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 {42}

My favorite thing about you is:

You're strong.

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Not necessarily physically, although to ask you, you'd say you're the strongest person in the world.  But strong in character.  To be strong in your character at this age is no small accomplishment.  You know right from wrong and in your world, it's pretty black and white.  There is good and evil, and you unfailingly fall on the side of good.  You're like a preschool superhero.  I should make you a cape.  

Everyday when we pick you up from school, we turn the music off in the car and do our best to have a good long conversation about your day.  What was your favorite part?  Was it a good day? What did you have for snack?  Did anything bother you?  With your sister this conversation almost always lasted the whole way home.  With Kale, if I can squeeze 5 minutes and anything more than one word answers, I chalk that up in the win column. The win column has very few points in it.  But Friday afternoon, you had lots to tell me.  

Here was (according to my memory) a recounting of the conversation:

Me:  So what did you do today?

Kale:  We went outside (a VERY common qualifier of a good day).

Me:  Oh yeah?  What did you do out there?

Kale:  I told *Boy* to stop teasing my buddy!

Me:  What was he doing to your buddy to tease her?

Kale:  He was saying mean words.

Me:  That's great that you saw someone being mean to another person and you told them to stop.  That's a very big boy thing to do.  It's important to stand up to people being mean to others.  Buddies or not.

Kale:  What does stand up mean?

Me:  Uhh...  You saw something you knew was wrong, and you did your best to make it right.  

Kale:  Oh, yeah.  I did that.  

I was so proud at that moment I wanted to cry.  Kale is significantly bigger than this other boy, and sometimes (at home) he forgets his words and uses his actions instead.  Jeeze, is that a montessori sentence or what?!  But this time, when it counted, he used his words and stopped the boy.  You hope as a parent that you're raising good kids.  On the whole, if I could pick the characteristics of my kids, cute and athletic would be pretty far down on the list.  Are they good people?  Hard workers?  Smart?  Do they make good choices?  That's what I'm after.  Someone, who, when I turn them loose to the big wide world, will contribute to the greater good.  Productive members of society.  Now, here's where I jinx myself:  I think we're on the right track.

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 {37}

My favorite thing about you:

You're healthy

Taken with my iPhone 3GS, edited with Tilt Shift Generator (the best camera is the one that's with you)

Originally, I had planned to do Kale's first day of school as this week's project 52.  Do you know that saying "You plan, God laughs"?  I could write a book about how many times I've had to learn this lesson.  There were other plans for us this week, Saturday night Kale got sick.  We thought he'd OD'd on chocolate at a picnic, but, sadly, that wasn't the case.  

By Monday at about 2:00 am, I wasn't able to keep anything in him, not liquids or meds to control his fever, so it was off to the ER.  He was so severely dehydrated that they went right to an IV with fluids and something to control his vomiting (see pic 1).  We were just about to be discharged and when he stood up, more vomiting.  Something wasn't right.  So it was off to an ultrasound and a blood draw.  The ultrasound showed a cranky appendix.  The hospital close to our house doesn't operate on anyone under 5 so we were ambulanced (see pic 2) to the Children's Hospital downtown.  We saw the surgeon who determined that we likely didn't need to take out the appendix and he mentioned that the blood draw showed strange banded white blood cells (WBCs).  Off to the CT scan which confirmed the appendix was fine, but that his gall bladder was also cranky.  

We spent Monday night at the hospital (see pic 3 wherein they gave him some cool accessories for his hospital gown).  He was given some antibiotics, and more serious fluids.  By Tuesday morning he was more himself but the most recent blood draw showed no improvement in the WBCs.  Let me digress a moment and say that Google is a nasty bitch, Google "fever+vomiting+high WBCs" and scary stuff comes up.  There was some brief, however memorable conversations about leukemia.  If you're a mother, that's never something you want to hear in conversation regarding your child.  I've never felt like passing out over a conversation before. That evening the GI doc came by and felt fairly certain that he got a nasty intestinal bacterial infection.  Holy great big PHEW Batman!  But that still meant another night in the hospital as we cultured, tested, poked and prodded and a 50/50 chance at a 3rd night hanging out there.  

