Stop! Stop growing up now!

Shaemus had a birthday on Friday. He turned four. I love that boy so much. He has been obsessed with his birthday and what he is getting for his birthday for a month. He is now obsessed with what he is getting for his next birthday. The last time he told me, "All I want for my next birthday is a box. A box with a truck and tools and crayons and a pirate ship and a pineapple vest (?). That's all I want."

I do not want him to grow up.

I do not want Flannery to stop being the sweetest little two year old who can't wait to say sorry after she hits me. And then say, "Your welcome."

I do not want Calvin to stop wanting to snuggle or have me read books to him in bed. And then scratch his bottom and pretend to wipe it on me. (Don't worry. I ALWAYS make him wash his hands after that. And then I make him go back and use soap.)

I do not want Lucy to stop laughing hysterically at the silliest things. She was really mad today about something and she said, "Sop it Staemus!" which made her stop being mad (for a few minutes) and made the rest of us laugh because her eyes got huge, and her face went long and she looked like a cartoon character.

The other day, Lucy was explaining about how she wore her Alice and Wonderland dress her Nanna made for her to school for Culture Day. She told everyone she was a Mormon and she was wearing a pioneer dress, because that was part of her culture (though whether or not Pioneers wore bright blue dresses like that is questionable).

Mary started to cry. "You have no fear, Lucy! You aren't embarrassed about anything."

And I was right with Mary. I would never have done that in elementary school. I would never do that now. Lucy is more courageous than I am.

And Mary. I don't want her to grow up and be embarrassed to snuggle with me in public. (Okay, she's a little embarrassed now. And she is even more embarrassed of being affectionate with Sam for some reason we can't figure out, but she still does it. And at home, she can't get enough hugs and kisses.)

I don't want my kids to grow up. It's not that I don't look forward to them being teenagers and having lives of their own. But it will be over. I don't remember a lot about Mary's babyhood, and less about Lucy's. Poor Calvin is a total blank until he is at least three. Shaemus, I remember more of, I don't know why, and of course, I remember Flannery's. But that is now. And I don't scrapbook. At all.

All I have to say is, they better have movies of earth up in heaven. I will want to watch them much more often than say, Star Wars.

And I have to have at least one more child. Because I need to name a son Shroder or a daughter Saffron. I must.

Although, thank goodness I write books. I get to name people all the time.

And perhaps one day, I will be able to create a world of my own (not just in books) and come up with its name, which will probably be the best part of the whole thing.