The Smoochies

I think Madeline started the name "smoochie", or maybe it was Jared describing her when she was little (he probably remembers). However it happened, it has become one of our family terms of endearment...it can be used as a nickname "hey, smoochie" or, more commonly, to refer to actions deemed "smoochie", as in "quit being a smoochie" or "that's so smoochie". It may have evolved from "tookie", which Madeline did make up herself when she was 2. Then there is also "poochie", which refers to when one of the kids (originally and commonly Madeline, but now also Jack more and more) pooches their lips out in a huff because they're disappointed or mad about something...as in, "Don't be poochie" or "Aww, poor poochie". Probably a behavior we should not encourage by giving it it's own name, but somehow it's cute at 2 (with the first child) and then becomes less and less cute as they get older. So, I'm not exactly sure what "smoochie" means...you just sort of know when it's the right time to use it. It's similar to "poochie", but a more general description of something or someone that has elements of brattiness, but also cuteness or silliness. I guess it's kind of like "you little stinker", said with love and affection, not ever in anger. Because it's such a cute, funny word to us, it's often used to diffuse a situation when someone (usually Madeline, because she's the over-reacter) is getting worked up about something silly, or if I've reacted (ok, over-reacted) too strongly to something childish one of the kids has done. Using "smoochie" just automatically reminds us that we are crazy about each other, even when we aren't crazy about each other's actions sometimes. I love my smoochies! I'm sure you all have silly/funny words or names like smoochie that you use in your family. We had tons in mine, which I guess is why I love them so much! I'd love to hear some of yours :-) Don't feel like you have to be as wordy as me, but if you are, I love reading every word of it!

Smoochie Jack building his spider, which, for the record, is NOT scary

I checked on Madeline before going to bed and she was snuggled with her Valentines bear from Memaw, which is the same little beanie baby Jared got me in the hospital when Ruby died. That bear is officially called "Ruby Bear" (J got it because it was pink and girly, and also just about the size of our little Rube) and stays usually on my dresser with Ruby's blankie, unless Noah decides to sleep with it. Anyway, she brought it home from Memaw's so proud that she had her own "Ruby bear" and this is how I found her... Speaking of Ruby, here is her little corner. Our class at church gave us the plaque that has Lamentations 3:22-23 "His compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness". The Wil.low Tree figurines are from different people, before, during and after losing Ruby. The dried flowers are the 4 roses from the graveside service, one for each child, including Ruby, and the other flowers are from an arrangement I got on her first birthday. The frames are some J & I got soon after her service and had on the wall in the dining room. At that time, Noah was big into counting the members of our family, especially at mealtime, and called us "the pizza" (we have a round/oval table), as in "we're missing a piece of the pizza" if Jared was still at work and we were eating, or if Jack was already in bed (back when he fell asleep at 6 pm and slept til 7 am!!). When I was pregnant with Ruby, he would usually include her as a piece of the pizza as long as I was sitting at the table. So when she died, he naturally commented almost nightly that we were missing a piece of the pizza. We put the pictures up in the dining room because (a) there was an empty space on the wall, (b) it was a noticeable place, not "in your face" if a guest wasn't particularly comfortable looking, but not hidden so that people had to go over into a corner and make a big deal out of looking if they wanted to, and (c) so that Ruby could always be a piece of the pizza. They're not back up on the wall yet after painting, but they are in the dining room still, and visible from the table where we share our meals. I think it's a perfect place to remember our little Ruby-Rue, the place where our family gathers to break bread together, to recount and remember our blessings, to be thankful for each and every piece of our pizza.