a love letter to my boys

to my little boy...

  
...I love when you come to bed with us early in the mornings.  We rarely get you back to sleep, but sometimes, it's more fun to lie next to you and whisper secrets in your ear.  We tangle up like a pretzel, the three of us, and laugh as you bounce in and out of this asleep/awake trance.  
...I love that you may not show any interest in stuffed animals, but insist on bringing a book to bed and hugging it tightly (no matter the size) until you fall asleep.  You go to bed and wake up with books, every day.
...I love that you can count to ten in Spanish better than English, and how nonchalant you are about showing us all you know.
...I love how soft your cheeks are.  I can't stop touching them.
...I love the way you say, "Wook, Mom" when you build a block tower in the bathtub, and the way you say, "Otay...Mom" when I say no fruit snacks before dinner.
...I love the look of determination on your face when you do your puzzles.  
...I love the sweet way you rub your eyes after I rinse your hair.
...I love our bedtime routine --- the books, the 'What's this?' game you play on your favorite pages, and the way you never put up a fuss when I say that this is the last book.  I love tucking you in your cozy bed, the way your arms reach around my neck when I sneak in a kiss, and the way you say "I wuv you" when I say it first.  
...I love that you wait to eat until we all sit down and pray.
...I love your wispy hair, your big brown eyes, and your perfect little teeth.
...I love that to you, nothing in the whole world is better than the three of us playing together.

and my big boy...

...I love watching you play guitar.  I know I tell you that if I hear Neil Young's Heart of Gold one more time I might throw your guitar out the window, but deep down, I wouldn't want to listen to anything else.  
...I love that you can cook.
...I love how self-conscious you are about your hair and find it incredibly adorable.
...I love that you pray with me.
...I love the dad you are to Cruz.  I always knew you'd be amazing, but you blew me away.
...I love your wit.  You're the quickest person I know.
...I love that instead of spending a Saturday on a golf course, you'd rather spend it in the shop with your dad.
...I love that you and my father talk on the phone more than me and my mom.
...I love that you purposely threw a frisbee in the bushes outside of my house eight years ago, hoping I'd see you out the window.  I did see you, and won't ever forget how cute you looked walking barefoot down the sidewalk, with nothing but your khaki cargos and faded backwards Cubs hat.  
...I love thinking back to the story of us.  Whether it's on that old disgusting couch in apartment 504, a beach in Mexico, or that hand-me-down patio table at our first duplex, my mind and my heart are so full of these amazing images of our love.  Sometimes I feel like we're living out our own little movie, creating these little adventures and learning so much along the way.  I am so so happy to be in this movie with you and am confident that as long as you're by my side, life will only get better.  

Happy Valentine's Day to my loves.  See you when I get home :).