It's like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher

Sometimes the noise level in this house gets so loud, that it almost becomes like a hum. A really loud hum, like the space shuttle on the launch pad, ready to launch. Or, like the sound that Charlie Brown's teacher sounds like on the tv cartoons. That "whah whah whah" sound made by a trumpet or trombone with their mute. Some days it's too much to bear, and I lock myself in the bathroom for a few minutes to hear my own thoughts. Confine us to a small space, like my van (Ford Freestar) and it's even more difficult to handle.

Then there are those days, say in the van, where the cutest conversations take place when the kids don't think we're paying attention. A week or so ago we were going to a hockey practice and Annie and Izzie were talking. Izzie said "Annie you wearing frog socks?" to which Annie replied "nooooo, turtles". I kid you not. My two year olds had a full-sentence conversation. Doug looked at me and remarked that the girls aren't old enough to talk that way. I had to remind him that Drew spoke in full sentences before he turned two. The benefits of an older sister I guess.

Today we got into the van to go pick Drew up from preschool and Izzie asked me to "listen to music please Mama". I put on the radio and she piped up, "no, Hannah Montana". Oh boy!

These are the things that make me love my children so. Their cute little conversations, the way their minds work. The way the four of them will sit together on the couch to look thru the Toys R Us catalog from November and ooh and aaah over the toys. The way Drew sings along with the Hannah Montana songs andwillingly allows Meg to dress him in a tutu and tap shoes to perform for us. The way Meg reads to the girls and Drew, or even makes her own lunch to help me out. Those things warm my heart and hold me until the next sweet moment comes along in the chaos of our days.