Josiah Wants You to Know...

...that he lost a tooth! (This blog is such a part of our family life that now, when anything particularly noteworthy occurs, someone always asks, "Are you going to put this on your blog?" Or, as in the case of Josiah with his missing tooth, "Will you please put this on your blog?") :)

His two top front teeth were loose (as well as a bottom tooth)--so loose, in fact, that yesterday Josiah and I were talking about the fact that very soon, one of them would surely be coming out. We did not, however, expect it to occur that very evening, helped along by a bad fall Josiah took on a sidewalk after his choir class. I was standing with Tobin and Shav in the stroller and was chatting with another mom while David and Josiah were racing around with Will and Sarah. Suddenly we heard a child screaming in pain. It was Josiah; and as we rushed to him, I saw blood pouring out of his mouth. I wasn't surprised to see blood since I immediately thought of his loose teeth; but I couldn't tell at first whether it was coming from his lip or his gum. Turns out it was both.

If both his top teeth were loose before, they were VERY loose after the fall. After dinner, Jeff got out the oil of cloves to numb the area and a pair of tweezers to give the loosest tooth a yank. What really happened is that Josiah himself gave the final tug on the tooth to get it out. And now my little (big) sweetheart has a funny gap-toothed grin...

...and a slightly puffy upper lip. I think he's adorable.

The other two times Josiah has lost a tooth, I've taped them in his baby book. But obviously I can't do that with all of the teeth he'll lose during the next few years, so for this particular tooth, I'm just going to remember it by this picture of his bloody tooth and the tweezers, still with a little blood on them. Lovely.

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David wants you to know that he really, really likes ties.

One of Jeff's co-workers often gives us hand-me-downs from her son who is a little older than Josiah. We are always grateful for her generosity, but David was especially pleased with something that came in the stack today: a dress shirt with coordinating tie. Even though it's really for Josiah (although David will get it in a few years when he grows into it), David couldn't resist grabbing the tie and clipping it on his shirt. A blue and yellow tie with a green knit shirt with gray and red stripes? Why not? Who says those colors and textures don't match?!

I did, however, insist that he leave the tie at home when we went to Josiah's group violin lesson today. :)

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Tobin wants you to know that these days, he's really a Grandma's boy.

Although Tobin is very affectionate and easily shows his love for all of us, he seems particularly fond of Grandma, lighting up when he sees her, waving at her from our front window (even if she's down the hill at her house and can't possibly see him), hurrying to her when she comes in our house, holding up his arms to be picked up, wanting to be with her when she goes upstairs to fold laundry, rushing to get out of his chair after supper so that he can go over to her chair and convince her to pick him up so he can sit on her lap and eat all the goodies that she has on her plate. If she's eating dessert, that's an especially good time to do this. He really loves his grandma! (And I think she's pretty fond of him, too!)

Tobin thought it was fun...
...to wear his daddy's hat today.

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Shav wants you to know that Grandpa's lap is a great place to hang out after supper.

We have no pictures tonight to prove this, but it's unusual for an evening to go by without Shav ending up on Grandpa's lap while I finish eating my supper and then start putting the food away and cleaning up the kitchen.

You might think that my dad would be more interested in the older boys and not the baby; but, although he certainly loves them all and interacts with each of them, he has always had a soft spot for the youngest. I remember when David was our baby and Dad would often hold him. And then came Tobin, and David sort of graduated up the chain and Dad focused on Tobin. Then along came Shav, and it happened all over again. I think it's wonderful to watch the love between the generation above and the one below me.

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Jeff wants you to know that this is what happens to him when Tobin is around:
a funny hat gets put on his head and Mommy's favorite snowman is brought to him to cuddle with. Tobin is so helpful like that. If only I could cuddle with Jeff and the snowman could clean up the kitchen!

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I want you to know that I think every day should have at least 28 hours...and even that probably wouldn't be long enough for all that I think I need to do.

I want you to know that I wish I could go on a writer's retreat. I've heard about various writers who get away for a day or a weekend just to have quiet time and space to focus and write. That sounds heavenly to me. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head for things I want to write about, and sometimes it drives me crazy. I just wish I could get it all out, write it down, have it done with, so that I could start fresh and not have these pestering ideas bouncing into my thoughts!

I want you to know that even though my laundry chute is full, even though my pile of paperwork on the telephone counter is still tall, even though the porch only got half-swept today before I got interrupted in that task and had to leave a big pile of dirt (which is still there), even though it's been close to forever since I had the chance to sit down and play my piano, even though I'm decorated with spit-up every day, even though my ears ring from the noise and my eyes ache from the mess that four children create, even still...

They are so worth it!
When I see Tobin with his sleeper on backwards over a shirt and with Josiah's shoes on his feet...
...and I see David and Shav cuddled so close together...
...and I see Josiah, the protective big brother, watching out for everyone...
...I know, without a doubt, it is SO WORTH IT!