Project 52 {45}

My favorite thing about you:

Your persistence  

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We have high expectations for our kids.  Really high.  I've (kind of) joked that in having Jeff and I for parents, did anyone really expect our kids to be dumb?  I mean, I first met him in our series of honors courses in 8th grade.  We took many honors and AP classes together throughout our educational career.  I can't imagine my kids not being honor students as well.  In fact, if given the choice between best kid on the (insert sport here) team, or in honors/AP courses, I'd pick the academics every time.  Life is just easier if you're not dumb.  So I work with the kids.  A lot.  My goal was to have Haley reading before she started kindergarten, and she was.  We'll do this with Kale as well.  I try my best to have intelligent conversations with them, even if we're just driving around in the car.  When they were babies we'd talk about what color something was on a walk.  I strive to use adult words with them.  They're not afraid to ask if they don't know what a word means.  I've never had to tell them what a word means more than once.  Sometimes I have to explain things a bit more simply, but they'll grasp it and down the road we can get more complex.  We don't avoid topics, and if I don't know, we ask Siri, or look it up on the computer.  I want them to understand that curiosity makes you smarter, and it's okay not to know something as long as you seek the answer to it.  

So, persistence.  Yes, I have high expectations, Haley's teacher's are higher (LOVE).  Especially when it comes to handwriting.  I'd sent Haley off knowing that she knew how to write upper and lowercase everything.  Her teacher expects perfection.  Not kindergarten perfection, real life perfection (on one of my room mom days she needed to see my handwriting before she would let me write out sentences).  Part of her phonograms is knowing all of the sounds that correspond with the letter, the other part is being able to write the letter.  She can tell you rote what each letter sound is, in the order of common use for the first 26 letters of the alphabet.  She can write each letter such that you know what letter she's shooting for.  Perfection?  We're not quite there yet.  She had a test this week on her most recent phonograms and needed to write the letters, so we drilled.  And drilled.  AND DRILLED.  She knew the sounds so I didn't focus so much on that, but we printed out many a writing sheet, and I wrote out the letters, made her copy them, gave her the dots then she had to do it all by herself.  You could see the improvement right there on the page.  She's getting there.  And she wants to do it.  She knows what's expected of her and really tries her hardest to meet those expectations.  

How will you know what you kids are able to accomplish if you don't place those high expectations on them?  And not just academically, but physically, and behaviorally.  In our house we expect academic success (even in preschool and kindergarten).  We expect them to treat their body in a healthy way, eating the right kinds of foods to help them grow, and to exercise to be strong and capable.  We expect good manners at all times.  My job (like I've said a million times on here) is to equip them to go into the world and be successful adults.  With the persistence to meet the expectations we put on them now, they'll be ready to meet them in the future as well.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.  

Project 52 {44}

My favorite thing about you:

Your stick-to-it-ivness.

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Kids in general are a fickle creature.  Not my kids.  When they make up their minds thats it.  Done.  It took a long long time to train them into this, but we're finally confident in our choices. It used to be, with Kale especially, they would get a choice between A and B, they'd choose A and immediately regret that decision and go with B.  Drove us nuts.  Make a decision and stick with it.  Deal with the consequences (however they may fall), and live with your choices.  Yeah, sometimes that meant drinking milk, when you meant to pick juice, but someday it could mean something a lot bigger.  I want them to be critical thinkers, really weigh the outcome of the options they've been given and when they finally make a decision move forward with confidence. Many times in life there are no do-overs.  

What in the world does this have to do with their Halloween costumes?  I'll tell you.  Haley picked this out two years ago.  She wanted to be a devil last year for Halloween, but we sat down and talked about the fact that it might be the only year she could go as Emily Elizabeth (with Atlas as Clifford the Big Red Dog), and she decided to concede, on the condition that this year she could be a Devil.  This year rolled around and months before she knew what she wanted to be (and thankfully left the details up to me).  She got some mixed reactions (here in the land of Focus on the Family) about being a devil from some pretty important people in her life, but she confidently held strong to her convictions and never once wavered in her choice.  

Kale also knew months ago that he wanted to be a ninja.  Easy choice since he is a ninja.  He'll tell you:  "It's okay, I'll protect you, I'm a ninja" comes out of his mouth nearly everyday.  So in the middle of September we were wandering through Target with Grandma and he saw this costume.  I was wary of him picking one so early, and I didn't want him to see something down the road and regret his decision.  He didn't.  Not for one second.  

