One night back in April, while I was cleaning up in the kitchen, Jack came downstairs from putting Ethan to bed and told me that I should, if possible, delay going downstairs in the morning.

“Um, not really an option for me, honey,” I replied. “I’ll have two little mutants begging for milk. Why?”

He told me Ethan had something “planned,” and deduced that the two of them could achieve the goal in the dining room if I stayed in the kitchen and playroom.

“I have to set my alarm so I can get him up early,” he said. “He’s pretty excited. You need to know that this was all his idea.”

The next morning when I came downstairs with Henry and Miranda, Jack and Ethan were sitting close together at the dining room table, heads close in concentration. (Yeah, of COURSE I peeked at them!)

“DON’T COME IN HERE, MOMMY! Um, PLEASE!”

I went about my morning routine, preparing breakfast for the kids and getting Ethan’s school lunch ready. I had just gotten the little ones in their high chairs with sippy cups when I was presented with this:

The front

Jack told me Ethan dictated what he wanted the card to say so Jack could write it out for him to copy. Then Ethan came up with the idea of having Jack make the checkboxes.

Needless to say, I started crying. Ethan hugged me, looked up at Jack, and said, “Awww… Mommy’s crying happy tears.”

Indeed.