• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Leanne Shirtliffe

Poetry | Humour | Picture Books

  • Poetry
  • Humour
    • Don’t Lick The Minivan
    • Mommyfesto
    • Ironic Mom Blog Archive
      • Search
      • Start Here
      • Finding Humor Everywhere
      • Hilarious Family Moments
      • Un-Ironic Moments
      • Wild Gen X Tales
      • Full Archives
  • Picture Books
    • Sloth to the Rescue
    • I Love Sharks, Too!
    • Saving Thunder the Great
    • No More Beige Food
    • The Change Your Name Store
    • Guides/Activities
  • About
  • Contact
    • General Inquiries

I Love You More Than…

Over a decade ago, when I first saw my not-yet-husband interact with his five-year-old nephew, they were playing “I love you more than.”

The game pingponged back and forth, each analogy wilder and crazier than the last. When my husband said, “I love you more than a lake full of Pepsi,” the game was over.

~

Years later, when our twins were born, my brother and sister-in-law gifted us a beautiful book, entitled Mama, Do You Love Me? Although it didn’t contain the line, “more than a lake full of Pepsi,” it soon became a family favourite.

This very book was used as the inspiration for poems that both Vivian and William wrote for Mother’s Day at school.

I may have had something in my eye when I read both of their inspired poems in bed at 7:00 a.m. yesterday, the precise time Vivian and William promised they’d let me sleep until.

I can hear their voices in these lines; I hope you can too.

From Vivian:

From William:

Thanks for reading. I love you more than four bars of Toblerone.

~

Feel free to play the game in the comments:
“I love __ more than __.”
As always, goofiness is expected accepted.

Filed Under: Un-Ironic Moments Tagged With: funny mom blog, humor, Ironic Mom, Leanne Shirtliffe, mothers day, parenting, poems, twins

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ria says

    May 14, 2012 at 4:42 am

    The poems are wonderful.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      <3

      Reply
  2. Life From the Trenches says

    May 14, 2012 at 4:43 am

    Leanne, I love you more than my mug loves coffee. These poems are beautiful and that book is a favorite of ours too. Excuse me – something in my eye.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:27 pm

      Isn’t the book great. And I’m honoured with the coffee love. Especially in the morning.

      Reply
  3. Ray Meinhardt says

    May 14, 2012 at 4:50 am

    Happy Mothers Day Leanne

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:33 pm

      Thanks, Ray.

      Reply
  4. Gloria Richard Author says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:20 am

    Squee! Those letters! Yes, I would have cried, too, if I’d received them.

    I love them more than Vivian loves coloUr coding words and more than William loves metaphors (or, is it analogies?).

    They have their mamma’s gift with words.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      Yes, my colour coder. I too have a highlighter addiction, though I rarely use them. Thanks for the extra U.

      Reply
  5. Kim Wilson says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:50 am

    I hope you read Vivian’s first because anything that might have been in your eyes could be mistaken as laughing too hard at William’s. Wow, how sweet. And how well-written for 7yo’s. They certainly take after you with their humour and writing abilities.

    My fave lines: “more than a small library book loves the big library” and “until shark teeth stop growing and apes can talk”. So good!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      Ha. Yes, this is the order I read them in. Vivian was born second and has been trying to make up for it for nearly 8 years; hence, she always goes first.

      Reply
  6. Julie Glover says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:50 am

    This is awesome! I love how different they are and yet how sweet.

    Reply
  7. Neetika says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:57 am

    Very cute!! πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. patriciasands says

    May 14, 2012 at 6:47 am

    Very sweet! Ooops – something in my eye too.

    Reply
  9. Lisa Hall-Wilson says

    May 14, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Those hand written letters get me every time too. I didn’t get any this year πŸ™ A little sad about that. They are getting older though – maybe those days are past? Thanks for sharing yours.

    Reply
  10. susielindau says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:09 am

    So awesome! I would have them framed and hung in my living room! The best trophies a mom could ever have!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      I am going to frame them. Of course, I never even framed our wedding photos 12 years ago. In other words, I have the intention…

      Reply
      • susielindau says

        May 14, 2012 at 9:57 pm

        I know all about intentions. They are paving my road to Hell! πŸ™‚

        Reply
  11. David N. Walker says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:20 am

    That’s what being a parent is all about. The reward is far greater than financial.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. Paige Morgan says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:53 am

    So sweet! I think they have their mom’s wirting skills!

    Reply
  13. Natalie Hartford says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:58 am

    Awwwwwwwwwww…sweetness!!!

    Reply
  14. AnnieBoreson (@AnnieBoreson) says

    May 14, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    That must have absolutely melted your heart. So very different and yet both entirely amazingly. What a great group you have share your life with! Including the husband who wants a lake full of pepsi. If he’s taking orders, I’ll have mimosas…I mean, diet pepsi.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      Ha. I’ll go swim with you anytime, Annie.

