Thanksgiving

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving!  Perhaps it is cliche to say that.  Perhaps it is cliche to say how much I enjoy a plate of turkey, gravy, filling and cranberry sauce.  Perhaps it is cliche to say "I Love Pumpkin Pie!"  But, I do!  Perhaps it is cliche to say I love sitting down at my parent's table and looking around at the people gathered together: my parents, my brothers, my sisters-in-law, my nieces and nephews, my husband and my sons.  Perhaps it is cliche to say that I really am thankful.  I am so incredibly blessed.  And for that I am thankful, sincerely thankful.  Perhaps it may be cliche...but it is also true.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Side note:  I am really thankful that my sons are looking forward to Thanksgiving.  They have yet to utter a word about Christmas or making a wish list.  I wouldn't mind if they were looking ahead to Christmas.  That would be normal.  But, I just love that they aren't seeing Thanksgiving as a speed bump between Halloween and Christmas.  Makes me proud to be their mom. 

And look, how cute is this guy that Andrew made last year in Kindergarten:

Ahhh, Thanksgiving...

Blue Skies

I have a friend in Maine who takes breathtaking photos.  She is able to capture nature through her lens in some very imaginative ways.  I've often marveled at some of her photos of blue skies.  And (in the interest of being honest) I've often thought, "I've never seen a sky that blue...surely she has edited this photo a little bit".  I mean look at these photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/8319252699/in/set-72157624126828921/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/8084274525/


Well, this week I had a light bulb go off in my head.  Every morning from 8:50 - 9:10, I am standing outside the preschool where I work unloading cherubs from their minivans and escorting them into their classes.  It is from this sidewalk that I enjoyed, no reveled, in the lingering Hunter's Moon of October.  It is on this sidewalk that I soak up fresh air before heading into a room full of 4 & 5 year-olds.  It is from this sidewalk that I have been enjoying watching the leaves changing color on the trees that stand so grandly in the woods across the parking lot from me.  It has been a highlight of my morning to look up and just stare at the orange leaves against the bluest skies.  And that's when it hit me!  I've seen this sky before but only in a photo (see Autumn Fire above).

So, I made a point to bring my camera to work with me yesterday to try and capture this vision before it changes to just bare limbs against the sky.

I owe my friend an apology for assuming her photos were "doctored" if only the slightest bit.  I'm sorry, friend.  AND I owe my friend a thank you.  For, I have learned through her photography that even though I am not the skilled photographer that she is, I am capable of doing something she does.  And that is to stop every once in a while and look up.  For it turns out that we do have incredibly blue skies over Virginia.  Just like the ones in Maine.  Amazing.  Thank you, friend.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Dear Andrew,

Happy Birthday!  You are 7!  Whoa.  Can that be right?

A major highlight of this past year was, of course, Kindergarten!  No longer my preschooler, you became a full-time attendee of Hayfield Elementary School.  You were in Mrs. Schwarz's class.  You absolutely flourished.  You learned to read, tally marks, counting by 2s, 5s and 10s and much more.  You would walk out the front door each day excited for another day at school.  Learning to read was clearly the most impressive thing you did this past year.  Do you remember that was your New Year's goal?  To watch you read to Jay, is something that makes me beam with pride.  I wonder if you realize how much he looks up to you.

September 2013

July 2013

July 2013

Throughout Kindergarten, you also continued to develop into a good citizen.  You pick up trash wherever we go.  You would help keep your classroom clean, help other students and help the teachers.  I can't tell you how glad I am that you love school.  I feel strongly that one’s enjoyment of school helps set one up to succeed.  You are well on your way, Andrew.

June 2013

I am proud of the budding athlete I see in you.  This past year, you played soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, t-ball in the spring and swam in the summer.  You can swim a whole lap without stopping.  When I tell you how proud I am of you, you reply, "it's no big deal, I could swim many laps".  You continue to get braver in the stunts you do off the diving board.  This fall, you are playing soccer again.  You are quite tenacious!  Your father and I love to watch you play this sport that we both love so much.  It is amazing to see the difference between this season and last fall.  Last but not least, you learned how to ride a bike this summer!  You had set a goal for yourself to learn how to ride without training wheels before the summer ended.  Mission accomplished!  

