Thankful Entry Numero Cuatro

I’m thankful for laughter and smiles, whether it’s gathered around a tiny table playing Phase 10 with friends in a cold room in Guatemala or listening to my kids’ antics at home. It really is amazing how quickly you can change your mood with just a little turning up of the mouth into a smile.

Lukey makes us smile and laugh a lot. Pretty much everything he says is funny. For example, did you know the kids got dressed up and went to the Fall Vegetable last weekend?

Luke is a lover of snacks. The kid who lives and breathes for snacks started running a fever today. (You see there was a gap of 1.5 days where no one in our home was seriously ill, and that was just too long. Luke’s turn was up; thus, the fever.) This child, whose heart is to snacks like paper is to glue, is not always a lover of meals. Since he hadn’t eaten his breakfast this morning, he was not allowed any snacks until after he ate his lunch. No matter how clear we try to make this and how many times we get him to verbally agree to the arrangement before we chunk his meal in the garbage, approximately one hour later, the whining and begging begin.

When little Luke found out he was running a fever and had been designated as sick, he came up with quite a plan. He raised his eyebrows, turned his big brown eyes up to me, stuck out his lip just the slightest bit and said, “Mommy, I think I will feel better if I have a little snack. Just a little snack.” Good one. Thumbs up for effort and excellent execution of the plan. Thankfully, it was a little past 11:00, so it was an acceptable lunchtime.

He peacefully ate his favorite lunch item, broccoli with ranch, and even ate his not-so-favorite lunch item, pb&j. I offered him a precious piece of the cake Chris and Maddie won at the church’s Fall Vegetable cake walk (gold star for me for picking out a DELICIOUS spice and apple cake with cream cheese icing) and he gladly gobbled it up. Lunch was cleaned up and I was onto doing laundry, when Mr. Big Puppy Dog Eyes entered the room and said in his most serious voice, “Mommy, cake doesn’t make me feel better. Snacks is what will make me feel better. Can I have my snack now?”

“Why, yes, Luke. You can.” Well played, son.

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