Love is Isaac saying, “Snuggle time” and requesting that I sit next to him on the couch. Love is putting his head on my shoulder after I say, “Put your head down and rest with Mama.” He has so much trouble relaxing, but this helps for a few minutes.
Love is making spaghetti and meatballs and hearing two kids say, “This is one of my favorite meals.”
Love is Noah texting to say he got back to college okay.
Love is Isaac rubbing Chris’s arm during the last few minutes of a close basketball game when he knows his dad is anxious.
Love is Noah turning to me and asking, “How are you doing?”
Love is Henry playing 24 Mario Kart races with Isaac and going downstairs with him to race more when Isaac requests it.
Love is attending an honor choir and finding your ninth grader on the big stage.
Love is hearing Chris say, “Don’t worry about dinner. I’m bringing home a rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes.”
Love is talking to Noah via Zoom on the computer every Thursday night and seeing Isaac beam with joy while he shouts, “5-4-3-2-1!” and then hears Noah say, “Goofball!”
Love is Isaac doing laundry, bringing it upstairs, dropping it loudly in the living room, and expecting it to be folded ASAP.
Love is Henry watching a football game on TV with his dad.
Love is texting Henry on a Monday night while we are at a basketball game to ask how much he’s enjoying watching The Bachelor while he's home alone. He texts back that it’s amazing and the most dramatic rose ceremony yet. (And he would not be caught dead watching that show.)
Love is my husband putting air in the van tires and filling it up with gas.
Love is seeing Noah sing opera scenes with his new college friends on campus.
Love is going to Culver’s every Saturday night. Each week when I ask, “Can I sit with you?” Isaac always responds the same way. He says, “No thank you, please.” Then he happily sits by himself at a table not far from the rest of the family.
Love is Henry admitting that he finally cracked open the book he got for Christmas. Guess what? It’s good.
Love is Isaac ordering his own meal and dessert with his iPad at Culver’s.
Love is being surprised that your kid watched several seasons of The Office on Netflix while we thought he was doing homework. He did the homework, too.
Love is Isaac doing a google search for “Jaarsma Bakery,” which reminds him of going with his grandpa to get donut holes.
Love is dropping off recycling each Thursday afternoon.
Love is not screaming when I hear a country artist on the radio sing, "I'm rednecker than you."
Love is finding a heart-shaped leaf in the snow during a long walk on a cold winter day.
Love is Isaac coming home on the bus. Every day I say, “Did you have a good day at school?” As he’s putting down his backpack and speech device, he always says the same thing: “Ummmmmm, yes, I did.”
Love is Isaac texting the same message to Henry every day after school. As I back out of the garage to pick up Henry, Isaac grabs my phone and types “leaving.”
Love is driving by the coffee shop several times a week so Isaac can see that it's still open.
Love is finding the good in every day.