September 2013

 
 

You have become a Lego master this year.  Our home has become overrun with Legos!  You are now able to build an entire set without help from me or Dad.  More fun to watch are the creations you will design on your own.  Your imagination is wonderful.

You also began your quest to become a master gardener this year.  You were very diligent checking on your garden each day.  Marveling at what you would find.  I enjoyed planning, planting and harvesting this garden with you. 

August 2013

You seemed to have grown up a lot this past year.  Maturing more in the past 365 days than in previous years.  You are helpful around the house.  You can reason and rationalize.  You are thoughtful.  You say the most beautiful graces before dinner, remember others and being thankful for our blessings.  I see in you an appreciation for the world around you.  You have outgrown the notion that your are the center of the universe.  Instead, you are aware of your actions and behavior.  You are considerate of other people's feelings.  (Perhaps, you could still improve in this area when it comes to your immediate family.)  But, I see you being kind to others and earning the respect of your teachers, parents and peers.  People actually stop me to tell me what a nice boy you are.  Makes me glow inside to know others can see what I see in you.

August 2013

Happy Birthday, Andrew.  I love you!

Love,
Mom

January 2013

Happy Birthday, Jay!

Dear Jay,

Happy 5th Birthday!  Every year when I sit down to write these birthday letters, I look back at last year's birthday letter to remind myself of the starting point for this letter.  And every year, I am blown away by how much you have changed in 365 days.


September 2012


September 2013

You are such a kind, sweet boy...with just a hint of major destroyer mixed in.  You love to create and you love to destroy.  I will often see you crushing dead leaves in your hands as we walk to pick up Andrew.  You love to knock over towers of blocks.  But, at the same time you love to build intricate towers of blocks.  You're not all destruction.  You're quite creative and thoughtful.  Perhaps, this stems from your obsession over the past year with Angry Birds!

You will stage elaborate levels with your blocks, legos, cups, small blocks, well pretty much anything you can get your hands on.  You love to play Angry Birds on the ipad too (obviously!).  You have surpassed my capabilities with the game.  It is such an interesting glimpse into your mind to watch you strategize your moves.  You clearly have a terrific grasp of spacial relations, as well as, causation.

Your love of video games is not limited to Angry Birds.  And you seem to live your life like it's a video game.  Often you would tell me to "pause" whatever we were doing, while you ran off to use the bathroom or get another piece of a puzzle, or get a drink.  You would tell me to "press this button to see a video".  Or maybe "Let's restart this level", when you wanted to retry the activity/ game we were playing together.  Or maybe saying, "Good job, Mom, you completed round 2!"  I can seriously see you becoming a developer of video games and apps in the future.  Assuming, those things still exist 20 years from now!

 
June 2013

This past year saw you beginning preschool.  You attended school three mornings per week in the Frog class.  This was the same class and school that Andrew had attended the previous year.  I think it was a great opportunity for you to be on your own and be recognized for yourself.  It was your first opportunity to step out of Andrew's shadow, if only a teeny tiny bit.  You were the youngest member of your class and you did really well.  You made new friends, learned new songs and seemed to really enjoy your time there.  I loved watching you walk to the car with your backpack on and a smile on your face, eager to show me your artwork or tell me about your day.  It wasn't always smiles, however.  You would often get disappointed that we needed to go pick up Andrew at school.  I think you really minded that our Mommy/ Jay time was dwindling.  In a somewhat ironic twist, you and I are getting to spend all of our time together this year!  In March, your father and I decided to send you to the Dino class this year and have you start kindergarten next year.  In May, I was offered a job to be a teacher at your preschool.  In August, it worked out that I would be a teacher in your Dino class.  So, now we get to spend all day, every day, together.  And I've come to appreciate what a blessing this is for me!
 
I get to see you flourishing at preschool.  I get to watch you make good decisions and learn from bad decisions you make at school as you interact with your classmates.  I get to see you present your special item at Chapel time instead of hearing your teacher tell me about it.  And bottom line, I get to be with you!  I love spending time with you.  This year of 24/7 Mommy/Jay time is really hitting me over the head that next year both my boys will be off to school all day and I won't be with them.  I'm glad for this and for you.  But, for now, I'm counting my blessings that things worked out the way they did.  I am trying to savor this last year of being a mother of a preschooler!