Someday they'll have to pick a college to go to (God willing), and a major, a spouse.  Serious life decisions.  I want them to weigh their options, make informed choices and never for one second regret the direction they pick.  Pick what's right for them, not the pressured choice or the easy choice.  They're the ones who have to live the outcome.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.  

Project 52 {43}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your memory.

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Here's the thing:  I'm in a conundrum.  Your memory is Ah-maze-ing.  Like, close to photographic.  I'd like to believe that it's just how great you are, but then there's this part of me that wonders if it's only because it has roughly five years of life to remember.  For now, lets assume greatness.

This week your classroom hosted Mother Goose (your principal).  It was your assignment to find a rhyme, memorize a line of it and come up with a costume.  Caution: Rabbit Trail:  Can I just tell you how much fun it was to see all of your classmates dressed up as nursery rhyme characters?  So much fun!  Everyone went way above and beyond to make sure they truly dressed the part.  But I digress (at least I warned you this time...).  Anyway, you chose to be Jill (of "Jack and Jill").  And you didn't just memorize one line, but all of the most common part of it (it wasn't till later we learned there was more to it - now we know).  We practiced it, and you even decided to do a curtesy at the end (naturally).  So you were one of the last ones to go (you got nervous - yes you, the lead in your ballet class because you couldn't stand anything less) got shy in front of kids you see every day.  I think Mother Goose did you in, it was like standing next to a celebrity - I get it.  But you got up, said your lines like a champ, took your pictures, and went back to your seat.  It was great - I was SO proud.  

So anyway... this memory of yours.  It's made me lazy.  You're like my Siri that never runs out of battery, and understands most everything I tell you.  I rarely have to repeat myself.  Your mind is a steel trap.  Can't remember how an event went down?  Ask Haley.  Want to know about a show you watched six months ago?  Ask Haley.  Seven things on my grocery list?  Tell Haley.  It helps that you're a pretty fallible liar too.  So long as you're paying attention, it goes right into your brain and that's where it stays for that moment forever from now when you (or I) need it again.  

I hope your memory stays as clear as it is now.  I hope all of the wonderful things you're remembering stay right there in your brain just as bright as they are today.  What a great gift you've been given.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.  

Project 52 {41}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your smile.

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I drug my feet on what I was going to do for the Project 52 this week.  Nothing was really striking me.  All week we'd be working on this tooth.  Oh, this tooth!  It was loose, really loose, like nearly 180 degrees of lateral wiggle.  Here's how the conversations between the two of us went:

Haley:  Mommy, my tooth is so loose!  Look!  LOOK!

Me:  Let me see (reach my hand into her mouth to check on the wiggle).  [Side note:  Every time I would tell her Wiggle - my word vomit would continue Wiggle wiggle YEAH! - my brain is telling me that it's probably inappropriate to sing "I'm Sexy and I Know it" lyrics to my 5 year old, but I JUST. CAN'T.  STOP.  MYSELF.]

Haley: SEE?!  It's SO LOOSE!

Me:  SO JUST PULL IT OUT ALREADY!

Only we couldn't just pull it out because Jeff was gone for a chunk of this week and I knew he would want to be around for the festivities.  So it was like "Pull it out!  But don't pull too hard!"  So the tooth (literally) hung in there till Friday afternoon.  She was sitting on the couch with Jeff and he asked if she could twist it, and out it popped.  She knew she should be happy, but there were little tears just barely pricking the corner of her eyes.  

It's like she knew (as well as I did) that this was another phase in her growing up and she wasn't quite ready for it.  Truthfully, I didn't realize that I wasn't so ready for it either.  Every time I look at her, it's a different kid looking back at me.  A bigger one.  One that's missing teeth.  And that tooth that's right next to it, front and center?  That's on its way out too.  And thus begins yet another stage of growing up. 

And for the record... A) you must be financially prepared for the Tooth Fairy.  That means cash on hand.  These kids don't accept debit cards under their pillows (well... maybe, but I'm pretty sure within moments the entire American Girl store would be located in her room - and even for a first time around, that's a little excessive for the Tooth Fairy, also, I don't carry a debit card with the Tooth Fairy's name on it - and this girl can read my name.  Plot foiled.  B) She came quipped with a $5 bill folded up in the shape of a heart and a "receipt" stating:  name, date, girl, reward amount, and signed with a flourish.  One of these nights after bedtime, I'll design up something fancy, but for now, this served the purpose. 

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.  

Project 52 {40}

My favorite thing about you is:

You're cheerful.

Learned a lesson in uploading photos to the new computer this week.  

