Toofy Grin

I have had a picture on my desk top of Bear for the past couple of months. He has an angel's halo on and the biggest cheesiest smile. This smile takes up his whole face. I can't help but smile every time I see it, that's why I put it as my desk top background picture. Well I didn't want the other kids to feel bad that their pictures weren't on there so I started looking through some old pictures. I found one of each of them, all around the same age: two. They all have the same cheesy grin. I remember now that we used to say to them, "Give me your toofy grin!" right before we'd take a picture. So now I have all of them smiling at me when I turn on my computer in the morning. Each time I see them I have to smile, sometimes I even have to laugh.

I love that each picture has a special memory. Bug's was taken at Christmas time. We had taken her in to Wal-Mart to get an inexpensive professional picture taken of her to hand out for Christmas. I was pregnant with Beaner and had a doctor's appointment so I had to leave before we got our turn. An hour after our scheduled appointment, and well into Bug's nap time, it was finally our turn. Big D tried every thing to get her to smile but she would have no part of it, she just wanted daddy to hold her. After a half an hour the photographer said they were going to take one more picture and then she just had to get on to the her next client. Big D sat down with Bug on his lap, he begged her to please smile just once for daddy, and she did. The photographer had to pull in tight on Bug as to not get Big D in the picture and she was quick enough that she caught the tiniest moment of a smile. In the picture both of her eyes are brimming with soon to be fallen tears, but she has the most precious smile and that is what brings a smile to my face.

Beaner's wasn't as eventful but still just as precious. We were having a picnic on our front lawn. I had picked up Taco Bell and Beaner was eating a bean burrito. After having a child like Bug who was so picky about staying clean as she ate it was like night and day with Beaner; she would bath in her food. She enjoyed her bean burrito and it was written all over her face. From her eyes down was a beard of beans and right in the middle was her beautiful toofy grin. It is probably my favorite picture I've ever taken. And I know what your thinking, "Is that how she got her nickname?" No. However, it would make for a good story.

Buddy Boons is just a sweet soul, he is not camera shy either. Every time he'd see someone holding a camera he would give his biggest grin, even if the camera was not pointed at him. Of course once the camera operator caught a glimpse of his sweet smile they had to take a few clicks of him. We don't have a shortage of cute pictures of him.

We were in the family room doing scriptures and prayers when Bear decided to try on Beaner's dress-up halo. I laughed because it seemed to me like an oxymoron, him wearing a halo. He is definitely the baby in the family and he rules the roost. He is a bit devilish shall I say. I think that is why is makes me smile so much.

What wonderful memories to be reminded of every morning. All my little angels in the heart of their terrible twos and their wonderful toofy grins. This is what being a mother is all about; remembering the good times and not the difficult ones. Now I will never have the experience of terrible twos ever again. Aren't I grateful for the four I survived.