Year Ten - Year End Review

My favorite bear,

You, my baby, are two-hands-worth-of-fingers years old. Pretty sure you were two-fingers-worth-of-fingers years old just last Thursday. But maybe my calendar is off. 

Ugh. Time is such a thief. 

Here are your Top 10 Lists for your cute, little double-digit self.

Top 10 Favorite Things:

1. Legos
2. Natalie, including (but not limited to) annoying her, sitting on her, drawing with her, being read to by her, wrestling her 
3. Zelda
4. Star Wars
5. Carby foods - pizza, pasta, cake, cookies, donuts, etc
6. Cool cars, specifically trucks and sports cars. 
7. Music
8. Doing dude-stuff with Dad. Working in the garage, looking at cool cars, watching engineering videos on YouTube, etc
9. Playing with your buddies
10. Secrets of the Seven book series

Top 10 Least Favorite Things:

1. Saving money
2. Being the younger sibling and watching Natalie do fun, older kid stuff
3. Jumpy dogs, big or small (solidarity, kid)
4. Bugs and insects
5. Fighting (fighting with swords and lightsabers is ok, but you definitely don’t like watching people fight with their fists)
6. Being up on stage (again - solidarity, kid)
7. A fairly small but very specific list foods - beans, cooked fruit, mushrooms, onions, veggies that are cooked to the point they’ve lost their texture 
8. Losing a game. Everybody hates to lose but you, like, hate it-hate it
9. Super hot weather (so much solidarity)
10. Timed games

Top 10 Things You’re Good At:

1. Building Lego creations, specifically vehicles. The things you can come up with without using instruction manuals continue to blow my mind year after year.
2. Math
3. Navigation  Reading a book in the car gives you a headache, but you can look out the window and look at the GPS without a problem, so you’ve become very knowledgeable about how to get from Point A to Point B
4. Mowing the lawn
5. Sweating. You’ve been sweating like a man since you were a toddler. The tradition continues.
6. Helping 
7. Praying. Your heart is so tender towards God and towards others.
8. Reading 
9. Knowing the name and backstory of every character in Zelda (but forgetting where you put your water bottle)
10. Following the rules

Top 10 Things You’re Not Good At:

1. Pairing up your socks when you do your laundry. How does it not annoy you that your drawer is full of singleton socks?
2. Working at a slow pace when doing your math. A+ for speed; B- for accuracy.
3. Juggling flaming batons
4. Remaining calm if you’re not in the know about something fun
5. Remembering where you put your water bottle
6. Playing Mozart’s Concerto in D Major No.2 on the flute
7. Sleeping in on the weekends. Once you wake up, you have a hard time going back to sleep. You’re a great sleeper but sleeping in has never really been something you’ve done. But I imagine Sleeping in ‘till 10 may appear on the Top 10 Things You’re Good At list in a few years.
8. Lying. Your lying face is adorable.
9. Staying four years old. I thought Dad and I made ourselves clear when we told you to stop growing up.
10. Being still while watching your bowling ball roll down the lane (since you were a toddler, you jump up and down like a bunny while waiting to see how many pins you knocked down)

You were, are, and continue to be such an amazing kid - I'm so glad that the absolute lunacy of 2020 and 2021 didn't diminish . You were a happy baby (except when we made you go to sleep); you were a cheerful toddler (except when we limited your cheese consumption); you’re a delightful 10-year-old (who loves sleep and has developed cheese portion control). 

You’re shy around unfamiliar people; you’re a giant goober once you get comfortable. You’re quizzical, sensitive, and a deep thinker. You’re funny, creative, and clever. You’re a protector, an engineer, and a helper. You love one-on-one time. You love knowing things that Dad, Natalie, or I don’t know. 

You’ve always been someone who appreciates cool stuff. When you saw my friend use a hatchet to chop wood for a fire, you became super interested in hatchets. When you found an antique pocket watch at a thrift shop, you wanted to learn about watches. Your current favorite things are cool cars and trucks. You have very strong opinions about what vehicles are cool and what vehicles are not. The shape of the hood matters; how lifted a truck is matters; the color of the vehicle matters; the placement of the headlights and taillights matters a lot.