There is so much that I love about this picture.  First of all... her calves - Jeeze!  I bet that comes from all of her cross country as of late.  Second of all, the look on the other kids' faces; pure awe.  And they should be in awe of her, look at how high that kick is!  

So last week I spoke of how being active was important to our family.  Cheer camp was part of that, and I really think that Haley found something she loves here.  Once again this week, we're going to the AF football game and she assumed she'd be cheering.  Talk about disappointment when she found out she wasn't.  That was a moment of being not so cheerful.  

So aside from the obvious cheeriness (according to spellcheck not picking that word up, that's a word, who knew?!) pictured above, my two little ones are overall pretty darn happy kids.  They have moments of small disappointment, but, en masse; happiness.  They can find the bright side in all kinds of less than ideal situations.  I'm a naturally "look on the bright side" kind of person, definitely a "glass is half full" outlook around here.  Sure there are situations that require a Devil's Advocate (it's called being realistic about the situation and looking at all possible outcomes), but to focus on the negative brings a pessimistic view of the world.  Constantly looking for the downside of things only teaches negativity.  Is that how you'd like your children to think?  There's a positive to most everything and every situation.  Find it, concentrate on it.  You bring about what you think about.  So bring about good things, positive things, cheerful things.  A great attitude attracts others with happy hearts, and isn't that what we all want to be surrounded by?  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {39}

My favorite thing about you:

You're active.

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Over the past few weeks, active would be an understatement.  You go to school, and even at half days just four days a week, or 2.5 hours three days a week, that keeps us pretty busy.  But now that you're in school... oh boy.  There's been Landsharks, an elementary school cross country program that practices three days a week and has meets on Sundays.  Today started the Kids Fall Series, another series of cross country races that both of you do.  Then there's Daisies every other Thursday.  This week we signed you up for cheer camp through the Air Force Academy (2 hours of practice, plus a trip to the football game for you to cheer at half time - yeah, twist our arms, that was a sacrifice).  

We're just busy and I'm finding it difficult to say no.  Partially because I want you to have all the experiences that I had in school.  But especially because you're having so much fun and you're keeping your body moving.  I know I've said it before (and honestly, I'm too tired to find the link), but keeping your body busy is the best way to keep it healthy.  We do our best to make smart decisions about what we use to fuel your body and you're starting to figure it out too (Both of you think Soda is a bad word).  But keep moving.  Do a little everyday and you'll stay healthy for your whole life.

Here's the other thing.  Soon we're going to get cold here.  I saw on the forecast that snow is coming a week from tomorrow (we're still supposed to have one day this week in the 80's, but that's Colorado for ya!).  We'll be forced indoors for the winter and our only outlet will be our (all too sparse) trips to the gym.  Let's get it in while the getting's good!  We live in a beautiful state and have beautiful weather - let's take advantage.  

We do our best to set a good example for you.  You've seen us run a few marathons, some half marathons, gone with us on (lots) of 5K's.  I spent the greater part of the summer at the pool swimming with you guys (or watching you swim).  You know that we go to the gym in part to let you play, but also so that I can exercise and make my body healthy.  Having a healthy body is something that's important to our family.  I look forward to seeing what sports you pick out as your favorites and hope that it's something your dad or I did as kids.  But if you don't and you pick a different path, different from ours, that's okay too - we'll still be right there cheering you on.  Even if you turn out to be mathletes.  Hey, an active brain is just as important as an active body.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

And other happenings of the last week(+)

With the beginning of school, comes the beginning of activities, among happenings around here.  So many things I photographed this week and last that didn't make it to Project 52, but I still felt like they required a post of their own.  

First up, we FaceTimed with our BFF's a bit more than a week ago.  Seriously.  What did we do before technology like this?  Write letters?  But where was the instant gratification?  How did you know what their house looked like, what their backyard looked like, what the weather was right then?  How the kids sounded?  Begs the question, what are we living without right now?  It was great to see them.  The kids really missed each other (and so did the parents).  

We roasted marshmallows with turn-ey sticks and toes for props.  And OMG!  Look!  It's me!

We played with my phone in the great outdoors.  Mommy fail.  If he hadn't been completely and utterly bored waiting for his sister to race, this would have been totally unacceptable.  As it was, when she finally ran by he missed her, and she noticed he wasn't cheering.  So this weekend, he can just be bored to tears, let the whining commence.

Speaking of racing... We had our first Kindergarten Cross Country race.  Haley ran a half mile in 5:57!  For the record, that's faster than my marathon pace.  Our good friend, a first grader, won the half mile with a time of 3:31.  That's faster than my one mile pace.  By a lot.  

