Sweet Memories, Small Children Together

There’s so much I don’t remember about when the kids were little. It is such a joy for me to read through these sweet old memories.

December 3, 1992: “I was washing dishes just now and decided to go check on our girls.  They were in their room.  I asked what they were doing.  Rebecca said she was helping Sarah.  I asked what she was helping her do.  She said they were on the floor.  Several times I asked what they were doing, and finally Rebecca understood the question.  She said, ‘Being cute.’”

This was Murray’s first addition to the “Kids’ List.” No date, but it must have been soon after Caleb joined our family, early in 1993.

Rebecca must have worked out a deal with Murray that she’d get to sweep five times whenever he swept.

“Rebecca was sweeping her ‘5’ before I swept, and she said, ‘Caleb is sweeping!’  I looked, and she had placed the end of the broom handle in Caleb's hand, and was making the actual sweeping motions herself while he just hung onto the end.  She said, ‘Good boy, Caleb.’"

October 18, 1993: “Rebecca pushed Caleb, and he was upset.  I told her to give him a hug and tell him she was sorry.  She said she was sorry but did not give him a hug.  Caleb shouted, ‘No! Give me a hug!’  She didn't want to, but finally Rebecca gave Caleb a ‘hard hug.’  He laughed, and they seem to be friends again.”

November 13, 1993:  “Rebecca was bothering Caleb; Murray brought her into the office to talk to her, then set her back in the living room and said, ‘There's Caleb; don't hassle him.’  A little later, the kids were playing happily together, and Caleb said, ‘Don't hassle me.  Don't ever hassle me again.’"

December 24, 1993 “Yesterday, Murray and Sarah went to the doctor.  When they got home, Rebecca saw them coming through the window and said, ‘Mommy, Sarah's walking by herself; is that safe?’"

“This morning, Rebecca answered a toy phone call and said, ‘Caleb, it's President Bill.  He's in California.’"

We have nothing written that either child sounded surprised. They must have been used to getting calls from the president of the United States.

When Rebecca was young, she realized it made sense to distinguish between her “hair head” and her “forehead.” It’s still a family regular today.

“Later:  After the kids were in bed, Sarah came in and said, crying, ‘Becca hit my--ummmm--hair head.’  I went with her back to their room and asked Rebecca if she'd done this thing.  ‘Yeah,’ she said.  I asked why, and she replied, ‘I don't know.’"

March 7, 1994: “Last night Sarah was crying on and on at bed time.  Rebecca said to her, ‘Sarah, you're crying for no reason.’"

“Right now Caleb and Rebecca are in Caleb's room telling each other jokes.  They'll say things like, ‘My city bus is blue,’ ‘My school is yellow,’ ‘A diner is a restaurant,’ or ‘The restaurant is a mall,’ and then burst into peals of laughter.