Three Peas in Pod

There are three sweet peas in my pod, and I love them all for different reasons. 

It's impossible not to love the first two.  While one is still little, the other is growing by leaps and bounds and about to turn 9.  Even when they are mischievous, and they are mischievous, the First Little Nguyen looks at me with those big brown eyes, the Second Little Nguyen with that flirty smirk not unlike the one his father often tosses at me.  You can imagine how difficult it is to hold my ground! 



Bright and early, reading his valentine.



Finally "getting" the humor and laughing!

Ever popular Valentine M&Ms from Uncle Mark & Aunt Janet

Giving me a crazy stare when he sees his new books!

The Second Little Nguyen was up bright and early!  He always reminds me of the little squirrels who jump around on our deck early in the morning.  He is abounding with excitement and energy for the day, and this morning was no exception. 

This was the first year he could read his Valentine all by himself other than the words, "I love you!"  I was so excited writing the special message inside his Snoopy card, knowing he would finally be able to read the "big" words I was writing.  It happens overnight, people.  Overnight.  It always used to melt my heart when that lightbulb went on with my students.  And it's waaaayyy more exciting when it happens to your own child.  I will never get used to that feeling.



Not quite awake yet...

Opening Valentine mail from Aunt Janet and Uncle Mark....

Finally awake and smiling.  Cash always helps!

The First Little Nguyen definitely takes his time waking up.  He is just like me and prefers a slow start to his day.  It's funny how the Little Nguyens are so completely opposite! 

He was happy to have the newest installment in his crack cocaine Star Wars: Secret Missions book series.  After opening a valentine from Aunt Janet and Uncle Mark, he promptly opened the book and read two chapters before breakfast.  Ya gotta love it when your kid would rather read that eat.  Or rather read than eat the sweets that were in his valentine bag.  This is so not like me as I prefer to read and eat sweets at the same time.  I pryed that book from his hands to make him down his English muffin, and you can bet he made sure that he put that book in his bookbag even before his lunch.  Although he isn't really a sneaky student, my mind instantly created an image of my firstborn son sitting at his desk in school with his crack cocaine Star Wars book concealed within his geography book.  Probably the only thing that could make him put it down would be a math book.  He is just like his grandfather that way.  Really, though, this quality in him is so very endearing.  I love that the appetite for reading in my almost 9-year old rivals and often surpasses his appetite for eating. 



My Big Sweet Pea

And the third pea in my pod is the one I love the most.  It's funny how our first Valentine's Days involved flowers, dinner, gifts and nights out.  They always begin that way, don't they?  But when the Little Nguyens came along, Valentine's Day got a little cozier since we stuck close to home like all parents of little ones do.  Things were different this year, though, with the two of them in school.  On Friday morning, Chi announced he was taking the day off....to be with me.  So, we celebrated Valentine's Day a few days early, all morning long while the Little Nguyens were at school. We took a very cold run together at Shelley Lake (but our hearts were warm), went to Costco together (We heart Costco -- is that a crazy date or what?!), headed to the Fresh Market for Valentine flowers, and ate some yummy Korean food for lunch.  This sweet pea is the reason I celebrate Valentine's Day.  And time with him is the best way to spend it.  I love you, Chi!