This morning I was making breakfast when Parker walked into the kitchen carrying her new pink cowboy boots (the exact same pair from Target she wore everyday last year but a couple sizes bigger), set them down in front of her feet, looked at me and said, “wouldn’t these look adorable with my outfit?” HA!

Grayson has two best friends. New Parker and New Gray. They are both totally imaginary but both totally a part of our everyday life. New Gray is the quieter of the two and only gets mentioned occasionally but New Parker is around ALL the time. He’ll be doing something and suddenly get up and walk away. When I ask what he’s doing he tells me he needs to go talk to New Parker. When he showers he walks around the tub chatting away to those two. It takes him at least an hour to fall asleep because he sits in his bed talking to New Parker and New Gray. New Parker is the trouble maker. She says lots of bad words and needs time outs sometimes, which he gladly gives her. For a few weeks he was waking up almost every night crying/screaming and while 99% still asleep if he was able to tell us what he was dreaming it was ALWAYS something to do with New Parker. Sometimes his stories about those two crack me up and I think when they go their own way I’ll be sad.

The other day I was telling Bailey something, giving her guidance about something, and as I finished she walked away saying, “Well, that was the lesson for today!” HA!

Today in the car Parker said, “Mommy, you know how we always tell Daddy he’s the best Daddy in the world but we don’t tell you anymore?” Grayson started that little saying and for a long time now he will give you the biggest hug and say, “You’re the BEST Mommy in the world!” Or Daddy or Bailey or Grandma and then he always wanted to hear “And you’re the best Grayson in the world!” right back. It got him out of a lot of sticky two-year old situations that’s for sure! So when Parker said that to me I honestly hadn’t noticed a lack of them telling me that but of course it threw me for a loop. Until the loop went to a huge kick in the gut when she said, “Because Daddy plays with us and wrestles with us more than you do.” and Gray chimed in, “you’re always working”

Ugh.

Seriously?

That conversation happened right as we were pulling into choir so it was interrupted. On our way home later I was the one that brought it up and we talked about how Mommy will try harder to play and wrestle with them more. OF COURSE no one mentioned that Daddy gets to come in at the last second and be the FUN parent after I’ve done all the non-fun parts! But whatever.

So later tonight I had given Parker a breathing treatment after her coughing suddenly turned into some serious wheezing and I was cuddling her on my bed. She uncurled from me for a second and looked up at me to ask if she could have some Mommy snuggle time. Of course I told her. And then she said, “I love your snuggles. You’re the best Mommy in the whole world!”

And as I held my big almost five year old and stroked her hair I knew that even though Daddy would always be more fun he has nothing on my snuggles!