Tattle Tale

Because I'm lucky/blessed enough to work for a company that provides excellent benefits and holidays, I had today off as well as yesterday, the actual holiday.

I'm working tomorrow but used vacation days for the rest of the week.

Most other businesses were back at work, including my brother's place of employment. This is all to day that I'm babysitting for my nephew today.

This boy is sweet. He's smart, he's curious and he's talkative.

Oh dear Lord, the talking.

He's a year younger than Olivia, putting him at three and a half right now. And he's like most three and a half year olds out there. He's all over the place, into everything, asking question after question after question. He also repeats something infinitely until someone replies to him, letting him know he's been heard.

But all of this is just noise.

What gets me is the tattling. It drives me nuts.

It's a constant stream of:

"Tommie, Livia is spitting water."

"Tommie, Sissy won't let me watch Barney."

"Tommie, Livia is sucking her thumb."

And on and on.

I try to be patient. I do.

It's days like that that give me such respect for all your parents out there with more than two kids.

I honestly do not think I'd have the patience, time, energy for one more kid in our house, no matter how wistfully I might sometimes wonder what that third little person would be like.

I know that Jaxon is no my child. I know that a third wouldn't be exactly like these days when he's here, talking and tattling and turning your face toward him to be sure you're listening.

I know that a third would probably fit right in. But...it's days like this that really confirm what Tom and I know.

Two is plenty for us. Our hearts are full. Our time is taken. Our family is complete.

How lucky we are to know that, to have these two little girls and the occasional nephew to fill our hours, our hearts, our home.