Catch me if you can ...

At Ardenwood historical farm with my sons on a sunny carefree day. I love this picture. I loved being with them strolling the gardens and farm. Getting lost in the quiet all around even tho it seemed busy. I loved hearing the giggles and laughs as we played duck duck goose and Simon says. Games from my childhood. They play rough, boys. They don't politely tap your head while chanting duck ... Duck ... Goose they slap their hands down. They stomp their feet. I often watch them walk and their strides are familiar shoulders hunched a certain way. Legs long and muscular.

Gabriel takes long sure of him self strides. A swagger and confidence much like his father. He knows when we walk in to certain homes or around certain people the attention turns away from the family unit and he commands an audience. He is charming and can turn it on and off like a switch. Funny how he has already learned and cultivated this craft.

David takes smaller quiet steps. Every bit of a rough and tumble boy like his brother but his way is quiet. He needs to be coaxed into mischief often... He plays the Indian to his brothers chief. He is very much like me when I was young. Shy and quiet. Smiles often but only the real true David comes out to shine when he's in his comfort zone. Certain people pull his confidence out. He loves praise and compliments he craves his own attention and eats it up with a spoon. Fridays are my days with David. All morning long he is the center of the universe to me. We chat. We sing songs. We spend the alone time I think he needs. Time my mom made for me as I played the Indian to my little sisters chief. His charm is in the expressions on his face. The sweet sound of his voice and his curl of his lips as his mouth forms his words. His sweetness is amazing to me. It's almost constant unless he is throwing a fit which does sometimes happen ... He has a temper and can lose his head quickly.

After work everyday I come home and cook them dinner from the time we get in until bedtime we spend the minutes unbothered by the tv. I refuse to turn it on. We sit at the table and talk about their days. What they learned. Who they played with. Why they need to eat the food I make. We do flash cards and homework after. We read stories and I sit and listen to them talk to each other. I keep paper and pen near by and scribble down the things they say. I need to update their twitter feed . I still plan on printing out all of the cute things they say now and give it to them when they are older. Maybe when they become fathers.