a moment to pause, and an aj quote

i have to pause before i go further...today, as i sit to type my weekly entry into our family diary, my heart is feeling a bit heavy.  one of the faithful visitors to this corner of cyber space, a dedicated reader of this humble blog (one of you 12! :)) is no longer reading.  my mom's dear uncle, Ome Jan, passed away last week after a period of deteriorating health.  he was 85 years old.  this man was special.  he was soooo loved.  i spoke about him here on his last birthday.   i'm so blessed to have known him.  my mom cared deeply about Ome Jan, he was so much more than a far away uncle.  it was beautiful to watch the connection they shared, as many cups of strong coffee were enjoyed while they discussed life together...she's feeling the loss, as are his three sweet children and grandchildren back in Holland.  today they celebrate his life and remember all the ways he touched theirs.  our thoughts and prayers are with Meindert, Henriette,Yolanda and their families today.  hugs from me to you...

on to sweet AJ.  each night before i hit the pillow i get my two youngest boys up to the bathroom to increase my personal odds of having uninterrupted sleep.  it's called strategy.  overall, there's less chance of running the washing machine at 3 AM, less chance of seeing one of them hovering over me with nothing but the "sense" of their presence jolting me from my state of blissful sleep.  yes, this routine works.  they both don't necessarily need to be woken, but at this point, the guaranteed success of a dry night is worth it.  plus, if you're bringing one, you might as well bring both.  so, Hudson walks there himself, but AJ often needs a guiding hand.  he set foot on the floor last night, eyes squinty and steps swerving...i held his hand.
AJ: "Mom, now i know how to count backwards with words."
Me: smiling...thinking that i'm sure gonna miss these sleepy revelations once these boys grow up..."Wow, how do you do that, AJ?  Count backwards with words?? Can you do it for me?"
AJ: now in the bathroom..."Well, i don't really want to, but i can go to the bathroom..."
Me: "Okay buddy, that's just fine...maybe in the morning."

moments of pure delight.  love them.