We took first day of school pictures in pajamas (Dad had to leave for work early).  And the smile was better than any other one I got that day with Kale.  

We jumped in puddles.  We finally got a day of rain, which left tiny puddles on the patio after school.  Puddles just right for putting on her (far too small on her feet) galoshes, grabbing her Tinker Bell umbrella, and jumping her heart out.  

School picture day came.  No uniforms were required, so long as the clothes were fancier than a normal uniform (so no jeans).  Something tells me I'm going to like this picture better than whatever was taken at school.

Aaaand... we did some more jumping.  My favorite is the bottom right.

Project 52 {38}

My favorite thing about you:

Is that you're back in school.

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Lets play "State The Obvious".  The reasons I'm loving that you're back in school are three fold:

1) Last week.  I'm happy you're anywhere but the hospital.  

2) You love school.

3) I need you gone to miss you.  

Yes.  Finally. Three weeks into September and both kids in school.  For this I'm thankful.  Ugh.  What a terrible mom, right?  But seriously... Aside from the 50% discount on responsibility, I appreciate the one on one time I get with each kid.  For about two minutes this fall, I thought I was going to get some time to myself three days a week (I had a mid-morning date with my garden tub - or more realistically, time to clean said garden tub), but that didn't happen when Haley got PM kindergarten.  So, if I can't have undivided time with myself, I'm thankful to have it with one kid at a time. 

This summer we spent a lot of time the three of us, which was great.  But we get sick of one another and need a break.  Yup, I said it, I get sick of my kids (and truthfully, they get sick of me too).  School is just the remedy to keep me from the crazy house - or a job outside the home.  I can't miss their presence around the house if they're not gone.  Why would you want to miss your kids?  Anyone asking this question isn't a stay-at-home-mom.  Because I can't use the ladies room between the hours of 6am and 7pm without the door being flung wide open, for starters.  For finishers, it's the three of us for most of the day (even with school), and I'm left out.  With just one, they're forced to come to me for entertainment and they entertain the crap out of me.  I get to know them better as individuals.  We work on school skills that need extra attention.  We hang out, run errands that are easier with one (so everything), and wonder what the missing one is up to.  

And once we're the three of us again, they have a million questions for the other - they hate not knowing what the other one has been up to/what they missed out on.  I love those conversations; I turn the radio off and just listen, because I'm in the same boat.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {36}

My favorite thing about you is:

You sleep in my arms.

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It seems, over the past couple of weeks the theme has been about how much they're growing up, each and every day moment.  But this week a few forces of nature combined to give me a very special moment with each of them.  They slept in my arms.  Last time this happened?  I couldn't tell you.  It's definitely been a while. Well, aside from those sleepy trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  It's as scarce as a blue moon these days (which we also got this week - perhaps I need to go buy a lottery ticket, rare things are abound).

Over Labor Day Weekend, we had our annual backyard camp out.  Tons of friends, no bedtimes, tents and glow sticks!  Seriously, is there anything better?  Kale went to bed around 11:00, and was up bright eyed and bushy tailed around 6:00.  Seven hours isn't even close to a full nights sleep for my kiddos, especially when a giant wind storm blows through around 3:00am (exactly the time Haley and I went inside) and almost upends the tent.  So they napped, and Kale pretty much could have just gone to bed, because when I woke him up at 4, he came downstairs and slept in my arms till about 5:00.  It was nirvana.  And Jeff made pizzas for us, so I didn't even have to get up and cook dinner.  Even better.  It was food that finally woke him.  

On Monday we got take out for dinner, and a half rack of spare ribs gave a nasty case of food poisoning to Haley and Jeff (See folks?!  This is why I don't eat meat on a bone!  That neurosis totally saved my life!).  Haley ended up with a five day weekend instead of just four, and when I finally sent her back to school on Wednesday, well, those two and a half hours really took it out of her.  She fell asleep on me on the couch, and while I reveled in that for a bit, decided to share her with Jeff (we had to eat, thus I needed to cook, and I wanted some photos). 

So the house is messy, dishes need done, toys need picked up and my carpet is slowly growing another dog worth of pile.  But I got to cuddle with my kids who are growing up.  That's the thing about this whole parenting deal:  You never know how long a season is going to last.  And as crappy as some of them are, and you're glad to seem them take their exit, some of them are so sweet that you hardly realize it when they're no more, and when you finally do, it's too late to get it back.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {34}

My favorite thing about you:

Is that you're off to Kindergarten!

