Matthew Little Moments

 Oh Matthew. Your tender heart!

Matthew is happiest when he is surrounded by his family. I don't know if anything stresses him out more than a closed door. What is happening behind there? How could anyone be doing anything and not want him there? He often floats between school zoom sessions, popping in to see what everyone is learning. Being left out of anything is quite heartbreaking for him. He often slumps his shoulders, and crocodile tears roll down his warm rosy cheeks. He will just melt into me as he expresses how hurt he is that Cate and Johnny are going to a friend's house without him, or William wants to take a bath alone, or his little friend needs some "personal space." Everything is very emotional and personal and this has its ups and downs. On one hand, his feelings are hurt easily, on the other; he loves and forgives so effortlessly and it brings him joy.

Matthew's Pumping Heart

One week he was have a particularly rough go of it. Matthew and I were reading on my bed. I lifted him to my lap so he was facing me, and we had the following conversation:

Me: Matthew, I hope you know how much I love you. Your heart makes my heart feel so happy.

Matthew: thank you, your heart makes my whole body so happy.

Me: and someday you are going to be such a wonderful daddy and husband! (He talks about how excited his is for this all the time.)

Matthew: Except I wanted to marry you, but Dad already said you're his wife, so I'm a little sad.

Me: Well, someday you are going to meet a really nice girl, and she is going to love you so much and you two are going have so much fun being a mommy and daddy together!

Matthew: (who is glowing with adoration as I share this.) That just made my heart go whoosh-whoosh, whoosh-whoosh. (His ands pumping above where his heart is.

We give each other a big hug. And I tell him that happy feeling is what the Spirit feels like. He smiled so big and gave about ten more hugs. He loves his hugs!

Diet Advice

When I put on a shirt that didn't flatter my midsection very well with the pants I was wearing, I asked Matthew if I should change my shirt because it looked a little silly (he chose out the outfit that day.) He looked at me with such adoration, motioned me down so he could rest his hand on my cheek and he said sweetly, "If you just stop eating your meals for a few times, your tummy will get smaller." He smiled so lovingly and gave me a hug and said, "Or you can breathe in all your tummy in so nobody knows!"  He then sacked in to show me his ribs.

Book Reading

He treats the characters we read about as his dearest friends, and he is invested in their stories. We finished a story about a mouse who ends up having a pea for dinner on Thanksgiving, and Matthew shook his head incredulously, "But Sewiouswy (seriously), that is TOTALLY a feast a for mouse." There are just always similar comments in every story. When a little girl was given the that sat angel at the top of the Christmas tree, he gives me the biggest hug and says "Now, THAT is so super special." He is the only child I remember crying during sad parts of books. He becomes indignant, (which reminds me of three year old Caity who wanted to beat up the Roman soldiers that nailed Jesus "to the T" the first time she learned about the crucifixion.) He will often insert "If I was there, I'd say, "You need to say nice fings to each other now, because this is mean." Or one time, "I would give her my blanket so she wouldn't be so cold." It's just all too tender.

Cuddle

Yesterday he randomly marched in the room and said, "Alright dad! Let's cuddle now!"