The best gift I could ever get

Before being a parent I would hear people say silly things like "I don't want my child to get any older, I want to freeze this time forever" and "I am so sad that my little on is starting school it makes me sad that he/she is growing up so fast".  Before children I thought these statements were the most ridiculous thing that I had ever heard!  I would actually roll my eyes and let out a sigh.  Boy how times have changed!  I would love to freeze Garrett at this age!  He is SO MUCH FUN!  This has been my favorite stage BY FAR!  He is so loving, silly, funny and the best gift I could ever wish for.  I sit sometimes and just think of how sweet he is and it warms my heart to no end.  We got a letter in his box at school this week about how he had been extremely kind to one of the teachers telling her how pretty she was and gave her a kiss.  The teacher said it made her week.  I cried reading the sweet letter that she wrote knowing that he is being so kind to others.  I came home and tried to read the sweet note to Josh, but couldn't even make it through it without crying.  And sadly I am getting teary eyed just thinking about it.  I gave him the biggest hug and told him to keep being the sweet little boy that he is and that I was so proud of him.  I'm sure he doesn't even realize how happy people are because of him. 
There are so many things I love about this little boy who is growing up so fast.  Here are a few of the things that he is doing right now and just make me SMILE:

1.  As in a previous post he loves to tell stories.  Every night he makes up a story.  They are very detailed and are basically a story mixed of things that had happened to him mixed with monsters, cars and bad guys that batman has to get.  I look forward to these and am going to try and record some because I forget the stories so easily.
2.  He tells me I am pretty about 10 times a day.  He is such a little flirt.  He loves to compliment people and loves to be complimented himself.  If you tell him he is handsome he just grins and says "awww"
3.  He loves to talk.  All day long.  I don't think he takes a breath from the time he wakes until he goes to sleep because he doesn't stop talking.  One day he was playing and talking to his toys and he looked at me and said "mommy did you hear me not talking to anyone? "  I smiled and said "yes buddy I did". 
4.  His imagination.  Oh my word.  I love it!  I could sit and listen to him play for hours.  He plays with cars or Buzz and Woody and just has a ball.  He makes up scenes and does such a great job!
5.  He can drink a Capri Sun faster than any person I know!  He can kill one in about 5 seconds.  This makes me a bit worried for his college years.  I'm sure he will be a huge hit around the parties!
6.  If he is talking on the phone with someone he thinks that they can see him through the phone.  I haven't told him any different because it is pretty funny.  He says "did you see that?" and I have to say "I think grandmommy missed the truck crashing" so the person on the other end knows what is going on. 
7.  He still refers to Josh and I as "my daddy" or "my mommy" but does it when he talks to us.  He will just say "My daddy I need..." or "I love you my mommy". 
8.  He is sooo enthusiastic when you surprise him with ANYTHING!  The ooohs and aahhhs are fun.  He will make the smallest little thing the biggest best thing in the world!!!
These next 2 things just happened as I was doing this blog:
9.  He loves to play the game Come Find Me.  I used to love this game.  Now it is fun for about the first 2 times and then gets really old, but I love the innocence in it.  He hides and tells you where he is.  For instance he made me come sit in the closet with him and Sandy.  Then he walked behind the door and said "come find me mommy".  He doesn't think I know where he is.  Ha!  Love it.
10.  He loves Sandy.  Our poor Sandy.  Her little world was so calm before G came along.  Now she is constantly being pat and rubbed and touched and annoyed!  Ha.  She tolerates him.
11.  He loves basketball now.  Every night when we get home from daycare he asks if we can play.  He is actually really good and makes his shots about 60% of the time.  I love to watch him dribble the ball.  His mouth is wide open!  Ha!  He really gets into it.  On a side note Josh has told me that I'm not allowed to be out there anymore because if G gets "hurt" and I'm there he acts really emotional and cries.  Apparently Josh doesn't put up with that.  I will still be out there.  :-)
12. His choice of clothes/shoes.  It it's tacky to me, it's a win for him!  Any shirt that is construction orange (you know that really BRIGHT orange) is a must for him.  We are lucky enough to have one with monster trucks on it.  He is almost outgrown it (oh darn).  He also has those spiderman shoes that light up that don't match a thing that he owns.  HE LOVES THEM.  I've learned that things that make him happy are a win no matter how tacky.  It makes me happy to see how happy they make him.  I did however make him go to Old Navy and pick out 4 plain shirts that he would wear that don't have designs on the front.  We will see how it goes!
13.  When he eats anything sweet you can tell that he is like his mommy and loves sweets.  He will not remove the sweet (donut, cookie, cake) from his mouth until done.  He keeps it up to his lips.  I guess he is scared someone will get it.  He also eats his cupcakes from the top down.  All the icing first then the cake.
14.  He loves to say the blessing and sing "Jesus songs".  He busts out with Jesus Loves me and a few other ones randomly and it makes me so happy.  One night in his prayers when listing his friends he is thankful for his number 1 friend was Jesus.  LOVE THIS BOY!
15.  He is SO SMART!  His memory is ridiculous.  About a week ago he was in the fridge looking for pudding and grabbed one of mine.  Mine has a lot of fiber in them.  When he went to grab it I said "Don't eat that!"  Garrett asked why and I said "Because it will make you stinky!"  (It was the first thing that came to my mind).  G looked at me with a confused look and I followed it with "only grown ups can eat it".  About a week later on the way to school he asked me what my school looked like.  After explaining to him that grown ups get done with school and we go to work he sat there for a minute and said "When I grow up I'm going to get finished with school and eat foods that make me stinky".  OH DEAR.  He associates being a grown up with being allowed to eat foods that will make you stinky.  I went ahead and warned his teachers in case he said anything.

I could go on and on, but I seriously sit sometimes and could just melt thinking of how special our little guy is.  I never knew that being a mom would be this much fun.  It is a lot of work, but so worth the rewards that we get!

How could I forget this...He loves rocks!  He brings home about 10 rocks every day and we have a jar full.  It's the little things that make him happy.  The first day he brought them home I thought he had found rotten teeth.  They are gross looking, but they are rocks (thank goodness)