tuck his little head under my chin or even gently stroke my cheek or hair. What a nice way to wake up!

And then we get up and the chaos begins!!! There are some days that I can hardly wait for bedtime! LOL But that is not why it is one of the best parts of my day.

Daddy is usually the one who puts the kids to bed, so unless I am already upstairs for some reason I say good night to them downstairs. "Give Mama loves" is my favorite thing to say or hear!! They will usually all come running.

Sam gives a quick kiss and then buries his head into first my left shoulder and then my right shoulder. Then I get another kiss before I say "I Love You" to which he always says "I uv You too". We are working on his L sounds so sometimes he tends to exaggerate the L sound which is incredibly funny because he sticks his tongue out trying to get the L sound just right.

Carlee has to give a bunch of quick kisses which ends up in both of us giggling. Then she says "hug" and gives me a big squeeze. It is interesting that she says "hug", I don't think we ever say hug, it is always "where's my love" or something like that. Her response to my "I Love you" is always a smile and "uv you"

Ben comes running with his arms out and the biggest smile on his face. It is like coming to give me a love is the best part of his day too! Ben gives a delightful toddler style sloppy kiss followed by a bear hug that he must have learned from my Grandma. Anyone who knows my Grandma knows what I am talking about! His response to my "I Love you" is always "uv you too"

If all three happen to be near I will occasionally call for a Group Hug. When I have them all in my arms I pretend to start to fall over, then I fall the other way and go back and forth this way a few times. This always creates three giggling toddlers.

When I was little I remember my Dad tucking me in by literally tucking in the blankets under me and saying Tuck Tuck Tuck Tuck. If I am upstairs at bedtime I have started to do this with my kids, telling them I am going to tuck them in just like Papa tucked me in when I was little. They think it is funny and of course I have to bounce them when I tuck just to hear that last giggle of the day!