Awwww.

Is there anything sweeter than this?

Soccer

Soccer season returned again in January and New Kid decided she was ready to play. She convinced her Dad to sign her up by agreeing to drop swimming from her agenda (poor third kid totally gets that we have to limit each kid). She has really enjoyed her time especially because one of her classmates is on her team - and he happens to be a pretty impressive four-year-old soccer player.

Here they are down field ready to score:

And here they are after scoring a goal . . . C cheers for all!

 And here they are getting some coaching . . . I promise they have other players on their team!

 Here C is taking it down field to score!

 She seems to be pretty pumped about soccer . . .

 Or maybe just has something stuck in her teeth?

And then there is this one:

 The pictures show a lot more effort and interest than she actually demonstrates.

Actually, this was one of her better games.

Which is hard to believe with the picture below ... notice which way she is looking and where the ball/ action is happening.

And finally the big guy who moved up to 7-on-7 in the fall. This has been a great move for him and he has showed tremendous improvement in his skills. There is not much interest from others to play in the goal so P continues to volunteer. The day I had my camera he spent a lot of time in the goal and with good defense there wasn't much to photograph!

10 1/2

Someone turned 10 1/2 yesterday and for some reason this half birthday seemed to mean a lot to him. He talked about it for weeks and even requested new pajamas for the occasion. Humorous and odd, he announced last night that his two favorite things are pajamas and Cheerios so morning is the best time of day. We are certainly moving into a more challenging time as he matures and he has many typical young boy traits (MESSY!), but boiling down his essence he is still a very sweet and sensitive child. I think the best way to demonstrate the fence we are straddling is this: he speaks of having a girlfriend while his best friend is still a stuffed mouse.

Hall bath

 

     A few months ago a weekend was forfeited by all to touch up the hall bath. The bathroom is ridiculously long and was most likely once split in two. But as it was when we bought it it is big enough to put a Murphy bed in and rent it out. It was ugly, though. The original plan was to split it up so more than one child could use the bathroom and brush teeth, or whatever it is they do in there, with a simulacrum of privacy. This plan was scratched though because one weekend was really all I wanted to give up at the time. Plan b was to remove tile and re-tile as well as paint wall and update the walls and vanity. I went with plan b. As you can see from the pictures I got some help. The children watched me use the jack hammer with their protective eye wear on and New Kid pulled out the lucky charms from between the tiles!

Swim Team

 I have fond memories of being dragged to swim meets as a child. I remember my role as being a mere accompaniment as my sister was actually talented and I was too young to stay home by myself so I was made to go. It wasn't all bad though. As I recall we rode our bikes to practice and the swim club and I imagine I enjoyed that portion more than the swimming. I wasn't particularly fond of the weenie bikini I was forced to wear but I sure liked eating Jello out of a box with my finger! And so my children will now have the chance to form such memories.
  They have been asking for years if they could join the local swim club and associated team but it just hasn't worked out. Until now. Due to numerous circumstances we can't pack up the family van and take the big summer trip like years past so we are stuck in the desert for the summer. This means we needed something to do and swim team became the something. This week was the first meet of what sounds like very many. They weren't rock stars but neither child that participated needed to be rescued mid lap either so I deemed it a success.

Otis Arrived

Otis made a very timely appearance this year arriving for December 1st while we were out of town. We had taken a short one-night trip to Tucson for a bike race and when we got home on Sunday morning Otis was waiting and watching. He brought along several new Christmas books and an empty box with a nice note to the kids instructing them to gather some of their toys to donate to other children.

The girls were excited about this task and wasted no time in filling the box with items, but the Boy was not as generous. I think he may have some hoarding tendencies passed down from his Dad or just too sentimental about things. We will have to work on him.

Coach Josh

This boy made that man a Father just over 9 years ago. I know he was thrilled to have a son and could not wait to do the things he enjoyed with his Dad when he was a boy. Playing catch is probably highest on that list. Park has been playing baseball since he was six and started in T-Ball. He has diligently kept at it each fall and spring moving up in age groups through "Farm" (machine pitch) and now he has been in the "Minors" for two seasons. 

 With little girls to chase (and me being pregnant back when we started Little League) JP has not really had much chance to help out any of the teams over the last 3 years. Now that we have made it to Minors where the boys are pitching, JP offered to help out at practices this season focusing on pitching. This was a tremendous bonus giving the other Coaches time to work on other fundamentals with the rest of the team. He was given a team hat for his efforts. Coach John quickly realized he had a gem of a helper and by the time the boys showed up for pictures, they had an extra jersey (Youth Large for the record) for him to throw on and get in the picture which included a father/ son photo that is a perk of being a Coach. 

JP became a valuable addition to the team helping to get the pitchers warmed up, providing insight to Coach John about the level of skill and capabilities of each boy, and maintaining order in the dugout during games. It was a great season for both of these boys. A light seemed to have switched on for Park mid-season and he started trying harder  at each game and asking to play catch and hit more at home to put in the extra time that Josh keeps telling him is needed to be really good. I think a lot of that had to do with JP being so involved in the games and process. 

