Lucky Duck

Remember that old saying? Or am I the only one who ever used it? At any rate, it certainly seems to apply to Peyton as Spring swings into full gear and the rest of the kids suffer from heightened bouts of coughing, sneezing and wheezing. From all appearances, Peyton is allergic to NOTHING, while I have always said it's probably quicker to list what Tyler and Darcy aren't allergic to than to list what they are allergic to. Yeah, the list is that long. And now it appears that Sawyer is following in their footsteps. Size 5-1/2, to be exact--Sawyer is shaping up to have the exact same allergies as Tyler did at that age, and the symptoms even manifest themselves in the same way. Ultra-dry skin, incessant itching, wheezing--the whole nine yards.

We're not entirely sure of the extent to which Darcy is allergic to her environment, but I do know that she has been miserable this season. She has developed a habitual "sniff" that, I'm sorry to say, drives me to distraction, but it evidently provides her some sort of psychosomatic relief. I have a whole new appreciation for what Clark suffered when we were growing up in Texas. His snorting used to make me berserk (sorry, Clark, I don't think I ever told you) but now I understand that he wasn't just doing it for kicks!

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Random conversations with a three-year-old:

Yesterday the kids were playing with a little plastic toy, a device that reminded me of a simple suction cup, and when you put it on a hard surface and pressed it down in the center, it would launch itself up into the sky with a loud "pop!" and provide, well, moments of excitement for all concerned. Sawyer, naturally, thought it was hilarious and he carried it around with him all over the house. At one point he dropped it and it rolled under the entertainment center, too far for his little arms to reach. He asked me to retrieve it for him and I, being in the middle of something and not wanting to stop at that moment, said something half-hearted about not being able to reach it myself. Sawyer very calmly walked up to me and said, "Listen to me . . . just trust me, you can do this." I think somebody has been listening in on my little pep talks with Peyton!

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Randy has a little routine he goes through with Sawyer once in a while. "You're the best." "No, you're the best." "No, YOU'RE the best!" Last night I heard those words that every mom longs to hear every so often:

Randy: "Who's your pal?"
Sawyer: "You are!"
Randy: "Who's your friend?"
Sawyer: "You are!"
Randy: "Who's the best?"
Sawyer: "Mommy is!"

Aaaahhhhhhh.