Gimme Them Kisses!!!!

The imp and I play this game. We've played it for as long as he's been old enough to really understand what it is I'm asking for, and mostly we play it so that I can hear that BEAUTIFUL laugh, and see his precious smile. The imp is my cuddle bug. He has this smile that requires you to smile back and a laugh that will most certainly bring a smile to your face. His good mood is contagious, and he's nearly always in a good mood. I start and end my parenting time with him the same way every week. I take him in my arms, i hold him with him square in front of me, and with a straight face, i try to tell him "Gimme Them Kisses!" He will immediately tuck his face into his shoulder and squeal with delight, all the time trying his very best to make sure I can't kiss him ANYWHERE on his face. I of course, do what any smart mommy would do and say to him " I'm gonna find those kisses, I'm gonna get em." I then wrap my arms behind his back, hold him super close to me and kiss ALL OVER his neck, where he is superly superly ticklish. He squeals and laughs, and then i laugh, and it reminds me once again what a lucky mommy i am. There are a few times in every person's life where they stop and take stock of what they have, and what they have accomplished. There are times when its little more than overwhelming, there are times when its a little underwhelming, but at the end of the day, the ups and downs are worth the journey. The imp is a pretty fantastic little guy. There's not really much i can say about him that's bad....i guess i got lucky. He came out early, prompt, if you will, and shot out like a log ride, (lucky me, i'd say!) and ever since then, he's been winning hearts all over the place. He has a smile that you can't ignore, and these eyes that just draw you in. He's my baby, and i know how lucky i am to have him around to make me smile. Its funny though. When i was pregnant with him, and me and my ex were going through our struggles, I wondered what i'd do with him. Could i be a single mother to 2 children? Now i look at him, and ask myself a much different question: What would i do without him? Can i be a PERSON without these 2 children? And the answer is always the same....no. My little imp screeches and does the "pterodactyl screech", the one he's done since the day he entered the world, and says sentences that only end in one recognizable word. He has the same confused look that i do, and a smile that melts my heart. His eyes speak to my soul, and he tells me in his own way that no matter what happens, he's right here with me. He'll give me anything in the world i ask of him, and i know that....except...for those kisses. <3