laundry moments...

see my socks?
they're my new, favorite, around-the-house-socks...
for years i have stolen Todd's warm, white crew socks on my house cleaning days.
(he blames me for the holes...)
now, i steal JAKOB'S.
yup. my baby has feet almost as big as mine.
can you believe it?
today is laundry day.
it's sweet to fold itty-bitty, lily t-shirts
and big boy t-shirts
and lacy little girl t-shirts
leah's pjs all have holes. that she cut.
with scissors.
more than once.
she still wears them.
somehow, i love those holes on her belly.
and i remember my other cutter-- little drew-bear.
he cut everything.
and i didn't smile when i saw his creativity.
i didn't know that he was just little and that he would grow out of it.
i hope that i smiled sometime.
i hope that i held him at the end of the day and, enjoyed him everyday.
i enjoy him now.
and because drew cut, i enjoy leah.
every moment.
along with the joy of watching my family grow, there is a sadness.
a remembering of days past.
years.
when every load of boy laundry included batman and superman pajamas.
many moments i remember and cherish.
many moments i wish i could do over.
oh. i miss those little toes.
but i love the big, pre-young men, that they are becoming.
i love sharing socks.
i love sharing jokes, that are really funny.
i love watching them exceed me- in school, in piano, in self-discipline...
i love their style, their kindness, their independence, their logic...
and.
watching them grow, helps me to cherish every second of the little toes that i still have.
and.
hopefully. to cherish every 3rd and 4th grade moment.
even the not-so-ideal moments.
drew is 8.
he is into illogical, logic.
he is right. always.
and sassy. most of the time.
the other day when i sighed to the professor he reminded me.
a couple years ago. jakob was 8. he was illogical. and right. and sassy.
and now. jakob is 10. and he's better. not perfect. but. better.
i cherish the 20 pairs of silky athletic shorts that the boys wear.
the layers of under-armour shirts that jakob wears.
yes. even the white under-armour shirt that he has been known to wear under his church shirt.
i cherish drew's mis-matched outfit and pulled to the knee, crew socks.
i cherish the girls. their marathon, "design a style" pick-out-your-outfit productions... every. night.
the three loads of laundry, per week, shoved into their closet.
the bathing suits.
the dress-up dresses.
the click-clack shoes.
the fights over the one tank-top with a built in bra.  
i'm thankful for growth. and perspective. 
  laundry.  
today. i love it.