You and Dad went on a fun excursion a few months ago - you guys went to test drive trucks. Are we in the market for a truck? Nope. Do we need a truck? Irrelevant. What matters is that Dad knew you like trucks and wanted you to ride in a cool one. You went to a local dealership that specializes in high-end vehicles (ie: not the kind of place we would normally shop). According to you guys, the salesman was awesome and loved the idea of you getting to ride in a cool truck. He essentially tossed some keys to Dad and told you two to enjoy the test drive. This wasn’t just any truck, nosiree. It was a 2021 Ram TRX. Which, to me, didn’t mean much. But apparently this truck was a 700hp, $98,000 beast. And you fell in love. Obviously.

You said that riding in this truck was the second best thing you’ve ever done in your life. Visiting Legoland earlier this summer clinched the #1 spot. (Though test driving the truck was free. And Legoland was super not free. So to me, test driving the truck takes the #1 spot.)

Dad and I are in awe that God would bless us with you. You’ve completed our family in the most wonderful way and our lives are richer, fuller, and better because of you. Our lives are also sweatier and filled with random Zelda facts because of you, but that’s neither here nor there.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

PS: after you read this recap, you typed the following. It shall stay in your recap for perpetuity. 

I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Year Twelve - Year End Review

Happy 12th birthday, my favorite peach! 

You're officially a tweenager, but because the world is the way it is (crazy and bananas and ridiculous), you're a quarantweenager. Life certainly looks different in the midst of a global pandemic but Top 10 Lists are as certain as the sun rising.

Top 10 Things You Love

1. Singing (your arms are probably tired from carrying all those buckets full of tunes) 
2. Watching TV 
3. Curling up in your bed and reading
4. Studio C, Mark Rober, and Dude Perfect YouTube channels
5. A wide assortment of foods - your current favorites are sushi, spaghetti, soup (specifically tomato and chicken and rice), soft pretzels, and Oreo pie
6. Your friends
7. Your family (cue the angels singing!)
8. Looking at your baby pictures and/or watching videos from when you were little
9. Drawing (something on the Top 10 List of Things Mommy Loves is watching you draw)
10. Ice skating

Top 10 Things You Don’t Love

1. Chores (I mean, is there a kid who loves chores? Maybe. But you’re definitely not one of those kids)
2. Learning something new and hard
3. Having to spend more than three minutes to understand the aforementioned new and hard thing
4. Being corrected
5. Babysitting (I mean, you’ve never babysat before, but since younger kids aren’t your jam, this would most likely be a miserable job for you)
6. When I make any other fish except salmon (in your defense, I have a 0% success rate when making non-salmon fish dishes …)
7. Math (how many years has math been on this list?)
8. Accepting that Charlie is better at certain things than you
9. Decimals (oh, the angst when I explained how decimals are everywhere and you’d better figure out how to tolerate them)
10. Being around people who argue (it even upsets you when you and Charlie argue .. Daddy and I keep telling you that disagreements and arguments are normal and inevitable. People are messy, man)

Top 10 Things You're Good At

1. Performing on stage (I know I’m biased, but you’re pretty captivating to watch)
2. Drawing, especially cartoons 
3. Talking fast (all four of us talk fast - probably too fast)
4. Math (and how many years has math also been on this list?)
5. Keeping your room clean
6. Physical activities like running, rock climbing, and swimming
7. Being responsible (I often say that for an 11-year-old, you make a terrible adult … but, in many cases, you show maturity well past your 11 years)
8. Making beautiful cards for your friends and family
9. Landing a joke (the sarcastic apple didn't have very far to fall from the sarcastic tree)
10. Writing stories (all that book readin’ you insist upon doing has turned you into quite the little storyteller)

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At

1. Not being included in conversations
2. Extending yourself grace when you make mistakes
3. Finishing the Barkley Marathon
4. Answering open-ended questions in school (How am I supposed to know what this author was thinking and feeling? How am I supposed to imagine how it feels to go through a situation that I’ve never experienced?!)
5. Doing things you don’t love without an eye roll and/or a dramatic sigh
6. Performing knee replacement surgery
7. Not getting derailed by a tough day in math
8. Solving a Rubik’s cube with your feet
9. Not whining when it’s time to do chores
10. Juggling 10 flaming bowling pins

2020 was such a mess, amiright? COVID-19 arrived and the world practically turned upside down in March. Our homeschool group switched to virtual classes for the last quarter of the 2019-2020 school year. (Your verdict? Two very enthusiastic thumbs down). You didn’t see your friends face-to-face for months. (Two more thumbs down). You missed your spring drama performance (Thumbs down count is now up to six). Daddy and I got COVID in August - and we assume you and Charlie had it too - and we were isolated for 24 days. (Too many downed thumbs to count).