You are growing up so much physically too.  You no longer need to stand on a stool to brush your teeth in the bathroom.  You can help yourself to water out of the refrigerator door.  You buckle yourself in your car seat.  You learned how to swim this summer during minihawks and the many hours we spent at our pool. You are playing soccer this fall on a team for the first time.  (You are so cute in your uniform, shinguards and cleats.)

 July 2013                                                          September 2013



I love you, Jay...more and more every day.

Love,
Mom

Remembering

Today is a day when you hear lots of people remembering where they were 12 years ago.  I, however, find I can't stop thinking about where I was 5 years ago today.  Holding my newborn son in my arms for the first time. 

 September 11th was my due date.  And throughout my pregnancy, I would have moments when I would think "I really hope this child comes before or after their due date".   And every time someone would ask me when I was due, and I would say September 11th (I know I could have lied and said any other date but, I don't lie, at least not convincingly) they would wrinkle their nose or give me a sympathetic look.  As if being born on September 11th was going to be terrible.  But, seeing as not all babies come on their due dates, I decided not to worry too much about it.

Then, September 11, 2008 came and Jay woke me up at 12:45am with contractions.  He was going to be born on his due date.  And it never crossed my mind in the wee hours of that morning, that I didn't want this to happen.

Today is a day of memorial and a day of remembrance of a tragic day in our national history, but it's also my son's birthday.  And I love that forever on, that will be what I think of first on this date.

Teamwork

My boys have been working together on a new lego set today.  I love listening to the excitement in their voices as they talk about the different pieces and glimpsing how diligently they are working on the design. 

They pooled their allowance money together and agreed on a set to buy together.  No bickering, no manipulation, just agreement. 

It's been so fun to watch and listen today.

Dream

 Today we take the time to reflect not only on Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream for our country but on those we hold deep in our hearts as well.  It was something special to stand with my 6yo on the spot where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech and to think of how far we have come as a country.  I pray we will continue to mature in our behaviors towards one another.  May my sons know a different, more peaceful world.

 

 

Letters to Santa

 

Our afternoon project ~ letters to Santa.  After the boys decorated their envelopes, we dropped off their letters to Santa at Macy's.  Macy's has a cute red mailbox in all of their stores to collect letters for Santa.  They will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for each letter received.  I love this idea.

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Dear Andrew,

Happy Birthday!  Today you are 6 years old.  

What a difference a year can make.  One year ago, just before you turned 5, you started preschool.  I was so hopeful for you and nervous at the same time.  I had hoped you would find confidence and independence.  I was nervous you would be unhappy to be away from me and home and our routines of the previous 4 years.  Now I can just smile as I think back to those days, knowing how everything turned out. 

You absolutely flourished at preschool.  You learned how to write your name.  You developed academic interests.  You started on the path of learning to read.  And you had fun!  You made new friends all on your own.  Through all of these activities and achievements, you found the independence and confidence I hoped you would find.  And I have to say, you have never looked back.

In the spring, you played tee-ball.  This was your first try at organized team sports.  You were great!  Dad and I were so proud to watch you paying attention to the coach, learning the rules of the game, being a good sport and hitting a lot of “homeruns”.  I just loved watching you run the bases.  

In July, you participated in Mini-Hawks at the pool and learned how to swim.  By the end of the summer, you were swimming freestyle all around the pool and spending lots of time jumping off the diving board.

This fall, you started playing soccer.   You are a natural.  Your coordination and athleticism really started to come together over this past year.  I love how enthusiastic you are about soccer, how you play defense (especially since your father and I both played defense back in our youth,) and how quickly your skills are developing.  I know Dad is really enjoying being your coach.  I imagine this is just the first of many of your soccer teams he will coach.   

This fall, you also started Kindergarten.  You were so excited to start school.  On your first day, you said good-bye and turned to walk into the school.  You were swallowed up by a throng of students.  No anxiety, no fear, and no looking back.  You are off to a great start in Kindergarten.  

