401 K, Shmore 01K. IRA, I Thumb My Nose At You.

When I was pregnant with Noah and I found out we were having a boy, I began to pray, among many things, that my little one would be determined. I wanted my son to get after it and be a leader in his home, his community and his work. This prayer showed evidence of being answered the first time Noah started crawling - at five months of age. It became pretty clear early on that Noah isn't one to ever back down from a challenge. I mean, the boy will eat if you just tell him "so and so eats this and can cross the monkey bars as a result." He will down ginseng like it's koolaid just because his friend does it and Noah will not be bested by anyone. And, have you smelled the stuff? It's good for a number of things, but definitely not the olfactory system. He loves learning and, by gosh, all that busyness doesn't leave much time for sitting still.

Along came Lil T and, when I was pregnant with him, I prayed for a number of manly qualities. But there was also a Mommy part of me that wanted a baby who would actually sit in my lap and cuddle. So, I prayed for a snuggle bug and, boy, did I get one. This is my little lover boy. From a young age, he has always wanted to be in my lap, be picked up or hold my hand. One of my favorite questions of his is, "Mommy, can you hold my hand?" I love how he pats my back when he hugs and how he plays with my hair when I pick him up. He wants eye contact, he wants your face to be turned toward his when he's speaking to you, he loves to hug dogs, kitties and anything plush (like his M&M eating momma).

The point of this entry is this, I learn quick. This life lesson didn't fly over my head. For my next pregnancy, I'll be praying for these qualities...

Not the cau-bla-sian part of the pic (because I make my babies Jon and Kate Plus 8 style - three parts white and one part Asian). No, I am praying for those natural athletic skills! PGA, NBA, NFL...I'm not too picky.

Because, hey, this stay at home momma and her teacher hubby gotta retire someday. And, I prefer to retire in a castle like this woman...

Instead of in a van down by the river like this guy...