I’ve said this so many times over the past nine months and I’ll keep saying it (because I also need to be reminded of this myself), there is always something to be thankful for. And as dumpster fiery as 2020 was, there are so many good things that happened, too.

• We’ve had more family time - so more hikes, more bike rides, more game nights, etc
• Daddy’s commute reduced to 60 seconds (75 seconds, if there’s a pileup on the 6th stair) so we see him more each day
• We’ve experienced God’s protection firsthand (Daddy’s job stayed steady; Daddy and I only had bad COVID symptoms overlap for one day; your symptoms were extremely mild - a low-grade fever and a sore throat)
• We've talked to our neighbors more
• Online church certainly isn’t my preference but we’ve had some really great, deep conversations about Jesus because we have the luxury of pausing the sermon if you and Charlie have questions

You starred in Junie B. Jones in December. We never really read those books when you were younger - mainly because I didn’t like how sassy and bossy JBJ is. (As if the books I did suggest you read - Ramona Quimby - didn't have their own brand of sassy and bossy ...) You did an amazing job as JBJ. Your facial expressions, body language, and natural flair for the dramatic all came together on stage. I smile nonstop (or cry - whatever, shut up, nobody asked you) when you perform.

Despite Daddy’s desire to keep you from getting any older, you keep growing up and getting more and more responsible. After dinner, you often clear our plates from the table without being asked, rinse them, and put them in the dishwasher. If you pass trash on the sidewalk, you always pick it up and throw it away. You clean up after yourself. You put things where they belong. 

Daddy and I see all those things (and others). We see you working hard. We see you doing a good job. We see you serving your family. We see you treating your brother kindly. We see you loving people by sharing your talent with them. We see you.

We see our strong, brave, smart, hilarious girl. We see our cautious, adventurous, creative, clever girl. We see our thoughtful, conscientious, expressive, sensitive girl. We see you. We see an amazing girl who God created so carefully and intentionally. 

You matter, my sweet love. You matter simply because of Whose you are. So while all those adjectives I just listed are 100% true, you would matter just the same if you were none of those. Your adjectives don’t make you any more loved, worthy, or important. You’re loved, worthy, and important because you’re His.

And Daddy and I consider it the highest privilege that He gave you to us.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

Year Nine - Year End Review

 Happy happy Golden Birthday, my favorite Bear. 

Put on your golden britches and get ready for your Golden Top 10 Lists! 

Top 10 Things You Love:

1. Legos
2. Star Wars
3. Being read to
4. Your family
5. Going to church
6. The soundtracks from Hamilton and The Greatest Showman
7. Asking questions - you have a great curiosity
8. Helping people
9. Buying/receiving a new LEGO set
10. Tried-and-true foods like pizza, pasta, burgers,  

Top 10 Things You Don't Love:

1. Bugs
2. Sauces and/or saucy foods
3. Being on stage
4. Reading out loud (or reading in general, though I think you may be a kid who prefers to read nonfiction over fiction - but you like 
5. Doing anything that's being timed (it turns the 3rd grade rite of passage, doing 100 multiplication problems in 5 minutes, into a super stressful event)
6. Wanting a specific LEGO piece and not being able to find it amongst your 11 trillion pieces.
7. Not being amazing at a new activity
8. Jumpy and/or hyper dogs
9. Unkindness (It even hurts your feelings to hear someone speak rudely to someone else) 
10. Organizing your LEGOs. We've tried several different methods and all the pieces just either end up on your floor or thrown into giant bins.