On this Father's Day I cannot help but be so proud of him and what he is doing to help raise an All-Star.

Hoppy Easter!

That rascally rabbit the Easter Bunny stopped by our house again this year! Pickle did not feel good on Saturday night but she had enough energy to tell me she had her "fingers crossed that there would be eggs tomorrow."

One of my favorite parts about looking at Easter pictures are the clothes the children wear each year. Some years we are still in pjs while others we have dressed for company. As you can see this year we have a nice array of pajamas (on New Kid and they happen to be new!) to beanie and LSU t-shirt. Pickle chose to put on the new dress her Jo-Jo sent and then topped it with a clashing flower coat. Below is a picture of Pickle from 2009 which stands as my favorite egg-hunting outfit to date!

Happy Birthday

To my First Born on the day after your 9th birthday . . . 

Happy Birthday! You have now entered your 10th year and the last year of single digits; I do believe you are excited about this milestone. You are literally and figuratively straddling a turning point in your life and this paradox is demonstrated daily by your actions. You try hard to be a mature tough boy but at the same time are deeply sensitive and youthful. I love this about you and sometimes it breaks my heart as I watch you struggle with this dilemma as you react to something that has happened trying to hold back tears. You care so much for everyone and are always concerned with other's feelings. 

At this time your best friend is still Mickey and he still does everything with you and you tell him everything. Your favorite animal is the chipmunk and you get overly excited when you see one whether it is in a magazine or among the rocks in Colorado. Reading is still your most favorite activity and you fly through books like they are pamphlets. We are amazed you can read so fast and wonder if you really read every word, but you seem to comprehend as you pass the AR quizzes and test extremely well on reading level exams. You will read anything and typically you read it more than once! We're having a hard time finding books to keep up with your pace.

Baseball is your sport of choice and you have continued to play in the the local League every fall and spring. Most days you try very hard and have made some pretty awesome plays in the field just in the last month. You have also learned to play tennis but we have not done a great job of continuing lessons or practice outside of the camp you attend in the summer. I hope we can 
develop this skill more in the years to come. We just returned from your third year of skiing at Wolf Creek. The Wolf Pup instructors remember you from year -to-year which I think  means you are infamous . . . mostly for all the snowballs you throw! This year you spent your second day of ski school alone with "Big Dave" traversing the mountain including Treasure and Alberta lifts!

During this past year we also went to Florida and enjoyed the beach and waves with your cousins and then you got to stay in Louisiana spending 2 nights in Alexandria and several in Shreveport. This gave you a chance to have one-on-one time with your grandparents that was a priceless experience. You then flew home alone! This was something your Dad and I knew you could handle because we know you have the ability to be mature and independent. It is in these situations that I think you shine the most.

I am excited for the next several months particularly as you wrap up this school year which has been pretty tough for you. Your advanced class has tested us all and continues to push you to do more and work harder. We will see how you handle the last term but I predict some change in your academic direction which I think we all need. I have no doubts that you will excel in school no matter the setting and you will learn no matter the environment. You are an extremely smart kid! Speaking of school you recently made the Rubik's Cube team which has you totally pumped and you spend hours practicing your technique. What a an accomplishment!

We love you dearly and are very proud of you. You are a beautiful boy inside and out. Happy Birthday!

Vacation Day 1, Day 2, & Day 3

Vacation Day 1 went like this:

• Kids dropped off at school 
• JP loading the van
• Christi cramming in some last minute work
• Annual Easter Egg Hunt/ School Luncheon
• On the road by 12:30pm
• Pickle rocked this look:
• NO ONE TAKING NAPS
• New Kid finally asleep 1/2 hour before we arrived in Pagosa.
• Made it from Phoenix to Pagosa Springs in 7 hours 45 minutes!

Vacation Day 2 

Sledding was the highlight of our day! The kids also tried to to play outside in the afternoon but soon met the reality of below freezing temperatures and 10-15 mph winds. 

Vacation Day 3
The Boy started the day heading out to play at when it was 12 degrees. Josh and I had bets on how long he would stay out and even started the stopwatch. He ended up staying out well past 15 minutes because he actually put on appropriate layers (and the wind wasn't blowing). We also headed up the pass for more sledding and JP even hiked up and made a few turns on his snowboard.

 JP has spent the afternoon cooking soup and a chicken casserole for dinners this week . . . days 4, 5, and 6 we are going to the mountain!

Pictures from Egg Hunt

Another year another Easter Egg Hunt and Spring Luncheon at Community Montessori. We do love this event because it seems to always be a beautiful day in the school backyard and the kids are so excited to be freed from the building to begin their hunt. They are let out from youngest to oldest and this is the 2nd year that New Kid was one of the first out the door. (Siblings are invited to participate even as non-students so all the kids have been included for many years . . . take note of the cool dude in the sunglasses below.)

One of our traditions each year are to take these creepy lizards and pose them on the kids heads. (See exhibits below: Pickle - 2008 and New Kid 2012)

Mickey

Look what we found Mickey doing while The Boy was at school! P's love for his "Brudda" has not wavered and in fact their friendship has grown recently. Mick is included in everything and is left in fun and strategic places most days before P heads off for school.

