Just To See You Smile

As a parent one of the best rewards is seeing your child smile.  There’s something about knowing that they have joy in their heart that makes you feel so good and happy yourself.  I always find myself thinking of little ways to surprise Ryder or make something exciting for him.  Even if it’s just little things, like sharing an ice cream on the front porch before dinner, taking him for a slurpee after therapy, or letting him watch an extra episode of Blue’s Clue’s before bedtime, he gets so excited.  I notice Daddy doing the same thing like pulling a surprise snack for Ryder out of his lunch box that he bought for him during the day, or bringing him home a little prize out of the gumball machine if he stops at the grocery store.  Not that we constantly have to be showering him with gifts, but it’s like we can’t help but constantly be on a mission to make this kid smile.  His smile just makes our whole world make sense.

I found a really cute website that has personalized goodies called www.frecklebox.com .  I ordered some stuff for Ryder’s Easter basket but it didn’t end up shipping until the Monday after Easter, go figure.  But, it kind of worked out because I knew Ryder would think it was extra special to get a package in the mail with such cool stuff…Like these “Ryder Rocks!” stickers:

His new Ryder notebook and “Rev It Up Ryder” coloring book:

And a Ryder placemat!

He’s still telling me today “Momma, stanks for my package!  It’s soooo special!”  He is so appreciative which makes it all even more worth it.  But the best part, by far, is the smile!