Top 10 Things You're Good At:

1. Building original LEGO designs (The way you can build something you pictured in your mind completely baffles my I-can-build-something-but-only-if-I-have-step-by-step-directions brain)
2. Math
3. Giving encouraging words
4. Helping out
5. Protecting and defending the ladies in your life, namely me and Natalie. When Daddy teases me, you spring into action and put up your dukes, ready to defend my honor
6. Being dapper (You love your three-piece suit as much as you love your t-shirts and shorts. 
7. Praying out loud
8. Aggravating Natalie (if aggravating your big sister were a sport, you'd be captain of the varsity team) 
9. Following directions (particularly if they're given by a teacher at school or church ... we're still working on your selective direction-following that seems to plague you when you're at home ...)
10. Trying new foods (you're not good-good at this but you've definitely grown in this area ... you'll now eat my baked potatoes and chicken soup ... YAY) 

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At:

1. Keeping your floor free from LEGOs
2. Emptying the dishwasher without throwing your towel on your sister's head and/or turning a dish into a music instrument
3. Flying a 737
4. Folding and putting away your laundry without first throwing the laundry on your sister
5. Not singing in the shower
6. Keeping your glasses where they should be (they're often at the end of your nose like you're a disappointed librarian)
7. Kicking a 55-yd field goal
8. Wrestling alligators
9. Giving yourself grace when you make a mistake
10. Eating pizza slowly

My golden-birthday boy. You have been and continue to be an amazing delight. You’re intensely curious about so many topics - carpentry, space, watches, fishing, etc - I’m fascinated by the questions you ask and the way your mind works. (And I’m humbled because I can only answer about 3% of the questions you ask)

You're a natural protector and provider. We went to North Carolina just a few days ago and there was a fire pit outside the cabin. You got a wood-chopping lesson from a few of the dads (and even got a hatchet for your birthday from some dear friends) and loved every second of it. Over the next day, you chopped all the wood we needed for that night's fire. When you were done, you ran up to me and said (and I quote), "Momma, it made me feel so good to be able to provide wood for our fire."   

You’re wonderfully sensitive. You’re sensitive to tone of voice, to loud noises and chaos, and you’re sensitive to the Holy Spirit. You’re comforted by physical touch. If you and I are in the same room for any length of time, you often come over to me for a quick hug or two. It warms my heart that you're comforted and reassured by something so sweet. 

The majority of this year has been super weird. COVID-19 changed the end of your 2nd grade year to include Zoom classes for our Monday homeschool group. COVID also made our summer look different - no traveling or spontaneous road trips; no swim lessons; fewer visits to the playground and park; fewer play dates with friends.

COVID also meant that Daddy worked from home - which meant more time to spend with him in the morning before work. And more time to see him throughout the day when he’d come downstairs for lunch or a quick break. We’ve gone on more family hikes and walks, played more games, and worked on more projects together - all because of COVID. 

We watched our church on YouTube for about five or six months. To be honest, it was hard for the first few weeks. It would easily take us an hour to get through the 30-minute sermon because you and Natalie asked a lot of questions. But then Daddy and I realized the benefits of all these questions - you two were able to ask questions as soon as you heard something you didn't understand. If we were in person, you would have had to wait until after church was over to ask those questions, and by then, you may have forgotten what the questions were. Pausing the TV mid-sermon allowed us to have some really deep and wonderful conversations about the Lord. Questions about salvation, questions about fear and doubt, questions about His unending love. 

So while COVID has thrown an awful monkey-wrench into our perceived normalcy, we're trying to choose to see the benefits instead of focusing on what's bad. This isn't always easy and I definitely have times where my frustration gets the better of me. But that doesn't change the facts that we've seen Daddy more, had more family time, and had more faith-filled conversations.

We love you more than you can possibly know. You're our baby, our Charlie Bear, our sweet boy. We're so glad you're ours.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

2019 Year End Review

E-L-E-V-E-N!

Every year seems surprising to me. Like, how are you possibly [insert age here] years old? And 11 is no different. While I process how you're now halfway to 22, please enjoy your Top 10 Lists.

Top 10 Things You Love

1. Being on stage (I still occasionally catch you singing one of your Annie songs) 
2. Sushi, spaghetti, and soup (at least one of my children appreciates my soups … you also love alliteration … ) 
3. Reading, particularly whilst lounging in your bed 
4. Drawing 
5. RipStik-ing
6. It's a Southern Thing, Mark Rober, and the Holderness Family YouTube channels 
7. Routines 
8. Making cards for people 
9. Your family 
10. Quality time 

