melt my heart

So Friday Miles proudly gave me his preschool Mother's Day work of art, an adorable painted frog canvas {with Miles' sweet handprints making the frog's feet!} with a handwritten tag reading "hoppy Mother's Day." He had me at the hand prints. I'm a sucker for my babies' hand prints. But on the back is where he melted my heart:

My Mom

• My mom is 34 years old {ok, in the interest of full disclosure it actually said 44 but he assures me that his teacher misunderstood him when he said "firty four." I believe him.}
• My mom weighs 40 pounds.
• My mom's favorite color is purple.
• My mom's favorite food is chicken wraps.
• My mom likes flowers.
• My mom doesn't like bad words.
• I like it when my mom cleans the dishes.
• I like to help clean the house with my mom.
• My mom is love.

Can you guess at what point my heart melted? "My mom is love." That boy owns me, even though it seems to be a novelty to him when I clean the dishes.

Now for Ella's turn:

• My mom is 4 years old. {I'm pretty sure she wasn't paying attention to the task on this one.}
• My mom weighs 5 pounds. {Um, no.}
• My mom's favorite color is pink.
• My mom's favorite food is rice and peas.
• My mom likes singing.
• My mom does not like cheese around the house. {This is true, and she's heard me say it many a time.}
• I like it when my mom hugs me.
• I like to lay down with my mom. {If only she'd fall asleep when we do.}
• My mom is beautiful.

Yes, she further melted my heart. Sweet, funny girl.

So, just for fun I had Elijah do it as well:

• My mom is 34 years old.
• My mom weighs 100 pounds. {Um, does he remember me before I had him? I don't think so, but I'll go with it!}
• My mom's favorite color is pink.
• My mom's favorite food is chicken wraps.
• My mom likes Dad. {So true.}
• My mom does not like bad words.
• I like it when my mom teaches me. {And with that finished my heart off.)
• I like to go to EastChase with my mom.
• My mom is named Kristin. {He's a very literal child.}

To wrap up: the me they see is super skinny, if not emaciated and sickly, and likes healthy food {I can't believe they didn't say cheeseburgers}. Apparently I really dislike bad words, but I like flowers, singing and my husband {good news, yes?}. And whatever you do, you should never, ever put cheese around my house. But what I seriously take from what they said is that they really love me, knowing that I really love them, no matter what. What more could I ask for?

Jonathan and the kids gave me flowers and a card that explained which child picked out which kind of flower:
Apparently, Ella chose pink because it's my favorite color. Miles chose yellow because I like yellow flowers. Elijah chose red because they are pretty like me.

It was a sweet beginning to a long week ahead: field trips and winding down school.

Oh, and Miles went to bed with a mild fever. {Happy Mother's Day to me, right?} My work is never done. But even though it is hard, endless work, I wouldn't miss these days, these children, for anything.

on with the list:

• {44} Watching Him play ball, cheering him on.
• {45} A Friday afternoon movie with Mom.
• {46} "My mom is love" and the little man that said it.
• {47} "My mom is beautiful" and the girl that thinks the sun sets and rises with me.
• {48} "I like it when my mom teaches me" and the first born love. 
• {49} The unconditional love they have for me, a very imperfect mother.
• {50} My God, Who can take the imperfect love I have for my children, fill in all the gaps, and bring about beauty from ashes.
• {51} Isaiah 40:11  He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.  

See what others have counted this week...