1. I get to play with toys! Maybe more than that, I get to experiment with “boy” toys, like Transformers, Rescue Heroes, etc. I was such a girly girl when it came to toys, for the most part. I played with Barbies (although my sister and I were known for marrying our Barbies with G.I. Joe’s. Ken was wimpy in our book…Barbie was much more likely to fall for Joe than Ken.).

2. I love hearing my boys say “I love you, mom.” It doesn’t matter if it’s before they go to bed, when they wake up, of just for packing their lunch, it never gets old.

3. I love watching them grow into young men. I guess this is more relevant now that the twins turned 7 on Monday, but it really is amazing to watch their transformation from boys to young men. There really is nothing quite like it. My dad tells me it’s like Trace Adkins; new song “You’re gonna miss this.” Yeah, I’m there already.

4. I love it when people tell me how caring and well behaved the boys are. It just makes my heart warm to think that I must be doing something right, after all, ya know?

5. I love to watch them sleep. So peaceful, innocent and serene. I could also throw in that I love watching them sleep because I get a little peace and quiet, but I also love to watch the insanely uncomfortable positions that they sleep in. Someday I’m going to start taking pics of the weird ways in which they sleep. I suppose that could be a Thursday Thirteen in and of itself sometime.

6. I have an excuse to watch cartoons! Yes, I admit that I love watching cartoons. And with digital cable, i get to watch all the “old” cartoon that I grew up on, thanks to Boomerang. Shows like the Smurfs, the Snorks, Top Cat, etc.

7. Motherhood is the most fulling job I’ve ever had, hands down.

8. I love teaching them new things. It’s in my nature…I love to teach. And I’m glad I get to teach them so much.

9. I love hearing them laugh. They have the most jovial, genuine laughter of anyone I’ve ever met. It is never just a chuckle with them, either. It’s always a big, hearty belly laugh that envelopes their whole being. It’s so infectious and I love it.

10. I love listening to these three little boys try to have such grown-up conversations. It’s like the books and shows “Kids say the darndest things.” I wonder sometimes where they come up with their topics of choice. Brian and I sit sometimes and just listen to them talk and try to stifle laughter (stifle so they don’t know we’re listening and stop talking).

11. I love to watch them play with daddy.

12. I love being able to kiss it and make it all better. Boo boos, that is. It seems a mom’s kiss can be a cure all (except, of course, in the case of Ryan, who, if you remember, ran smack into a tree a couple of weeks ago. My kiss couldn’t cure that, though I tried!).

13. I love being constantly surprised by how smart my kids are. I know every parent thinks their kids are smart, so I’m no exception. But I really am amazed at how spongy they are and how much they absorb from every day conversations, etc. I suppose having their fathers memory helps that, too. They are like elephants… you know, they never forget (dh included).