To make you smile.

I love my kids. Sure, I complain about them sometimes. Okay, alot. Take my facebook status the other day for example. It read: "Sometimes I wish I had earplugs surgically implanted into my eardrums."

But then come the times where they make me smile.

• Yesterday while driving home, the boys & I were talking about how the Air Force, Army, etc were called "branches" of the military. Now, I have to stop here and point out that yes, some of you may think that's a crazy topic for a mother and her 6 and 8 yr old boys to be on, but when you're a military family it's nothing. Really. Anyway, my 8 year old third grader piped up and said "Oh! Mom! That's just like in the government." Good to know he's paying attention in school. "The government has the legislative branch, the jude-i-kull branch, and the excuse-a-tive branch." A smile instantly crossed my face and it was all I could do not to laugh. I just gently agreed and repeated the words to him the correct way.
• My little princess was sitting at the table earlier having a mid-morning snack. Holding her peanut butter celery she looked up and said, "You know what mom? Deese sings are super nummy num num. I looooove butter salad."
• Over the weekend we had a rare few hours where it was daylight and we were not at the hockey rink. The boys were outside in the backyard playing ball with the hubby while I was inside doing mom things. Jonah (barely 6 yrs old) came bounding in the house, out of breath, and said "Mom, I just smoked dad in baseball. I should play in the pros."

These moments are ones that I live for. I could be having the worst day/week/month ever, but all it takes is one of those great, kid-only phrases and I'm instantly happy.