You are growing in so many ways.  Physically, you are quite a bit taller.  You have a voracious appetite.  You lost 8(!) teeth this year and are growing adult teeth which look enormous to me.  Mentally, your brain is ever expanding.  You love to write and tell stories.  You are doing math in your head.  You’re able to add and subtract without always using your fingers.  You keep track of the full moons.  You grew tomatoes this summer.  You are starting to read.  Your sense of humor is maturing which I just love.  (Although fart and poop jokes are still your standard go-to.)   Emotionally, you have gained so much self-control this past year.  You are good at making friends and are kind to your existing friends.  You are thoughtful.  Motor skills, you buckle and unbuckle your self in the car.  You can make yourself a sandwich.  You help with chores.  It is honestly very nice to have your help around the house.

All of these attributes show what a big kid you are turning into.  Your brother, Jay, loves to be with you.  He is always asking where you are if you’re not together.  He wants to do what you are doing, eat what you are eating.  He loves wearing your old t-shirts when you outgrow them.  He wants to be just like you.  This is a testament to the boy you are becoming.  

The boy you are becoming is a confident, smart, athletic, funny, sweet young boy.  I couldn’t be prouder of you.  Happy Birthday, Andrew.

Love,
Mom

Happy Birthday, Super Guy!

Dear Jay,

Happy Birthday!  You are now 4 years old.

If I were to sum up this past year in one word, it would be "Superhero".  You  love all things superheroes...nothing more than being one yourself.  This year we've become acquainted with your secret identity, Super Guy.  And you are just that...SUPER!

You continue to be very independent.  You dress yourself, get yourself drinks of water from the refrigerator, put your shoes on, buckle up in the car.  Your awareness of other people's feelings is really impressive.  You will apologize on your own and you try really hard to always be kind.  You unfortunately have decided you don't like kisses.  But, I'm able to sneak some in every day.  I think this all part of you becoming a kid, leaving your toddler days behind you.  You will quickly correct me if I call you "my baby".  I promise I mean it only as an endearment.  I am keenly aware that you are no longer my baby.

 

 It's always amazing to me how much you change in a year.  Earlier this year, you would ask "Who's hum?", when you wanted to identify a car or action figure.  You would say your cars were shuffin' and broomin' to indicate the sounds an engine makes.  But, now, you speak wonderfully long sentences utilizing your ever growing vocabulary.  My jaw drops sometimes when I hear the words you use.

  

 

I love that you still enjoy Mommy - Jay time.  With Andrew at school all day, every day, you and I still get to have our Mommy-Jay time together.  Knowing that this is the last year we can have this special one-on-one time, it means that much more to me that you love the thought of spending time with me.  Even if it is to run boring errands and the occasional visit to Dunkin' Donuts.




The day before you turned 4, you started preschool.  Already you are enjoying it so much.  I just smile watching you walk around with your backpack on.  And I love how excited you are to show me your artwork each day when I pick you up.  On your first day, when I asked you "how was school?", you replied, "it was happy".  I know you are going to flourish.



Another highlight of this year has been your adaptation to video games.  You amaze me that you can pick up games like Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja, intuitively.  Just three weeks ago, I showed you how to use the mouse and my laptop.  Within two days, you were navigating games online like a pro!

 You have a wonderful sense of humor.  You are kind.  You are sweet.  Your father and I are so very proud of you and the boy you are becoming.  Happy Birthday, Jay!

Love,
Mom

Pie!

What would Summer be without Peach Pie?  I shudder to think.  Thanks to a reminder from a friend, I did not have to find out.  I too was able to check this off my Summer checklist, with just days to spare.  So good...

Snapshot of our Summer

It has been a wonderfully busy summer at times, as well as blissfully relaxing at other times.  I was washing breakfast dishes this morning, thinking about the winding down of summer,  when I realized I had inadvertently collected a little snapshot of our summer on my kitchen windowsill.  There are shells from vacations, baseball ticket stub, a craft from vacation bible school, tomatoes ripening from our tomato plants and you can even see pool towels drying on the deck.  Ah, Summer!

Heaven

A blanket in the shade of a tree on a warm spring day with a fresh pile of library books.



Simply heaven!