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A quick observation, having now gone through two first days of kindergarten:  The book "The Kissing Hand" was written for the express purpose of being read on the first day of kindergarten, in front of the parents to make the poor emotionally fragile mothers cry.  It's fact.  

I have a kindergartner.  Am I old enough for that?  Yeah, probably.  Seeing as how I'm a few years older than my mom was when I started, and if you've ever watched MTV, then you'd know that you can be far younger than I, and have a kindergartner.  But still.  My first baby, my smart little girl, is (officially) starting her educational career.  How have 5 and a half years already gone by?  I swear she's going to be running the world next week (though, if you know Haley, you'd know that starting kindergarten or not, that's still a completely viable possibility).  13 years till I send her off to college. 

Long, long ago, we parents here in Colorado Springs, began planning our children's schooling (or at least those of us living in District 49) as though where they head off to Kindergarten determines whether they matriculate to an ivy league college (or at least a nice service academy - wink, wink).  Here in Colorado Springs, we have good neighborhood schools, but we also have charter schools.  Charter schools that you need to get on the wait list for pretty much at birth (okay, so Kale got on at 9 months, but still...).  Haley was number 700 something.  They take 250 kids.  We were kind of a long shot.  However, we got the e-mail that she'd received a spot in this school the afternoon after her first day at the neighborhood school.  

So.  Like I mentioned last week, Haley is on her second first day of Kindergarten.  As you can see, the new school has uniforms (although according to a Charlie & Lola book, and thus Haley too, they're Schooliforms).  I love this, the type A in me that lives for organizational systems, had a hay day.  Sunday night I ironed and hung up all of her outfits.  I hole punched a gallon size ziplock, to hang on her hanger to include all of her accessories:  socks, undershirt, hair accessory and shoe card (a laminated picture of the shoes she's supposed to wear with the outfit).  Each bag is labeled with the day of the week and what "special" she has for the day.  The night before school, we hang it on her hook and there's absolutely no discussion about what she's wearing for the day; she just puts the outfit on.  Perfect!  One week of school down, and the system is working out quite nicely. Ask me about it in December.  

Here's the thing.  At this new school, since we were lucky to get a spot, beggars couldn't be choosers.  We're afternoon kindergarten.  If you know one thing about my kids it's that they're morning people, and they still take naps.  Yes, my 5 1/2 year old still takes a nap.  This is a wrench in our routine to say the least.  But we're making it work.  Kale seems to be napping about 2 of the 4 days that she's at school (quiet time the other 2), and Haley has dropped them all together (oh, she's so tired by 7:00).  Does this mean she's sleeping in?  Nope, not a chance.  I still see her bright and early at 6:00. Morning people, I'm telling you.  I need to teach them how to make Mommy's coffee.  But I digress (again).  

Haley's new school is a great fit for her.  Each day she gets in the car is the BEST. DAY. EVER! And that makes me happy.  I loved school, and I pray that my kids do too.  So far, I have no reason to think otherwise and the little boy who brought in Red Velvet cupcakes for his birthday on the 2nd day certainly boosted my cause.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful . Truly Dedicated Mommy 

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {28}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your Curiosity.

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Why?  WHY?  WHY?! Yes, it's the age.  I get it.  If you ask your father, he'll tell you that you get it from me. "Why can't you just agree to something, you always have to question it." he tells me.  A lot.  Because I want to understand.  And you guys do too.  I doubt he'll ever get a break from the questioning.  But it makes us smarter, and we don't have to walk around pretending we understand when we really don't.  There's a lesson there.  Make sure you learn it.  

On this specific day we took the kids on their first (memorable) geo-caching adventure.  We stayed very local and were pretty poor at it -  found one of the five(?) we tried.  One thing that's not my favorite?  Your lack of patience.  Again, I know where it comes from.  I was cold and tired too, and I wasn't even 4 or 5 years old.  With each of the caches there was a little background story.  You had so many questions about the story (did you listen?  I don't have any more information that what you have), where was it going to be (I don't know, that's the whole point of this exercise...), what would be there (we're going to just have to find it and figure that out), why do people do this (good question)?  But it was a great family adventure.  Till our (also curious?) new neighbors pulled up beside us on the side of the road and wanted to make sure we were okay as we're wandering around obviously searching for something.  "Yup, we're fine, just geo-caching!"  "What?" Then confused looks as they drove away.  But, and this is a big BUT, it was a great family adventure.  We spent time together as a family and did something new.  We'll try it again, but will likely have to update our equipment first.  And also bring sweatshirts.  

