A Little Joy

Okay, so I have two totally different items to share but I'm combining them in one post so they get recorded. The common denominator is that they both make me smile and bring joy to my heart. And, of course, they both involve Luke but you probably already guessed that one.

The First

My child absolutely loves his sleep. He has been an excellent sleeper since he was about 3 months old--this is such a blessing for me because let's face it I like my sleep a whole lot too. Luke still sleeps roughly 11 hours a night and will usually nap for at least 2 hours. The other factor in this is that Luke does NOT like to be awakened before he's ready to get up (another trait from me).

This past week we had several mornings that Luke had to be up before he was ready. Let's just say I'm never sure what these mornings will bring. These mornings go something like this: I go upstairs and turn on a low light in Luke's room; I go over to the bed and start rubbing Luke's back; Luke tosses and turns and grunts at me and makes sure to pull the sheet up as far as it will go; I usually hear, "Mom, I still sleeping," or "Want to sleep more Mom," or "Go back downstairs Mom." These phrases always make me smile and sometimes even laugh. I gently try to explain to Luke that we have somewhere to be or something to do. It definitely goes better when it's an activity that Luke is excited about. I figured out this week that it works best if I wake Luke up and then tell him I'm going back downstairs and he can come down when he's ready. That can take up to 10 minutes but Luke comes down in a better mood than if I get him out of bed and make him come down with me.

As I said above I'm so glad that Luke sleeps well and enjoys it. It does worry me though about the school days we have ahead and a grumpy, sleepy boy not wanting to get out of bed and ready to go.

The Second

Troy and Luke have really formed a much stronger bond over the last few months. Now I'm not saying that they haven't always shared a bond, they are after all father and son, but I'm just saying I've seen it grow so much stronger the last few months and that definitely brings joy to my heart.

Luke will most often ask me in the morning if not the very first thing whether or not Dad is home. After I tell him Dad's at work he usually says something along the lines of I miss Dad or I want Dad to be home. On the mornings that Luke is most upset that Dad isn't home we call him before coming downstairs and that makes Luke feel better. It is also quite common for Luke to ask if Dad will be home soon at lunch time (the association of dinner and Dad coming home is strong) and this often can trigger another phone call to Troy. Obviously it is hard for Troy to hear how much Luke misses him but at the same time it brings joy to Troy's heart because it reinforces the love between them.

Now I get to brag on Troy a bit. He went to Barnes & Noble today to get a FFL magazine which is definitely not brag worthy but the other item he purchased most definitely is--a chapter book that he and Luke can read together! It was completely Troy's idea and I absolutely LOVE it! The name of the book is "How to Train a Dragon." Troy didn't realize when he picked it out that there is now a movie based off of it but I think that will be great fun for them both to watch when they finish reading the book. The book is probably beyond Luke but that's okay. Troy read a chapter before dinner and then at bedtime he read another chapter and a half. Luke is so far loving it. What an awesome activity for them to share! I hope this is a trend that continues for a long time. Way to go Dad!!!

A little joy in my heart--that's the best gift any wife or mom can have :)