      Reply
  15. EllieAnn says

    May 14, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    This is heart-mending and sweet. What a beautiful gift!

    Reply
  16. BigLittleWolf says

    May 14, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    These are fabulous! The way those little minds work… πŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Clay Morgan (@ClayMorganPA) says

    May 14, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    Those are awesome. Can’t really add anything more than that.

    Reply
  18. Tameri Etherton says

    May 14, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Awwww! My heart is filled with happiness after reading those. Your kids totally rock, must be because they have such an awesome mom.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:31 pm

      I think they rock in spite of me. But thanks. I’ll take the compliment anyways. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  19. dianasschwenk says

    May 14, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Awwwwwwww how sweet! It’s moments like that that make it worth all the back talk and messy rooms πŸ™‚

    Reply
  20. hopefulleigh says

    May 14, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    So, so precious! Also, I feel like I learned some cool facts. Tigers like to hunt deer. I never knew. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:31 pm

      And moments ago I learned that hamsters’ teeth never stop growing.

      Reply
  21. Liz McLennan says

    May 14, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    I sing a song to the Reds each night before bed – they sing along most nights. The last two lines are: “I love you more than bubbles in the bathtub. I love you more than you ask, “Why?”

    Your kids are awesome – must get it from their mum (although rumour has it that their dad pretty much kicks ass, too) You are blessed, indeed my friend.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:32 pm

      Some day when I visit you, I’ll listen to you sing that song to the Reds. While I’m drinking your Bailey’s, of course.

      Reply
  22. Ricky Anderson says

    May 14, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    William, that’s impressive.

    Tigers LOVE to hunt deer!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 14, 2012 at 9:32 pm

      Is there a Python skit based on that?

      Reply
  23. serre says

    May 15, 2012 at 2:36 am

    Ouchie, those poems really make the dust fly around the room and stick into your eyes… *sniff. I love the fact they’re similar in structure but very different in content. Girl are always the more romantic ones. But boys do have that clumsy sometimes-unintentionally sweetness (maybe he talks tigers and sharks and think he’s a badass :D)

    I can’t come up with a goofy “I love something more than something else” cuz this dust in the air ruined my mood πŸ˜› All I can think of now is a line from “I am Sam”, letter from autistic daddy Sean Penn to his little daughter Lucy, named after “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”.

    “And P.S. I love you, like the song. P.S. I love you, like in the song.”

    Ouchie again.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 10:09 am

      A lovely comment, Serre. The dust! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  24. Running from Hell with El says

    May 15, 2012 at 5:38 am

    Awwwww gosh wow. I play this game all of the time with my youngest son. By the end of it we’re out of words. Just smiling. Like I am now, after reading your children’s wonderful poems.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 10:10 am

      Thanks, El. These are keepers. So are my kids…

      Reply
  25. RenΓ©e A. Schuls-Jacobson says

    May 15, 2012 at 7:10 am

    Okay, I am going to devote a blog to your Mother’s Day vs. mine. Because the only thing in my eye was dirt. And you have to see the card. It’ll be ready in August. So look for it. πŸ˜‰

    You are a great mom.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 10:10 am

      Ha. I suspect my teenage Mother’s Days may look a lot different!

      Reply
  26. JM Randolph says

    May 15, 2012 at 10:32 am

    These are so great. I love how very “girl” and “boy” they are too. Also awesome that you got Toblerone!

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      Four bars of Toblerone. Now in the freezer…

      Reply
  27. mistyslaws says

    May 15, 2012 at 11:38 am

    Well I was tearing up at all that toffee chocolatey goodness!! Were there also words or something? From your children you say? Eh.

    Kidding. Those were lovely poems from your kids. Your daughter really has a knack for descriptive writing. Hmm, wonder where she gets that from? Sounds like you had a fab M’s day full of love and chocolate. What could be better than that? πŸ˜‰

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 10:03 pm

      It was my best one yet. (But here’s hoping next one is even better. No pressure, Family.;)

      Reply
  28. earthriderjudyberman says

    May 15, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    Your kids’ poems made me misty. What sweet treasures to hold on to: your kids, of course … and their poems. Just beautiful.

    Reply
    • Leanne Shirtliffe says

      May 15, 2012 at 10:04 pm

      Thanks so much for commenting, Judy.

      Reply
  29. julie gardner says

    May 24, 2012 at 11:00 pm

    Oh my. I love this more than Pepsi plus Toblerone.

    (And I like those two things. Very much. So.)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

© 2005–2022 · Leanne Shirtliffe / Ironic Mom ·