You never know what you’re going to get with Samuel and, OK, maybe the title is an overstatement. He doesn’t exactly turn into a terrible monster, maybe more like Oscar the Grouch.

But when this kid is ‘on’ he really knows how to charm and entertain. Take tonight when I was putting him to bed for example. We went from stories about daycare and singing do-re-mi “like music teacher” to crying because he wants just “one more” story – one more on top of the 5 “one mores” he has just had. Still, listening to him tonight was easily the best part of my day and even the crying didn’t spoil it.

A few other things I am enjoying right now:

• Finally being able to give Thomas a bath without having to tape a plastic bag around his arm.
• Sitting down to dinner each night and having Samuel begin to tell me about his day without even waiting for me to ask because he knows that dinner time is the time when we catch up. (“well today I played with…”).
• The red peppers (capsicums) that are finally growing in our vegetable garden – although not sure two peppers were worth waiting four months for.
• Thomas laughing uncontrollably while watching America’s Funniest Home Videos – while I tell him over and over that these are examples of what NOT to do. His laugh is easily one of my favourite sounds.
• Samuel’s endless trips around the house on his “mini bike” while singing the Goodbye song from Yo Gabba Gabba – complete with Jack Black rock screeching at the very end.
• Seeing some light (and a vacation) at the end of the tunnel, along with the promise of a little photographic inspiration. Feeling the need to break out the camera again after a short self-induced hiatus, and…
• Little boys in kimonos.

It doesn’t get much better than that. (photo taken with iphone)