Mording Hug

"Mai Mai, Mr. Chen told me you were whimpering all morning at school.  Why were you so sad?"

"Because I did not get a mording hug."

Drew usually takes Mike to kindergarten, but since he has been traveling often this spring, Mike and I have shared many walks to school.  I like to carry him, like this, our faces close together so we can talk and smooch on the road.  Mike calls it our mording hug. After a stretch of weeks, finally Drew was reinstated as the escort and apparently, Daddy was unaware of the mording hug protocol.  "You can walk, son."  The little boy was dropped off so emotionally unfulfilled and disappointed that he cried all morning!

Daddy understands the significance of mording hug now.

Mording hug means so much to the boy that, to him, it symbolizes our love and relationship.  He found a blank note card in our house, drew this picture of us in mording hug mode, sealed and presented the envelope to me as a surprise.  

I'll never forget this. Ever.

Is it because very soon Mike will no longer be our youngest, our baby?

Is it because those mording hugs mean just as much to me too?

It is because he is turning six years-old next month?

It is because he lost his first tooth yesterday?

It is because we recently uncovered these little-Mike videos from the archives?

Mike steps on one rat.

Look, Mom. Gone. No rats!

Mike is expecting a baby, Jack baby.

Babies need food, breakfast, and ice cream.

Mike is a big, scary lion.

ROOOAAAARR!

It's probably all of those reasons.  These days, I am treasuring my Michael Isaac.

'Specially our mording hugs.

counting the graces

thank you Father for

catching up with Ethan on skype, thank you for a loving, caring brother!

Mike lost a tooth, and he's ready to be a big brother to Reuben

snuggling with Titus & Mike in the dawn light

waking to birds' song

the pounding rain last night

day of rest on a Wednesday, no place we had to go, school off for Children's Day

real food

Drew's affection

working repaired internet

time to exercise every morning, I do not take this for granted! thank you!

kids helping to put on fitted sheets and returning the mattress to its frame, put away dishes, wash dishes, pick up their room

Zhao Zixuan, our best buddy who knows where we keep the chopsticks and hot sauce in the kitchen -- he's been here for many meals

healing my body

teaching me how to abide in grace, so I can start again at any moment -- rather than stumbling in self-reliant perfectionism which is paralyzing

GRACE! I have discovered your grace in a new way, I am made new yet again, growing up, thank you

cloud of witnesses, family

Nan, Sam and Ben visiting our home, bringing their joyful spirits and affirmation, their stories as testimony to your kindness

inspiration for music this Sunday

Ps 62 & 63 this am, "for you alone my soul waits in silence" -- I abandon the course of our lives to your design! my mental space is stayed on you, what joy