Top 10 Things You Don't Love 

1. Emptying the dishwasher and cleaning the bathrooms (though you don't mind dusting and vacuuming) 
2. Automatic toilets (eight years strong) 
3. Math (this one keeps showing up on this particular Top 10 List … as it does on another Top 10 List … ironic, no?)
4. A change in your routine 
5. Bugs 
6. Having to spend more than 10 minutes on school (I keep telling you that the older you get the longer school takes - but you're having none of my logical offerings) 
7. Not being involved in conversations 
8. Being corrected (nobody does, but it's been tricky to convince you of this)
9. Dumb phrases on shirts that are made for tween girls (we've had lots of conversations about how things like FOLLOW YOUR HEART and 90% ANGEL are obnoxious statements) 
10. Waiting patiently 

Top 10 Things You're Good At 

1. Singing, acting, and being a general ham (as evidenced by your performance in Annie)
2. Math (well hello, math, fancy seeing you again)
3. Purging the clutter from your room (Marie Kondo might even learn a thing or two from you) 
4. Keeping your room clean (made easier, because of #3)
5. Remembering to do your school work 
6. Handwriting 
7. Making scrambled eggs 
8. Drawing cartoons
9. Sarcasm (though we're still working on how to wield that power for good and not for evil) 
10. Talking to adults (every since you were about three, you've always preferred older kids and adults to younger kids) 

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At

1. Keeping your sighs to yourself when asked to do certain chores (which makes you also good at doing extra chores .... sighs = more chores)
2. Maintaining your composure when your routine gets shifted around 
3. Extending yourself grace (you'll get there, baby girl, I promise) 
4. Riding a unicycle
5. Being an adult (I often tell you "As a 10-year-old, you make a terrible adult." I say then when you try to understand things that are way beyond your scope of knowledge or when you try to make decisions that you have no business making) 
6. Piloting a 747 
7. Being content just listening to (and not participating in) a conversation
8. Recovering well/quickly/calmly from messing up (please know this is completely normal - however, one of the benefits of homeschooling is providing you with the safest environment imaginable in which to mess up. Daddy and I don't want you to TRY to mess up, but because messing up is inevitable, it's important to learn how to recover well from it.) 
9. Performing open heart surgery 
10. Keeping cool when you know about a fun surprise and someone else doesn't 

Oh, my sweet darling. I know this year hasn't been the easiest. Pre-teen hormones can feel like a sucker punch to the head (for you, for me, for errbody). Growing up ain't for the faint of heart and you're right in the thick of it. But in the middle of this season, we've had the opportunity to have some really good conversations. I've explained how there will be times when you'll act as rational as a toddler and that it's my job and Daddy's job to speak truth over your behavior. How you can't trust every feeling you have (FACTS AREN'T FEELINGS is a common phrase around here), particularly when you're feeling pity-party-ish. How so many things are a choice (this legitimately infuriates you) and learning how to make the right choice, even when it's not the easy choice. 

One of my (many) prayers I have is for you to remember there's nothing you can do to make God (or Daddy and me) love you any more. And there's nothing you can do to make God (or Daddy and me) love you any less. Our love for you is at a rock-solid 100%. Performing well doesn't make us love you any more. Messing up doesn't make us love you any less. We will always be at an unshakeable 100%. Always, always, always. 

You are chock-full of amazing qualities, my girl. You have a very sensitive, very precious heart. Without being asked, you design elaborate cards for people. You write encouraging notes to Charlie. You like to help me in the kitchen. Most mornings, you ask me to come upstairs and snuggle with you. But before that, I often hear you reading to Charlie in your bed. You like to cuddle with Daddy while we watch movies. You're strong and athletic, clever and smart, kind and eager. You love people; you love solitude. You love salads; you love ice cream. You're daring; you're cautious. You're amazing; you're beautiful; you're ours. 

And you're also 11. Dude. 

Hugs and smooches, 

Mommy & Daddy 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Headlines for January 1, 2020

• Barbara Walters honored with 'This is 2020' tribute video featuring star cameos
• A million people gather in Times Square to celebrate the New Year 
• Cleveland kidnapping survivors on journey from captivity to helping others 
• Texas church shooting gunman grew angry in past over money requests, visited 'multiple' times, minister says 
• Army veteran recycles Christmas trees into canes

Year Eight - Year End Review

Happy 8th birthday, my favorite little Bear! (My sincerest apologies for this recap being one day late. Your actual birthday was filled to the brim with ice skating, family pictures, and a macaroni-and-cheese cake debacle, so there simply wasn't time to post this yesterday …)

However, your Top 10 Lists are always timely.