Wednesday morning brought another rude awakening in the form of a 6am blood draw and more waiting, also a boy who was nearly back to normal (see pic 4, he learned that there was a mirror in his bed table).  By the time the pediatrician came in at 8:30, she brought the news that the WBCs had not only gone down, but were completely back to normal.  Not elevated.  Not banded.  Normal.  Like nothing ever happened normal.  We would be on our way home by lunch time.  What?!  Praise God!  We left with no medication, not even antibiotics, just a couple of follow-ups.

Kale was a great patient.  Such a brave trooper through it all - I don't think I would have been.  He took each prick, poke, prod, and test like a champ (he even fell asleep during each of the ultrasounds).  The Nintendo DS that we got to borrow helped, so did all the movies they lent us (seriously, every movie ever made was available), the playroom right outside our door with tons of toys and books, and the tricycle he rode miles on.  

Here's what I learned through this experience:  

• Don't Google things when your kids are in the hospital.  
• Prayer works wonders/creates miracles, so does modern medicine (I'm convinced they work together).  
• Children's Hospitals are amazing at what they do - every time I'm asked to donate, you bet I will, I encourage you to as well. 
• I may live miles from my actual family, but my military family is an amazing substitute. There are no words to describe the sacrifices they made to keep life normal for Haley through all of this, and to support me.  I owe them, and hope they all know I'd do it for them too.
• I'm thankful that my kids are healthy, in fact, thankful doesn't even begin to cover how I feel.  I'm thankful that we only had to spend two nights there - there are many, many families who are not so fortunate as we were; I met them.

So here's what I'm going to do:

• Hug them tightly, and make sure they know I love them.
• Be more present with them.  I'm putting down the TV/computer/iPhone/iPad and interacting more/better with them - I didn't become a stay at home mom to spend time with the household technology.  
• Saying a prayer each night for their health and being thankful when they're healthy.

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 {35}

My favorite thing about you is:

You get back up again.

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This whole "learning-to-ride-a-two-wheel-bike" thing?  It's kind of tricky. Your sister got it when she was four and a half.  Mmmhmm... blah, blah, blah, don't compare your kids, they do things when they're ready and all of that, but here's the thing, he is ready.  He's doing it.  Well, except for that whole steering thing - he can pedal, he can balance, but dang if he can't look where he's going and point the front wheel that way.  Its frustrating, but sooo a lesson in "there-are-some-things-you-just-can't-do-for-your-kids" ("Hyphenated-things-in-quotes" that's the theme for this post).  But as a parent, that's got to be one of the hardest lessons to learn.  By no means are we helicopter parents - you know the kind: they hover hover hover over their kids and get their hands/head/feelings all up in the kids' business so much so that the kid can't really function on their own without their parent swooping in to rescue them.  That's just not us - see detachment parenting.  But we are good parents who want our kids to succeed at the things they try.  Sometimes, especially when they're smaller and perhaps they're just not mentally/physically developed enough to do some things, we jump in to help - it's a confidence builder.  Bike riding?  Not one of those things.  There's only one seat (and it's not even a banana style), one set of pedals and one set of handle bars.  There will be no jumping in to build their confidence on this skill.  Know what that means?  They fall.  A lot.  Sure, Jeff chases them, holds onto the back of their bike till he's sure they have it, but he's in flip-flops and they're little and on a bike.  Did you know that there are two speeds to a kid at this stage?  Yep, so slow they have to constantly adjust the steering lest they just tip right over to the side, and lightning fast - so fast that you're sure they'd get road rash something fierce if/when they fall.    

Here's the thing about growing up - especially in the summer when they spend tons of time outside - kids fall.  They get banged up.  Heck, Haley spent the greater part of the summer with scrapes on her nose from swimming too close to the bottom of the pool (seriously... and she wore goggles like they were surgically attached to her face so it wasn't like she didn't see it coming).  I take pride in my kids' scrapes.  They're out there exploring and trying new things.  Pushing their limits (and mine), and doing the things they're supposed to in order to figure out how their body works in this world.  And I'm keeping myself out of it (as much as general safety allows).  Sure there are tears after a fall (as pictured above, he drove his bike into Daddy's truck - thank God for helmets - why did I never wear one as a kid?).  The key is being there.  Letting them know they're loved and safe when they fall, but that after a bit, it's time to shake it off, get back up and keep going.  And BOOM!  There's your little life lesson for this week, go read those last few sentences one more time.  You're welcome.

