Reasons my kids are awesome

My kids drive me crazy a lot. They are loud, messy, always pushing the limits, always trying to use things in ways they were not intended, sometimes aggressive, not especially deferential to authority, etc. I am embarrassed that sometimes I am embarrassed when they don't behave like other adults expect them to, but it's true. I often feel like if I were a "better mother" they wouldn't be so many of those things, which is probably true in some cases but not in others. I also really, really like a lot of things about them, like how they are creative, assertive, so energetic, amazingly curious, and lots of fun to be around. Often I find projects around the house that remind me how much like them. Here are a few I've seen the past several days:

A motley crew of migrating dinosaurs:

An elaborate multi-toy city complete with elevated airport:

A Risk game being set up to be sure Dad had no chance whatsoever of victory:

Fascination in a humongous worm that just moseyed across our path on the way to church:

Another major reason my kids are awesome is that we are now in day five of Caleb in Big Boy Pants, and we're pretty much at Mission Accomplished with almost no pain whatsoever (talk about jinxing myself). We even had a successful diaperless night last night. He just interrupted his TV watching on his own to say he needed to go, and viola. Yes. Awesome.