Top 10 Things You Love:

1. Carbs and cheese (and cheesy carbs, if you're feeling very efficient) 
2. Natalie (playing with her, drawing with her, being read to by her, annoying her -- they all bring you immense joy) 
3. Having Boy Time with Daddy 
4. Legos 
5. Running laps at school on Mondays (who knew?) 
6. Sweets (chocolate, candy, ice cream - you're an equal-opportunity sugar consumer) 
7. Star Wars and Harry Potter 
8. Being read to (I read out loud to you and Natalie over breakfast; she reads out loud to you either right after you wake up or before you go to bed) 
9. Your ninja/sports class 
10. Church

Top 10 Things You Don't Love: 

1. Bugs (I think I can confidently cross off EXTERMINATOR from a list of possibly career paths for you)
2. Soup (this continues to be something you don't love and it continues to be such a shame because I continue to make some really good soups) 
3. Potatoes, unless they're fried and French 
4. Cooked vegetables (you don't love vegetables in general, but you definitely prefer them cold and crunchy)
5. Losing 
6. Seeing me or Natalie cry
7. Bad guys in movies
8. Performing on stage (I'm with ya, bud)
9. Chores (again, I'm with ya, bud)
10. Being corrected, particularly regarding your behavior (you have pretty high expectations of yourself and you get frustrated when you don't live up to them)

Top 10 Things You're Good At:

1. Lego-ing (particularly building creations just based off either your memory or your imagination; it's super impressive)
2. Protecting the ladies in your life (if Daddy follows up my snark with his own snark, you immediately spring into action and holler out, "Don't be mean to my momma!". Or if Daddy is tickling Natalie, you'll jump on his back and yell, "Don't mess with my sister!") You're protective and chivalrous. A winning combination in my book.
3. Math and cursive (despite the fact that you don't particularly like one of them …)
4. Landing on Free Parking an absurd number of times and bankrupting your whole family
5. Praying (I love hearing you talk to God about what you're thankful for and what you need)
6. Dressing well (don't get me wrong - you love sweat pants and t-shirts as much as the next kid, but you also enjoy vests, ties, and blazers)
7. Accumulating bruises on your legs (at one point, you found nine on just one leg)
8. Cracking eggs
9. Helping (whether it's carrying grocery bags, loading up the recycling, or helping your teacher on Mondays - you like to feel useful)
10. Carrying multiple folding metal chairs (each Sunday, the four of us do the set-up that's necessary for our homeschool group to meet the following day. You and Natalie are the designated Chair Setter-Uppers, and you've gotten really strong over the past 1.5 years that we've been doing it)

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At:

1. Losing gracefully (your competitive side has really emerged this year, as have many lessons on how to lose without pitching a giant-sized fit)
2. Answering math questions without doodling on all the margins of your book
3. Being sweat-free (you sweat like a man, dude)
4. Going up the stairs without turning it into a competition to see who can get to the top the fastest
5. Having a sock drawer full of matched socks (your drawer has a few sock balls in it, but there are also a lot of random singleton socks scattered throughout. I don't get it.)
6. Eating all your dinner in a timely manner if the meal isn't grilled cheese, pizza, or spaghetti.
7. Differential Equations (ugh, so embarrassing) 
8. Walking through the toy aisle of Target and not adding 52 more things to your Wish List (You: Mommy, I've wanted this Lego set forEVER! Me: Really? I'm pretty sure that's one of the newer sets. Like, it probably rolled off the conveyor belt about an hour ago. You: Well … well … UGH. I've wanted it for the last two minutes then. Can I add it to my Wish List anyway?)
9. Waking up in a bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed manner. (For such a good-natured kid, you're kind of a grumpasaurus in the morning)
10. Winning gold in the triple jump at the Olympics (again, shameful)

Oh, sweet boy. How lucky I am to call you mine! God has given you such an amazing set of qualities. I love that you're both sensitive and tough. Logical and imaginative. Strong and a snuggle-lover. Hard-working and a daydreamer. A great question-asker and wise beyond your years. You are incredibly kind, naturally sensitive, and instinctively nurturing. And the cherry on top - you're almost as funny as your momma.

I love how you love your sister so well. You are her biggest fan, her #2 protector (after Daddy, of course), and the cause of any premature grey hair she may get. You're continuing to learn when she needs her space and when she needs you (but won't say so) to belly flop on top of her while she's coloring. You encourage her in her talents and you've even started asking her to teach you some drawing techniques. You're just a couple of inches shorter than her (maybe by your 9th birthday recap, you'll be the same height?) which just makes her the maddest ever.

