Another Five for Five

Five things I love about the five people in my house:

Paris
1. The way she fiercly loves her family. Those of you who have received one of her running hugs understand why I chose the word fierce!
2. The way she cares for animals. They rank a seriously close second to the people in her family.
3. When I'm not in the room with her and she screams at the top of her lungs "Mommy!" I usually cringe, epecting something bad or at the least complaintive to come from her mouth. Instead, on occasion what I her, still at the top of her lungs, is "I love you!" That's the best.
4. Her helping spirit. She always wants to help me no matter what I'm doing. From laundry to dishes to cleaning the bathroom she's ready to lend a hand.
5. How she never forgets anything. I don't mean, "I forgot Badges go get him" because that happens a lot. I mean that she doesn't forget experiences. She asks all the time if we remember when...........most of the time we do and we all share the memory together. Last night she stumped us though - she was recalling the last time we were at Mimi's house and we didn't have a clue about the story she told us. Granted, the last time we were actually at Mimi's house Tripp was a nursing baby. But she remembers!

Tripp
1. The way he loves Elmo. He showers Elmo with sugars and hugs. He has such affection in his voice when he sees Elmo and says "Dis Ehmo." And his insistance that you too love Elmo.
2. "Hi Mommy."
3. That grin. Oh my, that grin. It slays me every time.
4. The way he calls his sister Digaduh with an evil smile even though he is totally capable of saying Puh-is.
5. The way he gets very upset and calls for "Vifi" if you put him in his carseat before you put the baby in hers.

Vivi
1. That she only cries when something is really bugging her, like being tired, in pain, hungry, or poopy.
2. The way she is starting to help dress herself by pushing her arms through her sleeves and switching her little blue Elephant named Peanut from one hand to the other while getting dressed.
3. The way she shakes her head no when you try to feed her another bite of food and she hasn't finished the one in her mouth.
4. The way she smiles and laughs for her big sister.
5. The way she flaps her arms at her daddy when he gets home every day.

Easy
1. Those eyes - they can still melt me in a second.
2. His sense of humor. After 10 years I now catch about 90% of his jokes. Maybe in another 10 I'll catch all of them.
3. They way he is absolutely compelled to open the box and play with his newest device, tool, whatever. He thinks this bugs me, and I suppose it does when there are more pressing things to be done - like changing diapers and feeding the kids - but it's really kind of cute to see him NEED to play with his new toy like a little kid.
4. His vivsion - he is always stretching my brain to see a bigger picture of life - what it is and what it can be.
5. His patience with me. I'm not always the easiest person to live with. I get behind on cleaning and laundry. I'm not always chipper. And sometimes I get in a funk that is just sort of unpleasant for everyone to be araound. But he has this amazing sense that the "real" me is still there and waits patiently until she is ready to come out again.

Cowboy
(Yes, I know he's not a person, but he counts in my book!)
1. The way he is ALWAYS happy when I come home.
2. The feel of his little body curled up behind my knees on the rare occasion we get to take a nap.
3. The way he MUST lick the children in the face after they have gotten up from a nap.
4. The way he knows when the kids are in bed for the night and when I sit down, instead of sleeping at the other end of the couch he comes and sits next to me - at least for a little while.
5. His hugs - yes, my dog gives hugs. Just ask anyone in my family.