Beanstalks

It's November.

That end-of-year holiday feeling is back in the air once again.

The kids helping daddy put up the Christmas tree and talking over plans to celebrate Nathan's birthday in December.

I know I say this every year... but I just have to say it again...

They have grown so, so much.

Somehow I feel it especially even more so over this past year.

Their growth rate seems to have doubled, even tripled these past few months. 

Like beanstalks in the night.

All arms and legs.

"It's like they shot up overnight!" I lamented wistfully to hubs one evening as I observed their elongated legs dangling down, almost touching the floor, while they scrambled up on their daddy in rambunctious bear hugs.

Nevertheless, throughout their supersonic growth rate, they both still retain the same sweet spirit and golden souls. Their smiles still shine through easily and nearly everyone they meet can still almost taste the sweetness on their lips in their cheery hellos and howdy-dos.

Their outlook and ideas have also matured and evolved so much this past year. It's impossible to pin down the precise pattern and direction of this thread of change. Their combined sense of humour has also developed distinctive unique flavour of it's own. Here are a few funny moments that made me laugh...

[Running over the car just as it was starting to rain...]

Grace: "Oh no! Meh-meh (her plush lamb) is getting wet!"

Nathan: "Looks like she has to go in the wash now."

Grace: "Haha! No way! That will make her even more wet!"

[Driving home one evening...]

Grace: "The moon is following us!"

Nathan: "Actually it only looks that way because it's so far away."

Grace: "No, I can see it following our car... I think it likes us."

[One morning while getting dressed...]
Me: "Grace, please go to your room and put on some long pants."
[Later on after a prolonged interval, I went to Grace's room to check on her and found her sprawled on the floor in tears still not fully dressed...]
Me: "Why? What's the matter, Grace?"
Grace: (Tearfully) "I looked and looked everywhere, but I can't find any BLONDE pants!" 

[While we were facing off a bobtail lizard intruder in our garage...]

Nathan: "This might be the end of us."

[Splitting up with mum and dad at the shop to browse different aisles...]

Grace: (Holding out her arm dramatically) "We will never see each other agaaaaaain forEVAAAR...... (pause)...... Actually we wiiiiiiiill........"

[Me explaining that two of the snail tentacles are for smelling it's way around...]

Grace: What?!?! Snails have two noses?!?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

[Enjoying a cotton candy treat at the shops...]

Nathan: "This is the best day of my life!"

Grace: "What about when we went to Legoland?"

Nathan: (pause) "This is another best day of my life!"

[After a tough day at school...]

Nathan: "This is the worst day of my life!"

Grace: "You said that last week."

[Tucking into a scrumptious Korean BBQ buffet...]

Nathan : "Life is good man! (pause) Actually life is ALWAYS good."

Every parent always believes they have the best kids in the world. And I concede to that truth in all honesty. But I confess that the secret corner in my heart knows for sure that I scored the the two best ones of the lot.