Mickey and The Little Prince

Henry and Sam,

On a monthly basis, I have plenty of honorable intentions to sit down and write you a letter. I don’t like making excuses, but I can honestly say that life gets in the way. Sam starts begging to go outside, dinner needs to be made, or you both end up in an “it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt” spat. My days seem full of tears and angst and time-outs, whiny voices saying things over and over and OVER, but...I love these days.

Every day there is a moment. A precious little sliver of time that makes me stop, and smile, and wish I could take a mental picture. I'm afraid I will forget, so I whip out my iPhone and snap something with that. Facebook and my iPhone are laden with memories, photos, and QOTD moments.

The moments are different for each of you. Lately, for Sam, it’s been new words...or parts of words. Sam, yesterday you brought me a book full of animal pictures, and as we turned each page, you made a valiant effort to name each animal by name. You even growled like a bear, neighed like a horse, and snorted like a pig. When you're thirsty and want a milk refill, you always ask, "PEEZ?!" while also signing the word 'please' by slapping your chest hard enough to sometimes leave a mark. Your favorite words have to be "bye" and "hi" and you greet your friends and teachers with these words daily. And exuberantly.

Sam, you LOVE Toy Story and Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is your favorite cartoon and every morning, you ask to watch it by doing the 'Hot Dog' dance. It looks more like the chicken dance, but we know what you mean. You also do this darling thing where you back up to plant yourself onto my lap anytime I’m sitting on the floor. You are precious, and sweet, and such a huggable little guy. You are never afraid to try something new, and want to do everything your big brother does...and sometimes more.

You get into EVERYTHING, and don’t seem to understand the word “NO”. Precocious! And you enjoy testing my patience with your uber strong will.

And Henry. Henry, how on earth are you four years old? Stop growing! At birth you were two feet tall and set what the nurses believed to be the 'longest baby' record at Stillwater Medical Center. I'll never forget the day you were born. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was overjoyed.

Henry, your imagination is unmatched. So many afternoons and evenings your daddy and I love to listen to your imaginary play from the living room. One moment you're on an African safari hunting tigers and hyenas, and the next minute you're pretending to be 'Puss In Boots'. And then, before we know it, it's 'Puss In Boots' on safari! You make us laugh and dream and remind us of what being a kid is all about.

The Little Prince was my favorite childhood story. It's a story about young boy, who drew a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But he is discouraged from drawing when all adults who look at his picture see a hat, instead. The narrator attempts to explain what his first picture depicts by drawing another one clearly showing the elephant, which disturbs the adults even more. So, the young boy decides to become a pilot, not an artist, which eventually leads to a crash in the Sahara desert. In the desert, the boy meets the little prince, who asks him to draw a sheep. Not knowing how to draw a sheep, the narrator shows him the picture of the elephant in the snake. To the boy's surprise, the prince recognizes the drawing for what it is. The Little Prince is a story with its essence contained in the lines: "One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye." Henry, you are my Little Prince...you see with your heart.

Life is crazy right now. I can’t get everything done in a day that I used to, but I rarely feel bad about it. I love spending time with you, and even though there aren't enough hours in the day, I try to live life deliberately. I savor every sweet moment with you. And know that someday, in 18 years, my house will be clean again.

Love you both, SO SO MUCH,

Mommy