Sweethearts

"Love just comes - none knowns whence - and cannot explain itself." 

Mark Twain

Over the past year, we have become good friends with the couple who own the girls' daycare, Autumn and Wes Snow.  The Snows have two little boys - Sawyer and Huckleberry.  Sawyer is four.  He is in Stella's preschool class.  Huck is 18 months.  He and Claire run the show in the ones room.

Beyond their blond hair and killer smiles, the Snow brothers have one thing in common - massive crushes on the Monroe sisters.  

As Huck's vocabulary is (age-appropriately) limited, his love is best expressed with bear hugs and sloppy kisses.  Claire loves his attention and frequently reciprocates.  When they are not "fooling around," they can often be found playing with blocks, sharing a sippy cup or enjoying a good read.

Sawyer, unlike his brother, can clearly verbalize his affection and has done so on many occasions.

The first was on November 7, 2011.  I know the date because the comment is memorialized in a text from his mother.  Apparently, Autumn and Wes were driving around that evening when, out of the blue, Sawyer said, "I feel like me and Stella are like in love."

Shortly thereafter, Sawyer started talking about how he was going to marry Stella. Autumn told Sawyer in that case he needed to go to college because Stella was probably going to go to law school.  Sawyer responded by saying, "No I don't, because I am gonna build her a house."  (Considering the student loans Justin and I will be paying off until 2030 and our general inability to do major home repairs, I think Sawyer has the right idea.)  Autumn asked Sawyer about the house he was going to build.  He said it was going to be big and have a hot tub in the living room.  (Nice touch.)

A couple weeks went by without any further discussion of the pending nuptials.  I thought maybe Saywer had switched his sights to one of the other younger girls in class.  That was until we all went out to dinner last Monday and he showed up with a ring.

Sawyer walked into the lobby of the Lynnwood Claim Jumper, anxiously looking around.  Seeing Stella, he ran over and fumbled with something in his hands.

"Here Stella,"  he said.

"Look Mama!"  she said, beaming.  "Can you open it?"

I reached down and pulled apart the plastic capsule holding the pink plastic ring and noticed Sawyer had a matching one, in blue.

Stella put hers on and held her hand out to admire it.

"We got them out of one of those machines."  Autumn said, pointing to Sawyer's.  "He said he had to get one for Stella and that it had to be pink.  We got lucky!"

"She loves it."  I said, watching the two of them wiggle each others' rings on their fingers.

"Oh, and you'll like this.  We were at the wishing well a minute ago.  You know, the one you throw change into in front of Macy's."

"Yes."  I said.

"After Sawyer threw his money in, we asked him what he wished for - - - he said he wanted to sleep with Stella."

"What!?!" I yelled perhaps a little too loudly, but not loud enough to disrupt any of the other patrons ohhing and ahhing over the eight layer german chocolate cake in the lobby's display case.

"Yea, he's been talking a lot about sleepover parties and wants to invite Stella.  I told Sawyer he probably shouldn't ask like that or Stella's dad might get upset."

"Ha!  I think he should." (Although he should also be prepared to take a punch.)  Poor Justin.  This is what he has to look forward to.

At dinner, the betrothed sat next to each other playing with Playdough and sharing bites off each other's plates.  Sawyer had mini corndogs.  Stella had apples with carmel dip. Decent trade.

As we were leaving, Saywer handed Stella a little box.  I couldn't see it right away.  But, when I picked her up to carry her to the car, she handed it to me to open.

Her first Valentine.

Very sweet. 

(Hey Sawyer - it's all really cute now.  But, we have our eye on you buddy. XOXO,  Your Future Mother-In-Law)