My (amazing) kids

I think I complain about my kids too much. But in my defense, they are very annoying. They are loud, irrational, and want to be naked all the time. And when they're not naked, they have terrible taste in clothes. They love to destroy things. They love to whine. They have never slept through the night, finished a meal, or consented to a diaper change. No matter what they tell you, they are not helpful in the kitchen. They talk about poop nonstop. They act like everything we do (e.g. eating breakfast, putting on shoes, getting into the car...) has never happened to them before and is the worst thing they have ever experienced.

On the other hand, I can't ignore the fact that my kids are pretty amazing. They each have qualities that remind me that they are, in fact, the most amazing kids in the world. Here are some examples:

Jimmy:

1) has fantastic hair. I love to brag that we need to get it cut every month.

2) is virtually indestructible. Just ask any of the parents from the bounce party we went to yesterday.

3) tans.

4) remembers the exact location of every puppy he has ever seen. This morning, as we walked through the grocery store parking lot, Jimmy pointed to empty parking spots that once contained cars with dogs, and listed "puppy, puppy, puppy, two puppies, puppy...".

5) Best of all, Jimmy is totally capable of successful transfers (aka being carried from carseat to crib without waking.)

Charlie:

1) loves to talk. Especially about people and feelings.

2) like his brother, is virtually indestructible. He can take a punch, fall down stairs, stub his toe, whatever, and shake it off with a cheerful (if wincing) "I'm okay!"

3) Once he's in the car, Charlie is an excellent passenger. He'll ride happily all day, as long as the conversation keeps flowing.

4) is hilarious. Everything the kid says is pure gold. And as people who highly value comedic prowess, Billy and I are thrilled by Charlie's firm grasp of some things (knowing which Jimmy anecdotes to remember and repeat), and utter lack of a grasp of others (explaining to a stranger that he just turned 4 and his baby brother is nearly 2:30.)

5) Best of all, as evidenced by the time Charlie and I watched Pete's Dragon together, tears streaming down both our faces as Helen Ready sang "Candle on the Water" to her lost lover, Charlie has a huge amount of empathy...and tolerance for cheesiness.

So, yeah, they're pretty great kids. Sorry to rub it in.