The Sweetest Thing

This morning -- after I hopped out of the shower and was preparing to go to work, Lucas came in to the room with a pink flower in his hand.  He looked up to me, handed me the flower and said, "I love you, Mama!"

My heart leaped!  My spirit soared!  For a second there I thought it wasn't real or maybe I misheard what he said, so I asked, "unsa to Long?" and again, he said "I love you, Mama" still trying to hand me that flower.  I immediately knelt down, took the flower from his hand, hugged him really tight and gave him lots and lots of kisses.  Right outside the room, I could hear Charles shriek with excitement as he told Grandma Nana what Lucas just did.  He heard it too!  I could not believe it.

Lucas picked the flower the day before while he and Grandma N were doing their little stroll in the yard.  I was working from home.  I saw him play with the flower but I didn't pay much attention because I was on a call.  Later he handed it to me saying "Flower!"  I only learned this morning that when they picked the flower yesterday, Grandma N taught him to hand it to me as soon as they got back in the house and to say "I love you, Mama".  I was busy working so that didn't happen.

This morning when he woke up, he saw the flower, grabbed it and did just the sweetest thing he has ever done.  Only this time, Grandma N didn't ask him to.  He just remembered to do it himself.

I'll remember this day as the day Lucas first said "I love you" to me.  He has said it before quite a few times--mostly when we put him to bed, but only after we ask him to or after we say it to him first and he'd repeat after us.  This is the first time he said it on his own.  And the flower that came with it just made it even sweeter.

I love you too, Lucas!  You made my day and you made me the happiest person in the planet right that very moment.  My boy, I will remember this day forever.  ~Mama

Homemaking and Lucas

This past weekend was all about homemaking.  It was about staying in, cleaning and tidying up the house especially our bedroom--the very part that's been most neglected. And the living room--one that looked like it was hit by a tornado with Lucas' toys and books scattered all over the place.

I never liked cleaning.  I would rather do every other task in the house than clean.  But I can't stand a dirty house either, especially when there is a baby in it. Hence, cleaning no longer becomes a matter of choice. It is something I have to do, unless I am willing to pay for cleaners.

I did a lot of cooking over the weekend too. In fact, I think I cooked way too much food. This is what happens after I go grocery shopping. I get so many ideas of what to cook when I'm in the store so I buy a lot. When I get home, I couldn't decide which one to make first so I sometimes end up making all of them.  But that's ok, we seldom waste food because we eat our leftovers and I sometimes make a new dish out of them--like this turkey noodle soup shown here, which I made out of leftover turkey from dinner a couple of nights ago. I paired it with some ciabatta baguette for a light, delicious lunch.

Today--the last day of my long weekend, I did nothing but play with Lucas. I was so looking forward to another alone time with him. We both had a grand time. I showed him how to play with jigsaw puzzles and he was cheering me on while I tried to put together the pieces. Sometimes he would hide a piece, in the trunk of his toy car or in between the pages of his book or in pockets and slits of his other toys. I pretended not to see when and where he hid the pieces but I'd say "Oh no! I am missing a piece. Did you see it, Lucas?" He would start giggling as he unhides the pieces and brings them over to me. It was fun!

Lucas also napped for four hours today so I got to have some "me" time, which I spent watching a movie, checking my emails and cooking some more.

This was the weekend that I had hoped for.  No work, no parties, no big plans. Weekends as good as this make me want to just stay home and be a full-time homemaker, wife and mom. Then again, this isn't always the case. I know days aren't always lovely, quiet and relaxing. Lucas isn't always this playful. He can also be troublesome, difficult and fussy! And I hate to admit, but there are days too when I would rather just be at work. And I am thankful that there is that side of the equation that keeps things in almost perfect balance.

Because at the end of the day, to me, balance is what it takes to keep me happy. :-)

Looking Forward...

... to a long weekend without any plans other than stay home and spend time with family, and just do whatever it is we have the appetite for.

... to two weeks of being home, of no traveling and of seeing Lucas every single day.

... to watching movies with the husband while the little one takes his naps (my movie rentals have been around for weeks now).

... to grocery shopping, cooking and having meals with my family.

... to sunny days after a week of rain.

... to holding my camera again and snapping at just about anything and anyone.

... to Facebooking and blogging and reading my favorite blogs.

... to just being mom, wife, sister, daughter, cousin and friend.

After almost three weeks of traveling and crazy days at work and resolving matters with some crazy people who made an attempt to stir up our quiet, normal lives, being back at base and doing the things that I love doing everyday--at home and at work, is just like being in a wonderful, well-deserved vacation.