Emotional Engagement

Max seems to tap into all my emotions every day. Take today, for instance.

This morning, he wrapped Ella’s pink blanket around his waste and said, “Mommy, I princess!”

As I was emptying the dishwasher, Max decided he wanted to help. He put away all his bowls and cups, but then was very upset that I had already put away the forks and spoons. He opened up the silverware drawer, took out all the spoons, put them back into the dishwasher, and then returned them, one-by-one, to their proper drawer. “I do it!” he screamed.

At music class today, he sat joyfully on my lap, sang each song, followed all the teacher’s instructions and helped his little friend Levi with his instruments. When singing the final lullaby, he even laid his head back on me and just relaxed. At the end, he still wouldn’t let the teacher put a stamp on his hand, but he willingly took it from her to do it himself, and to stamp some blueberries on my hand as well.

While I was putting Ella to bed, Max decided that he wanted more strawberries than what I had already given him. He pushed a chair over to the counter where they were sitting on the cutting board. He climbed up on the granite, took the sharp steak knife that I had previously used to cut out the green stems from the other strawberries, and he began slicing up the new ones in his hand. Thankfully the only red I saw was from the strawberry juice, and not any of his blood.

Max, you make me laugh, you make me smile, you make me groan, and you make me scream. But most of all, you make me love you more and more each day.