This is a picture of Haley holding one of the permanent fixtures of the one cache we found.  Seal (the snow leopard).  Haley traded a pencil with a cupcake eraser for a bottle of bubbles, and Batman traded a sports pencil for a McDonald's toy.  What?  Don't you wear a mask when you're geo-caching?  Well why the heck not?  I'm just curious.

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Style | Haley

Best as I can tell here's what ties this outfit together:
A) Everything has stripes on it.
B) Everything has some shade of pink on it.

Project 52 {26}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your compassion

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This week has been tricky.  As you've no doubt heard, we've been dealing with some pretty aggressive wildfires in the area.  In the area being about 15 miles away from the house - both a scary close distance and a whole world away.  Tricky because I had a need for information, but also felt like I needed to protect my kids.  I feel like they're still a bit young to start thinking about the losses of so many in this town, so I did my best to shelter them from the worst of it, but intuitive as Haley is, she picked up that this was a terrible thing.  I wanted them to know that our home was a safe place to be.  I didn't want them to think about this happening to anyone else's home, I just wanted them to feel safe.  Even when there were moments where I wasn't as sure.

Like I mentioned, Haley was aware of the situation.  But in her kind little huge heart she was beyond concerned about the "critters".  Have I mentioned she's sure she wants to be a zookeeper one day?  Yeah - her mind's made up.  She worried herself about the animals at the zoo (which are also safe).  She was worried that the wild animals were being forced from their habitat (her words), scared that they would starve as she realized that their food was being burned by the fire.  She was heartbroken.  We found on Facebook, a picture of a firefighter from Pueblo that had rescued a fawn and bandaged her hooves.  I showed this to her to help her to see that the firefighters were not only protecting homes but were helping to save the animals.  She was quite pleased and you could see the relief on her face when she comprehended that there was someone there acting on her behalf.  Like they were listening to her demands that the critters be taken care of.  She channeled her concern into the puppies, and is carrying her school of stuffed critters around the house with her - even wrangling Kale into babysitting them when she has responsibilities to take care of. 

We're safe, the worst is over.  Many have lost their homes, a few their lives.  We're thankful that non of our friends were among them.  We knew many who were evacuated (still are), but in the coming days they should be allowed back home.  It's been inspiring to watch the community come together over this, to meet each others' needs without a 2nd thought.  If you had something that was needed you gave it.   If you could take someone in, you did.  It's inspiring.  This city won't come out of this the same - but for all the hardship and loss, we've gained so much (easy to say though, with my roof over my head).  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {23}

My favorite thing about you:

You practice 'till you get it perfect.

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I think you've spent more time this week cartwheeling than you have walking.  Your (well trained in gymnastics) BFF can do it, so naturally, you can too.  It's your favorite thing to do (for the current 5 seconds anyway).  You were a little lackluster at the beginning of the week and more often than not, fell on your hip (you've got the bruises to prove it), but you set your mind to it and now you've got it down.  You're even working on fancy landings now.   

Remember this.  Not everything in life will come naturally to you, that doesn't mean it's out of reach.  And if it does come naturally to you, a bit of practice will keep your skills honed and help you to reach even higher.  The saying goes that there's always room for improvement, well improvement doesn't come without some practice and perseverance.  We have high expectations in this house, expectations that we know you can achieve, but not without some trials wherein you can grow, learn where you need improvement and practice till you get it perfect.  

It should be noted that I never did much tumbling growing up; the first time I tried, I hyper extended my knee and decided to stick with swimming - smart choice on my part.  Cartwheeling for me is much like hurling my head at the ground for no reason from the height of more than five and a half feet.  Why?  Why would I do that?  But I remember being a kid and loving it (and hula hooping, which for some reason, is not like riding a bike - who would have thunk?)  Haley loves it all.  But there's not much I can help her with in this arena.  We had friends over last weekend for my birthday and after watching her cartwheel around for a bit, her BFF's mom noticed that she was leading off on the wrong side.  Um... Cartwheels are sided?  Mommy fail on my part.  Dang it.  But once she figured that out?  Done.  She nailed it, and she's been doing it ever since.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

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Project 52 {22}

My favorite thing about you:

You know how to have a good time.