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 {31}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your tongue.  

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Both of you.  It's how I know you're concentrating and from what I understand, the bigger of the two of you have been doing it since you were the size of the smaller of the two of you.  Thinking, focusing, figuring things out, surfing, running, playing baseball, it's always right there.  Sometimes the girl gets in on it too.  None of them know they're doing it and (as far as I know) you didn't one day sit down and have some kind of lesson (though, that would be the one thing that would stick after a single talking to).  

This past weekend was Kale's last day of a four-class-long Bambino Baseball instruction held at our gym.  Kale missed the cut off for city t-ball this year by 20 days.  He was bummed, it's the one sport that he really loves (to be fair, he enjoys most sports, but he definitely shows preference for baseball).  For more than a couple of years now he's been throwing the ball straight into the air and hits it with his bat, no tee required.  He comes by it naturally - between Jeff, and the long history of baseball by a number of members on my side of the family, I don't know if he could escape it if he wanted to, so I guess it's a good thing he's embraced it.  He brought me many proud moments, smacking the ball, knowing how to run the bases, and pretty much just being full of awesome.  I loved sitting on the grass watching him play, and I really look forward to (what I'm sure will be) many evening spent at the baseball fields.  Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks and call me a proud happy mama!  

I'm not sure I can explain the pride in your kids when they can physically accomplish something that they practice at.  Haley and her swimming and Kale with his baseball, they just get it and it comes naturally to them.  I'm glad we've found something that fits them (for now at least).  And weeks like this with the (SUMMER!!) Olympics in full swing, I think every parent feels such happiness for and perhaps a bit of connection with the parents who are lucky enough to be sitting in the stands watching their kids compete at such a level.  My kids don't have to achieve that level of physical accomplishment for me to know how proud those parents feel.  Previous Olympics I would watch and wish to be one of those athletes (too bad I suffer from inability to practice...), this year it's different, I don't want to be the athlete, I want to be the parent screaming her brains out in the stands as my kids make good all of their hard work (and lets be realistic, my time and $$$).  And I don't even need to be screaming my brains out in the Olympic stands, I just want the pride of watching my kids do something that will make themselves proud.  

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 

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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 .  

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Project 52 {27}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your thankful heart.

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I'm thankful for lots of things.  Top of my list is my family.  One of the smaller things?  That Kale can write his name.  I believe that when kids have birthdays they write thank you notes... it's not some new parenting theory, in fact, I'd wager that most of my friends have their kids do the same thing.  I believe that if they're loved enough to receive a present, then they should have some part in the thank you.  We have a thank you note progression around these parts:  Birthdays one through three, I'll write the note, they must provide some kind of artwork.  On their fourth birthday they need to sign their name.  Five, it's time to write the note yourself - I'll write it first, they copy the letters (very simple: Dear Blah Blah, Thank you for the Blah, I love it.  Love, Haley), this stage was pulling teeth; we did only about three at a time - makes me wish we'd only had 6 people to the party.  We're still working the system out, but the first five years I've got down.  Year six I'm hoping that I can give her a list of adjectives and she can just figure it out.  Another thing I'm thankful for?  They don't whine about this process (dude, knock on some wood for me).  They seem to enjoy writing the notes.  With Kale, I started with just five of them.  Usually getting this kid to sit down with a writing utensil for any period of time can get a little painful on my part - can't he just knock them off the table onto a pile of markers and hope something rubs off? Then for the next few I asked if he wanted to do this one for a specific friend - he was so excited that we got through all 15 of them in one sitting.  Thank goodness.  Now it's up to me to address them and (ugh!) hunt down some stamps.  Remember the days when your mom had a whole book of them in her purse all the time because that's how you paid bills?  Barely.  I do remember that one of my bridesmaid's parents gave us a roll of stamps as a wedding present - awesome!  I didn't have to hunt any down for thank you cards.

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 {25}

My favorite thing about you:

You're becoming an individual.

