sweet moments. . .

Last night. . . Thursday night. . . Sam had his annual business meeting and work . . . which means he comes home very close to bedtimes. . . So, the boys and I were on our own for the evening. . .

and it got crazy for a little while. . .

and then Lukey got out the felt boards. . . tubbies and the wizard of oz. . . and we laid them out on the living room floor. . . tv off. . . quiet moments. . . laughing about nothing and everything in a little boy's world. . .

popped some popcorn. . . and read some Halloweeny stories:
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat (just read the fly version last week for the first time. . . and the boys loved it so much we read it four times in a row. . .)
The Meanies (and the three other books in the series. . .)
Too Many Pumpkins (a Kindergarten teacher purchase. . . loved it then, love it now. . .)
and, after some pumpkin curiousity (the boy of many questions, Jack: What do we do with the pumpkins after Halloween? Do they melt away?) we read The Pumpkin Circle that shows the life cycle of a pumpkin. . . from seed to plant to pumpkin to melting away. . .

We read stories and had a wonderful time till Sam came home. Love these evenings with the tv off, and just time together.

Tonight. . . soccer practice. . . shopping for Nan and PapPap's birthdays. . . Clone Wars. . . and bedtime. . .

Luke's storytime. . . we read Over in the Meadow (Mama's choice. . .we both love that one. . . it was one we read in my college elementary literature class. . . loved it then, and made it a point to have it on our bookshelf). . . Luke chose Love you Forever. . . Somehow, before the boys came along, I had never read this book. Had seen it on the shelf, but never read it. After Jack was born, my dear friend Gracie brought me this story on her first visit to see him. And the first time I read it, I cried.

Big, fat Mama tears.

And every time I read it, I cry. Big, fat, sobbing mama tears.

We read it tonight. Tears and all.

That was a great story. He said.

I agree, buddy.