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(literally just grabbed my camera - strange settings)

I'm not sure at what age you quit trying to have fun in every situation, but 5 is definitely not that age.  Bath time?  Yup, fun to be had.  Oh!  You bought a fizz to turn the bath green and add bubbles?  I'm going to need that.  Getting out of the bath?  Yeah, it'd be so much fun to put on the hotel bath robe. While I'm at it, why not get up on the big bed and be silly?  Every situation has an opportunity for fun to be had, especially if that situation is a hotel room.  

This past three day weekend we headed up to Boulder (Broomfield, really) and hung out mostly for Jeff to run the Bolder Boulder 10k, but also because we all needed a little mini vacay.  It was great to not worry about the house being in perfect order, because we left it that way.  We got to be a little messy and leave the Legos out, and make a mess of the million American Girl outfits we packed (in anticipation of picking up a new member of the family: McKenna... O. M. G. the fun with her...).It was needed.  Did I say that?  We all needed a bit of adventure and finding the fun in every situation.  A great escape from our everyday, which can be a little stressful lately.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {21}

My favorite thing about you:

How proud you make us

This week you both finished preschool. This is pretty monumental in your short, but amazing lives...  

Haley, you finished your last year of preschool, and to say that you loved it wouldn't even come close to how you feel about school.  Your enthusiasm for learning is one of my favorite things about you.  At just 5 years old, I know you're going to love learning for your entire lifetime.  You absorb every piece of information you can get your hands on and store it away for when you can shock me with your knowledge later.  If I had a dollar for every time I've asked you "where did you learn that?!"  On the one hand I'm sad that you're no longer a preschooler, I'm beyond excited for what the future holds for you - Kindergarten!! If it wouldn't be entirely inappropriate, I would put HUGE expletives in front of that, because that's how excited you're going to be when you figure out that you get to go to school every. single. day.  Your hard work and determination to learn makes your dad and I so proud.  Often, we go to bed at night talking about you guys and marvel at the things you've told us, what you've learned, things you've done.  

Kale, you finished your first of three years of preschool.  Dad and I debated back and forth about whether to put you in this year or just wait and let you have two years like your sister.  But I'm so thankful you got this first year under your (very favorite baseball) belt.  You've learned to write your name, and a whole lot about the social expectations of school.  You're pretty great at sitting on your shape and listening to the teacher during circle time, and you never give a hard time when you have to stop playing blocks or cars to do the art activities.  You're a pretty laid back guy in class and are happy to roll with the routine.  Then there's gym.  If you tell me anything about your day at school it will be whether you went to gym or not and what you did there.  Never what book the teacher read you.  We're proud that you're figuring things out, and that you're a class leader.  The other kids in class love to follow you and see what you're up to, you do the coolest things.  You've made new friends of your own and play pretty well with them (most of the time, but hey, you're three!).  I'm so excited to watch you continue to grow in school and see how far you come by the time you're done with preschool. 

As much as I'd we'd like to take full responsibility for their achievements, I feel that I need to be especially thankful to their school, Holy Apostles Preschool.  Of all the things I'll miss most when we move, this school is the one thing I really wish we could pack up and take with us.  Over the two years we've been a Holy Apostles family, we've been lucky enough to have teachers that are exactly right for our kids and what they most need.  I'm especially grateful to Haley's teachers this year, I'm confident that next year in Kindergarten Haley will excel based completely upon the expectations that were set forth this year.  Their skilled preparation will absolutely benefit her and allow her to continue to be academically successful.  As a mother, I don't think I could ask for more.  I'm going to miss the school (almost) as much as the kids!

We are so beyond proud that both kids had such successful school years.  They're good kids and they really seem to excel in an educational environment.  Nothing makes this teacher over qualified room mother happier.  To celebrate (and because Jeff is also on a one week break from his Master's classes), we're off to Bolder for the weekend so that Jeff can run a race.  We'll be making a stop at the Lego Store for Kale and the American Girl Store for Haley.  We feel that hard work deserves a reward.

And as an idea of how far they've come since the beginning of the school year:

My Goodness!!  Slow down!!

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {18}

My favorite thing about you:

Is that you're a girl.

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When we first found out we were having a girl, the first thing I asked the ultrasound tech was "Like what percentage are you talking?"  I was certain that I was pregnant with a boy.  He told me "Like 97%."  "Okay."  I was over the moon excited.  I can be a girly girl - I love getting my hair done, my nails, shopping, all things chalked into the "girl" category.

