G

Earlier this week (say, Tuesday) I had a rough day. The kids were wild and no one cleaned their room that morning and life was a mess. The kids got home from school and I was not my chipper, loving self. We sat down to do homework together when the kids started fighting and I got upset, and really got after them. Gavin looked up at me with a sympathetic look and said, "Mom, you are being a pill. We're all a pill sometimes."
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It made me laugh, and take a minute to breathe. Thanks, G, for the reality check. I told Josh about this when he got home and he got a kick out of it.

Then, last night as we were driving home from my parent's house (after Joel opened his mission call...Ventura, California here he comes), Josh and I were teasing each other about something and Josh turned to me and said, "You are being a pill!!" We both laughed and then Gavin piped up from the back seat, scolding his father, "Dad, Mom is NOT being a pill today. You be nice!" Josh and I both burst out laughing. What a sweetheart.

It's a good thing I have these little guys to keep me grounded. I might get all full of myself otherwise. They are amazing little people.

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On a more serious note, I was playing with Ellie yesterday, trying to get her to smile. She smiles so easily. However, it reminded me that when playing with an infant, if you want them to acknowledge you, you HAVE to look in their eyes. You can coo and smile all you want at them, but if you don't look in their eyes, then they don't really respond. They seem to know, even at that young age that you aren't really seeing them. I was thinking about how the Savior really SEES each of us, not just what we look like, but what we are, and was thinking I want to make sure that I really SEE the people in my life, not just what they do, but who they are. It is so easy to gloss over with a "How are you?"..."I'm fine, thanks, and you?" but that doesn't really get to the heart of it all. I hope we can all take the time, especially this season when the Savior seems to be closer than many other times in life, to really SEE the people around us and let them know they are seen too. It is something for me to think about.