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I mentioned last week how much more independent you guys were becoming, no joke.  You'll be ready to move out next week, I'm sure.  Someday you'll have kids of your own (God willing...) and every last lady you meet in the supermarket (who will likely be the same age as your mother) will tell you the same thing (say it with me moms):  "It goes by so fast".  And you'll have your arms full of kids and groceries, and you'll be swatting small hands away from the thousands of temptations that surround check out and you'll think "If I could only be so lucky".  Your parent friends will tell you "This is only a season" and it's true.  If there's a soup that parents live in, I'm pretty sure its that survival mode that occurs between birth and 4 years old but once your youngest hits that 4 year mark, things seem to level out.  For how long?  I don't know yet, I'm sure I'll let you know as soon as I figure that out.  But it seems like at 4 you really start to consider who you are as a person.  Yes, I'm sure that's how your thoughts go... what kind of person would I like to be?  But you know what you like and what you don't, and those likes and dislikes are so independent of even one another even, and that's amazing to me.  Same parents, two wholly different kids.  

This week Kale turned 4.  It seemed like with Haley that was the magic number.  Literally overnight things changed with her and she became so much more of an individual and so much less reliant on us.  Kale seems to be a slower transition, but it's there.  If I look back 6 months we've come a long way, and I'm sure in another 6 months we'll be in a much different place than we are now.  But at 4 years old, this is what Kale knows for sure:

He's a boy, not lettuce like the Naked Mole Rats at the zoo eat.

He love baseball and being outside and puttering with things.

He needs to look at something and know how it works.

It's pronounced Chicks-a-flay and G-Graffes and Sanks (as in Sanks for the sandwich Mom).

His name is spelled K-A-L-E said in the most abrupt and factual pronunciation of the letters.

He has lots of friends, one buddy, and one best friend which brings us to:

He loves his sister and his days revolve around her.

He most of the time can not win a fight with his sister, unless mom lets him tackle her, but if we're in the car, there are super powers there and he will have the best comebacks for her.

He's a really good swimmer/runner/bicyclist with training wheels/climber/pretty much anything you ask him about.  

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 {24}

My favorite thing about you is:

Your ability to be self-sufficient

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So a few weeks ago I read this article, which for all it's tongue-in-cheekness (What?  That's totally a word!), really resonated with me.  It's not that we intentionally practice "Detachment Parenting", but we try our best to raise our kids to not need us, because someday, God willing, they'll go out into the word where we won't be right by their side to feed them, wipe their noses, put them to sleep.  I need them to know how to do these things on their own.  My favorite part of this article (aside from mentioning "Locking the door and getting it on") was where it mentioned keeping the kids busy for hours with just the use of Legos and gum.  If you had looked in my purse right at that exact moment those would be two of the million things in there, you may have had to dig past about a hundred reciepts (why are we still handing these out for a pack of said gum?!) but you'd have found them in there.  

This week was a big step forward in self sufficiency.  Aside from Kale spending hours on the (air-conditioned) floor in the family room playing, building, creating, exploring a future career as and engineer, with Legos, Haley learned to tie her shoes.  And her brother's shoes.  Let me say that one more time:  SHE CAN TIE THE SHOES OF EVERYONE IN THIS HOUSE!!  Do you know what this means in terms of our ability to get out the door in a timely fashion?  It's means I've cut about 10 minutes off of my already precision honed get out the door strategy.  That's 10 more minutes of hanging out in bed (or actually making it somewhere on time)!  I know.  Huge.

All kidding aside, I love my kids, I like being able to do things for them, but I find it a personal triumph when they no longer need me to do it for them.  Like when they could sooth themselves back to sleep at night, when they could feed themselves with a spoon and fork, when they could walk, you get the idea.  It's my job to teach them to function as members of society, to look to and within themselves for the solution to problems.  Is it working?  Who know, but at least when I someday have to release them from the warmth and safety of my arms and our home, we'll all have the confidence that they can do this.  Just call me once in while and let me know how you're doing mkay?

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 .  

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Project 52 {20}

My favorite thing about you:

How much you crack me up!

Oh, lots of stuff... 

Yeah, seriously?  My kids are hilarious!  When they're not driving me nuts, they're cracking me up.  The things that come out of their mouths, the way they react to things... they're funny.  

