Angelic things.

I've got some fun pictures of my angelic children to post, but before I begin, I wanted to address last week's blog about God.

I've spent the last week reading comments and listening to every one's insight about what I wrote. The blog entry had been a long time coming and it got to the point where I felt like I wasn't being genuine if I didn't blog it out right then and there. I was nervous about it thinking some might judge me for writing my soul on to this blog. But the response couldn't have been more opposite.

People wrote their soul back to me. Did I get any hard line answers or Bible versus to put me in my place? No. But what I got was better. I learned that there are so many people in the same boat, thinking the same things, feeling forsaken, in a state of being unable to understand. People repeated, verbatim, thoughts that I had that I chose not to put in the blog or that I even forgot I thought about!Just knowing I'm not the strange one, that I'm not alone in my thoughts, has given me a sense of peace and calm. And now I'm ready to move forward. So thank you to everyone who read and commented. You have changed me.

Moving onto lighter and more adorable happenings....

We are in the throws of summer vacation! And it's pretty awesome because we don't have to be anywhere. So we just hang out. And play.

We did have a token of preschool that sat on our windowsill and reminded us of Miss Christy's class. Which, by the way, I think Christian misses because when I start talking about it, he starts moving and getting vocal while looking straight at me. Anyway, it was a bean plant that the 5th graders helped Christian plant. It grew and grew tall up through the mini blinds and over and down the other side. We decided maybe it should go live with Nana because she is much better at keeping plants alive than Mommy.

Daddy is a little more fun than Mommy and sometimes he likes to set up the tent in the living room just for fun. He's such a cool Dad.

 

And one morning I caught Christian grabbing at his Christmas lights in his bed. I think he looks like a baby in this picture. But he's going to be four years old in a month and a half! Also, one of the best parts of my day is coming in to say good morning to this little dude and seeing his brown eyes look up and find me. Makes my day every time.

I play a little game with Christian sometimes where I pull his space blanket over his head and he has to knock it off. This time I put his toy quad on his chest and he has to move to knock it off. I'm not sure if he used his arms or squirmed like a little worm, but he met my challenge.

 

"You thought you had me, Mama! Take that, plastic quad!"

Christian has seemed a lot more alert and interactive lately, so now I'm trying to think up more ideas that will entertain him so he won't be bored. He gets bored easily and toys loose their luster quickly. Some age appropriate behavior defies brain injury, let me tell ya.

Another ridiculously adorable phenomenon that is occurring in the Quintero household is Lola taking interest in her brother. I am enamored with it. I am obsessed with documenting it. It's like I'm watching magic. And I try to catch it with Instagram every time it happens.

 

Magic. I don't know about you, but if you look close enough you can see angel wings. Swear.

 

I think what fascinates me is that Lola takes interest in Christian without prejudice. She knows he's limited. She knows he's special. But she doesn't care. It's like she treats him like he's her best bud. She wants to play with him. She wants to help him eat Popsicles. She wants to participate in things he is doing. And she cheers for him. Be still my heart, the girl cheers for him.

 



Oh yeah, and remember how Christian didn't smile for two years? Remember how much that sucked? And remember about a year ago when I documented his first attempt to smile after we were rolling back and forth on the floor? Well, he kept doing it. And now I'm happy to say that I know just what to do to get that little corner of his mouth to head north. A little bouncing, a little rough-housing, but especially when I'm holding him, put my hands on his rib cage and shake him side to side while making some dorky noise, I almost always get him to crack a smirk. In fact, it used to be only for me! But today, Daddy actually got him to smile for him! Best Father's Day present ever.

I've been trying to document one of the most amazing parts of my day forever now but Christian will not perform unless I do the rib shake thing with BOTH hands on BOTH sides of his ribs. So it's very hard to take a picture of his smiling while holding him and trying to shake a smile out of him. It's acrobatic!

The good news is that Christian's smirks are getting bigger, lasting longer, and are more frequent bit by bit. So I finally got it!

But this is what I had to settle for first...

 

Half a picture of half of Christian of half of a beginning of his smirk.

Until today! When he smiled long enough for me to grab my already prepared phone to snap this beautiful, melt my heart, gorgeous, angelic sight.

I love him from his googly eyes, to his crooked half smile, to the bit of green Popsicle juice left from earlier. That is my boy. My gorgeous, strong, heroic little boy who enjoys bouncing, dinosaurs, his space blanket, and a little rough housing. He melts me.

Do you think I gushed enough?

Happy Father's Day, Peeps!