But I love how Haley is a girl.  She's a running, swimming, tumbling, artistic, holds nothing back against her brother, dress loving, girl.  She's defining how she wants to be a girl, and some days that means making a mess in the sand in the back yard and other days it means going to the nail salon for mani/pedi's.  I'll admit that when I found out I was having a girl, I was excited about doing those things with her, picking out prom dresses, and planning a wedding someday.  But my job as the mom of a girl is to show her how to be strong, healthy, intelligent, able, and sure of herself.  The same things I'm responsible for with my son.  

Yes, the blog has been a little girl heavy lately, but that's just because she's the one more willing to sit still for the camera.  It ebbs and flows around here.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {17}

My favorite thing about you is:

You hair.

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I love that you have long hair and you let me do it (most days anyway).  Long hair is just you.  We braid it, it goes up in ponytails, "Peek A Boo, I Love You" (pigtail buns), a half ponytail and about a hundred other ways.  I love all of our options.  I love that every outfit has a matching set of curly cue Gymboree clips.  But we've been lazy lately, gone are the days of pigtails every. single. day.  These are the days of "Do it yourself" headbands, and brushing it yourself as well.  I love that you are capable of brushing your hair yourself, but I'm sad that you look and act more like a big girl and less like a little girl (in this respect).  

This week my dad sent me a great picture of me and my sister from when I was (maybe) 7, so 1988(ish).  Great hair, huh?  I remember how much I loved my mom doing my hair (looking back, perhaps I should have taken the reigns a bit earlier).  To this day, having someone play with my hair, is the best feeling in the world.  Not long after this picture we cut my hair into a short Dorothy Hamill style (so short, I was constantly mistaken for a boy).  Obviously it was a long period of poor choices in haircuts.  My sister never seemed to love it quite as much, and who can blame her, my mom was famous for braids that were tight enough to give a face lift to a 6 year old.  I remember the day my mom decided to cut my sister's hair - she argued with my dad that if he wanted it to be long, then he should be the one to take care of it.  They cut around 18" off (still sits in an envelope in a filing cabinet somewhere).  Perhaps it's appropriate to note here also, that my mom's favorite hair color was always red, not auburn, R.E.D. Like a fire truck.  To this day, I don't know how, she totally pulled the color off.  Personality, I suspect.

But I digress,  I hope that someday when Haley looks back a pictures of herself she remembers the time we spent together brushing, and styling her hair.  Girls club doing what we could to pull the hair out of her face so that her beautiful eyes could shine without obstruction and that it stayed out of the way while she was trying to learn.  And I pray that her hair is classic enough that she never has to live with a picture like this up on facebook (or whatever the deal will be when she's 30), but if she does, I hope she's able to own it with a sense of humility and self deprecation, like her mother.  

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

Can I link you too?  Leave me a comment.

Project 52 {9}

My favorite thing about you is:

You remind me of my mom.

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This smile right here.  This is my mom's smile.  I wish I had a picture of her to show you how crazy similar it is.  That hint of crooked is exactly what her's looked like.  And those eyes, if they were green, they'd be hers too.  Haley and I get comments all the time about how much we look like each other, just like I got when I was with my mom, and just like she got when she was with her mom.  Haley definitely has that sense of Reid woman sass, and my mom would have loved every second of this little girl.

It's taken having kids of my own to appreciate what a good mom my mom was.  Faults, sure, but we all have them in varying degrees.  The way she raised me, the experiences she gave me, it was a great childhood.  It's difficult for me to put into words what it means to have these little reminders of her, it's just important.  And there's not really another word for it.  

This week my grandma passed away.  Reminders of our loved ones are what keep their memories alive.  It's the little things in our future that keep our past with us.  All of this makes us who we are right now.

Want to check out some other super great Project 52 eye candy?

 . Styleberry . Wicked Kate . Adventures in Mommyhood .  Lucas & Mahina . Heather Marie Portraits . Something Insightful .  

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Style, by Haley

Remember last week when I told you that we battle her outfits and how much I love her style when she can just play?  We had Yanni over the other day and she decided that since the boys had played enough with the Imaginext, and "shooter guns", it was obviously time for a photo shoot.  So after chasing the boys away from my tripod (clearly a "shooter gun") and out of my studio (a great sniper location because the loft looks over almost the entire house).  She had her accessories set:  The outfit I made her wear because we had conference that day (cream shirt from Children's Place, and a reversible smock from Nordstrom Rack), a faux fur (duh) boa, purple flower sunglasses and a Tinker bell Umbrella.  Done.  Also, it should be noted that all outfits can be completed with this pink boa (if you're 5).

Also, I apologize for the lack of white balance here, totally forgot to do it before I started the shoot and lost some cool pictures because of it.  Bummer.  Lesson learned.