Last night we were riding in the car and Kale has truly figured out every last one of Haley's buttons to push, and he was pushing each one with such adept little brother-ness over her it was all Jeff and I could do to keep a straight face.  I wish I could tell you exactly what the words were coming out of his mouth, but you kind of had to be there.  Suffice, it was awesome to witness.  His favorite one recently is "I AM?!"  you could tell him he was going to the moon or just that he's great and that's his reaction coupled with one of the faces above.  Or, we get "HU-WHAT?!" as his incredulous response, also with a face above, chosen at his discretion.  They're just fun (most days) and if you can't use your kids as portable entertainment, then why have them?!  

We took all of these pictures in a matter of maybe 3 minutes (since that's how long a session lasts with them these days).  And I even edited a bunch out.  I've been thinking that I need to cut back on my shooting, maybe not hold the shutter quite as long, but these faces, all of them, totally negate that idea.  I would have missed out on so much. Also, yes I realized there's a duplicate above (JEFF!), but I was editing at 12:00 at night.  I just can't think clearly.  My bad.  

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 {19}

My Favorite thing about you:

Your need for exploration.

f/2.8 1/4000 ISO-100

You love to be an explorer, we've equipped you with much independence and a (very) healthy sense of curiosity.  Or at least I like to believe it's us, though it's probably more a combination of your age and the fact that you're a boy.  It's hard not to compare you to your sister, but at her age, and still, her hovering radius was and is, much smaller, she likes to be close.  Yours is HUGE.  Like, give-me-a-heart-attack-if-I-turn-for-one-second, huge.  Wide open spaces and holding your hand are my BFFs right now.  Crowds and parking lots are not (especially because you listen like a 3 year old <>).    

This day we took a exploratory trip to the park (to get mail).  Your sister convinced you You needed to have your backpack, a ruler and a yard stick.  Now, I'd like to tell you that I'd planned an educational experience where we measured things, and made observations, learned things, but in reality (if that's what you want to call it), they were your swords to fend off the bad guys.  You know the boundaries at the park, yet push them every chance you get.  You go down the hill, just out of my line of sight, you try to go in front of the mail boxes, and off to each far corner.  You know there's a climbing toy there right?  Just checking.

Kale loves to figure things out.  I get it, again, it's like I'm raising him or something, he's like me.  It won't be learned or absorbed if we don't do/find/observe/figure it out ourselves.  We question things.  A lot.  Right now he's exploring his world in a very physical sense.  It's a very age appropriate thing.  That doesn't make it easy.  Why can't they wait till they're like 25 and can at least fend for themselves before they go out and start pushing the limits of my safety bubble?  What?  It might drive me bonkers to have a 20 year old all up in my business?  All.  The.  Time.  Fine.  Fifteen.  I'm sure he'll be ready by then.  For now, I'm stretching myself to give him the (safe) room to explore his little world.  Before I know it, it'll be a great big world for him, and I hope he keeps exploring it.  I also hope he drags his mom with every once in a while.  

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 {8}

My favorite thing about you is:

That you're growing up.

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Don't get me wrong here, I'm not rushing anything.  I know that these days will pass by all too fast.  I'm going to blink and you'll be 5 and 7, 12 and 14, 17 and 19, gone and out of my house leading your own lives.  I dread and look forward to that day.  But right here, in this moment, I'm thankful.  Privileged, that I get to watch and guide you as you become your own, amazing person.  I hope that someday you get this same privilege.  

I've said it before, I'll say it again, 3 years old is hard.  I try to put myself in his shoes, he's still learning appropriate ways to express his feelings and that's tricky.  Other times I know darn well he heard and understood me and is just exercising his new found free will (that's a nice way of putting it).  But this week we made a very tangible step in his growth progress.  Kale moved to a big-boy-bed.  Yup, no more cribs in this house (unless you count that both of their beds are convertible cribs).  And one more bed for me to make in the morning (on those days when I really want to make beds that dogs don't lie on).  Despite a new mattress, sheets, comforter, and pillow, Boomer (the boy with no pants) and Max (the pillow pet dog) still hang around and I think they enjoy the extra space in their new digs.  

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.