Love you to the Moon

Everybody in this family deserves a long blog post update to document our lives this winter.  Until that happens, here is the abridged version.

Even rain won't stop this rider. 

Doug, Super-Star Daddy and Husband-extraordinaire: traveling all over the world for work like the jet-setting celebrity that he is. 

Sophie, Insane Genius Daughter: reading novel after novel after novel despite numerous reading-related injuries. 

Cameron, Slobbery-kissing, Hug-Smothering, Affectionate Storyteller Son: surprising us all with his intellect, wit, sensitivity, funny faces and potty talk. 

Elizabeth, Exhausted yet Award-Winning Multi-tasker Mother: loving the three above-mentioned 

Whitfields to the Moon and back.

Look at his handwriting! His coloring! I'm beyond amazed by him. 

In this house, we play with our vegetables and handle sharp knives. 

Some days, I honestly fear that I'll lose all my self-restraint and eat him up.  

Upon finishing all of her Roald Dahl books (all of them in existence), she decided it was time to teach Cam sight words.

"Let's pretend it's still football season."

There are exciting things on the horizon for this family.  We are Healthy.  And we are Happy.  

I'm so amazed by my husband. I miss him heaps while he is gone. I'm in awe of my two children who each have such distinct personalities and strengths. Tonight, as is our routine every night, Sophie and I read a chapter of her latest book (tonight was actually a chapter of Stuart Little and a chapter of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle) and then she keeps her lamp on and reads until she falls asleep.  She gets LOST in her books and doesn't hear me say "Good night. I love you." She mutters "ok" or something else to get me out so she can return to her book.  (In fact, Cameron's latest admonishment of her included: "Sophie, you have to be more aware of your a-rroundings." She literally gets lost in her books.) And Cameron is the most affectionate, compassionate boy I ever could have dreamed of.  He tells me how much he loves me probably 50 times a day.  He gives me huge sloppy kisses that make Doug uncomfortable!  He snuggles with me and smothers me with affection.  And tonight, as I shut his door and turned off his light, he said "You're the best mommy in the whole world.  I love you to the moon and back 60- one-hundred times."  

I love them all to the moon and back 99- one hundred times.