I Could See the Future (and My Past)

Last night as we were herding putting the girls to bed the phone rang - the home phone. This in itself is not an odd thing as that thing on the wall often makes noise, but this time it stopped and then started again immediately which is a pretty good sign that someone must really need to talk with us. The second round of incessant ringing usually prompts one of us to actually walk over and answer it (or at least look at caller ID more seriously). I hear Josh answer and then hand the phone to The Boy. I was a little dumbfounded as it wasn't his birthday so why would anyone call and immediately ask to speak with him? Cute and funny story so far, right? Well here is where it gets sad . . . my son has ZERO phone etiquette. Instead of simply saying "hello," he says "is this Sam*"? Josh and I stood motionless as we watched him bumble through this initial exchange and then some silly I am eight and talking on the phone nonsense." (*not his real name)

Once the laughing ended they were able to get down to business and it turns out these boys are working on a project together and needed to chat about some changes to their Dred Scott presentation. Amazingly the giggling continued and for the life of me I can't figure out what is so funny about 1) homework, 2) PowerPoint presentations, 3) Supreme Court rulings, or 4) pre-Civil War history; but then I am not in the 3rd grade. The Boy then proceeded to spend 30 minutes on the phone with his buddy while they searched for pictures and factoids to add to their project.

I snapped the picture soon after he got comfortable in front of the computer because I felt the need to capture when it all began. I wanted to be able to look back on January 16, 2013 as when talking on the telephone with friends began for him because when I look back on my childhood that is a HUGE part of what I remember. I don't think we talked about Dred Scott unless there was cute boy in one of my classes with that name and we sure didn't discuss changes to our PowerPoint presentation but times have changed as the old folks (like me) say. 

3rd Grade

If it is August then it is time for the yearly back to school pictures. The Boy picked out his clothes last night but as I look back at last year's post I see that he has not branched out too much. He moves into another year but with a familiar teacher and many familiar faces from previous years. This is the first year he gets to ride his bike to school but he didn't hit out on it today. I broke down and drove him because of the usual bag of supplies. The parking lot was a zoo and I am glad it is not something that we have to navigate every morning.

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to my First Born who turned 8 on March 30^th! If only I was as organized as I was when you were born 8 years ago, I would have completed this blog post on or before your actual birthday. A lot has changed in 8 years . . . we didn’t even have a blog 8 years ago. I may have been organized when you came along but I was not calm or confident in my parenting skills. I clearly remember my amazement when we drove away from the hospital (after nearly squeezing you to death with the car seat straps) thinking that they just let us take you. We didn’t have to pass a test or get certified in parenting or anything. You were ours to do with as we wished. And what did we do? We stared at you – a lot. You loved sleeping in your car seat and we could just set you down in the bucket and watch your sweet little peaceful face.

You were not an easy baby. Was this you or us? Looking back, it may have been us as we were so worried about messing you up that we might have been overbearing causing your unhappiness. Our biggest challenge was getting you to sleep. For the first two nights we had to hold you to sleep and then we figured out that you would sleep in your car seat and with Dr. Alexander’s permission we went that route for many more nights then I want to admit. First kids bring so many concerns and fears particularly regarding feeding and sleeping. There is so much societal pressure to give only breast milk and for 6 weeks we did only that but I know that what I had to offer was not sufficient. I know now that your unhappiness and unwillingness to sleep was because you were hungry. It was a little too obvious that once we started you on formula, you started sleeping much better. 

Dad was very concerned that your brain would not grow because you were not sleeping. We kept thinking we were going to “ruin” you by letting you cry. Well, we are 8 years in and I would say you are not ruined and your brain is bigger than the average kid. I guess breast milk is not the golden path to brain growth and those few nights we let you “cry it out” didn’t do any permanent damage. You are such a smart kid storing so many facts in that brain that I am constantly amazed at what comes out of your mouth. You know more at 8 then I know at 37 . . . so much like your Dad. It is very hard to put into words how proud I am of you. I know we are entering some tricky years as you are no longer a little boy. It is going to get harder to shelter you from the scary things in the world but I believe you are smart enough to handle them. You are such a sensitive and caring kid that I want to continue to hold you in close and keep the “real” world at bay, but I know it is time to push you out of the nest every so often for more learning opportunities.

I hope you continue to be my sweet little boy. Much love my son.

Wolf Pups

Vacation is ending and we are heading home tomorrow. Everyone is happily exhausted from so many days at the mountain. We have many stories to tell that I will have to share once I am home and rested. In the meantime check out these adorable Wolf Pups!

Opening Day

Spring Baseball Season is here! The Boy is a Diamondback again which suits us just fine. Opening Day was last Saturday and it was a gorgeous day to watch the teams parade in and to participate in the fanfare. Even the girls got into it . . . notice Pickle "taking a knee" when the players did.

 

 As one of the older players in his division and on his team he should be getting some prime playing time in positions like Catcher and 1st Base. He also decided - with the help of his grandfather and 2 days before Opening Day - that he is going to bat left handed. Batting is definitely his strong suit and he was the lead off hitter for the Opening Day game getting a double to start things off!