Ocean of Emotion

I find it so fascinating to watch children learn and deal with their emotions. My children are at completely different ends of the spectrum when it comes to the ocean of emotion. One is just dipping his toes in the surf and mimicking every point of contact that he sees. While the other has his wet suit on and surf board tucked under his arm - staring in awe at the cresting waves all the while keeping in the shallow waters. Both get their emotional cues though from those around them not the least of which is us as parents.

Take for instance with Baby G. He is just starting to really show a personality and on Sunday when we were at the grocery store, just he and I, he kept leaning his head out over the cart towards me and making a "mmmm-mah" sound - for those of you who don't speak Gavinese - that is a big ol' KISS. He did it over and over and it was just so precious that it sent a wave of warm emotion over my heart. So much so that I almost directed my cart to customer service and asked for a copy of their video surveillance of the frozen food section just so I could keep that memory for posterity. Fearing child protective services and the "Code Pink" (crazy lady on premises) on my next visit, I obviously just tried to take a mental picture of him for when he is in the throws of the terrible twos and exhibiting no redeeming qualities what-so-ever! Not to mention that he is exhibiting many of Eric's personality traits so if that continues, I know these unabashed displays of affection will not last forever.

Jackson on the other hand is my loving one. Which unfortunately for him means that he inherited his mommy's ......ahem...."passion" (that is the word that E always uses when he gets the "describe your wife in one word" question). I will admit, it has it's good points and bad points - both of which we have already seen in him. Because I prefer to focus on the positive, both for his sake and for mine, I wanted to tell you a cute story that happened Monday evening. I picked the kids up from school and Jackson was already charged with excitement at the thought of picking up his new battery powered Jeep. He had been checking our email (funny in and of itself) waiting to see when it was available at the store for pick up and just about leapt through the phone when he called to tell me we could pick it up the next day. By the time the store clerk brought it out, he was grinning from ear to ear and almost yelled when he saw the picture on the box "Mommy - it's BLUE!!!" (his favorite color). I admit, I was excited for him and as I got in the car and made my way through the parking lot, I launched into this soliloquy about how much his great grandparents loved him (it was their Christmas gift to the boys) and how he should feel so blessed to have such a generous family and how thankful we should be to God for these blessings, etc. etc. (yeah - I was having one of "those" mom moments). I looked in the rear view mirror both to make sure he was listening and to see that big toothy grin and I was surprised to find him with his hand over his mouth, appearing to be close to tears, and taking these short little breaths. I said "Jackson, what's wrong??" I swear I am not making this up...he looked right at me and said "I'm just...just...filled with joy". Obviously as my son, he has seen me choked up and I've had to explain that people sometimes cry when the are happy. Looking at him, it occurred to me that the hand over his mouth was as much trying not to cry as trying to hold in all joy - he didn't want any to escape. I probably should be embarrassed that this happened over a "toy" but I just took it to mean that he got what I was saying - he literally FELT blessed. Wherever my kids are on that ocean of emotion, I'm happy to grab my own surf board, scuffed as it may be from thirty some odd years of catching waves of my own and meet them right where they are at! As a mom, there's almost nothing that beats getting back some of the emotional energy that you put into your kids! LOVE IT!