Maybe I'm the lucky one.

First off, I need to say that I am far from being a fan of the phrase good luck - or he's so lucky, but yet I hear it a lot and probably find myself using it from time to time because sometimes I can't figure out what else to say. I don't really like it at all though.

I don't think I could keep track of how many times I have heard people ask me about my boys and then tell me, oh he's so lucky now. They're so lucky now. They'll have such good futures now because they have you now. I'm not convinced that's really true though, not in a way that puts me down at all, but in a way that says - you know what - they do have amazing futures, but it's not because they live with me. The brightness of their futures rather is dependent upon God's having planned them out for them - and I think maybe I'm the lucky one because I get to be part of it. And really, I'm the lucky one because for the past four years and a handful of months I've gotten to be your mom and walk alongside you each day and see you struggle to learn how to do all sorts of new things until right now when you can do so many things. And maybe I'm the lucky one because you've taught me so much.

Lately we've been learning some things of the most important kind, like how to write our names and our "gaw, kaw, go's" and our 1 and 2's . . . cause 3 is tomorrow's homework assignment, but far more as well.

If you look carefully enough you can see through the holes of ritz crackers.

Apples are for eating.

Mangoes and crackers taste good together.

Cold water is much better than room temperature water. And while we're talking about water - sometimes you need to stop the car to take a good drink cause it might go up your nose otherwise. If you have a straw it's even better.

And there's sand and dirt at the ocean. And there's octopus at the ocean and something in the ocean is making us itchy and something to eat. And if you're in the deep part you can use the tubes to help you float, but if you're five now you might now want to use that.

And birthdays are for being five and catwoman can fly. And birthday presents are fun to get and fun to share with your friends.  Also, people - like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Mommy, Rain, Trey, Buzz, Levi, Lightning McQueen - some listen to their moms and some don't. When they listen to their mommies their mommies get happy. When they don't listen to their mommies lots of different things can happen.

And we've been learning about laughing at the hard times and knowing everything will be okay again. Learning to forgive and keep loving even if it's hard. Learning that second chances are something we all need to both give and to receive.

So maybe they're lucky cause they get to spend these years with me as their mommy, but I know I am lucky to be the one they call mom.