You're one of those kids who can get along with just about anybody. Older, younger, boy, girl. It doesn't matter. It's just one of the many ways you remind me of your Daddy.

Watching you love people well is a picture-perfect glimpse into how Jesus loves us. You're encouraging, kind, helpful, and loving. Nobody embodies those attributes better than Jesus, but it's like getting a little glimpse of heaven when I see you holding a door open for someone, when you carry in the grocery bags without me asking, when you compliment the way I look even if I'm just wearing sweatpants, the way you respect your teachers, and the way people feel when you're around.

You're one-in-a-million, kiddo, and I'm so glad you're mine.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

2018-2019 School Year - Charlie's Recap

The Bear is now in second grade!

The first day of school (which was the first day of our homeschool tutorial) began with you not wanting me to leave you. Your face crumpled up and you clung to my neck, furiously regretting your decision to get in the car that morning. Fast-forward to the end of the year and instead of a crumple-y face, you had a sticky, cotton candy-y face plastered with an enormous grin. I knew you’d love it. And I also knew you’d have to come to that conclusion in your own time (which only took about two weeks).

You blazed through your math book this year. You still maintain that you don’t like math, that you just happen to be really good at it. (I gave you a side-eye as I typed that). Your handwriting improved a lot this year, too. I wish I had started it at the beginning of the year and not just a few months ago, but I had you write a journal entry every day and draw a picture about what you wrote. You could write about whatever you wanted to, but well over half of your entries had to do with Star Wars.

You can read really well, but it’s our little secret. I won’t tell anyone. You have yet to really enjoy reading anything other than your Lego magazine, books about Legos, books about Star Wars, and books about Lego Star Wars. But hey, whatever floats your boat. Or Death Star. Whatever.

Now let's go and build a Lego beach (because, let's face it, that's really the only kind of beach I enjoy) because IT'S SUMMER VACATION TIME!

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

2018-2019 School Year - Natalie's Recap

How’s life, Ms. Finally-a-Fifth-Grader? Good? Excellent. I was hoping you’d say that.

I’m sure it’s because your heart is full-to-overflowing with the goodness that was this past school year and the satisfaction that you finished well. I’m sure it has nothing to do with that you can finally spend your days not reducing fractions and explaining why the main character felt angry/happy/confused during a particular chapter.

This past school year was definitely good. It was hard and messy and teary-eyed and stompy-footed, but it was good. It was frustrating and delayed-gratification-y, and yet, still good.

We finally found a math curriculum that works for you, so now you (almost) believe me when I tell you that you’re very good at math. I read out loud lots of books over breakfast. You fussed out loud about having to do literature reviews on those aforementioned books. I struck out (again) with our science curriculum, but all my fingers are crossed that next year will be easier. I think I hit a winner with our history curriculum, but we’re taking it slooooooow so that it’ll probably take us at least another year to cover the first book. No biggie.

You became the anti-Garfield and loved every Monday because it meant you got to go to your homeschool tutorial. Our living room turned into a craft factory during the weeks leading up to the Science Fair. You turned into a first place winner after turning in your project for the aforementioned Science Fair. We practiced all kinds of words for the Spelling Bee but neglected to study a certain word found on the third-grade list. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE WORD ‘WRY’ ANYWAY. You channeled your inner five-year-old as you played the part of Gretl in your school’s performance of The Sound of Music.

As much as I loved seeing your face as you understood your math work or watching the excitement as you held your first-place ribbon or seeing you ham it up on stage, it still pales in comparison to the hard work of character-building that we did. Apologizing, tone of voice, choice of words, respect, not giving up, and humility were just some of the areas we talked about. I also introduced you to the art of Finite Venting – for a few minutes, you get to have a crazy pity party full of irrational wishes, giant complaints, and big ol’ wallowing. And then when time’s up, it’s back to real life.

There were some amazing parts to our school year, but I think I can speak for the both of us when I say, HELLO SUMMER, YOU’RE SO CUTE. LET’S HANG OUT.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

2018 Year End Review

Two whole hands, that's what you are. Two whole hands of sweetness, sarcasm, and smarts. And it's my honor and privilege to present your Two-Handed Top Ten Lists.

Top Ten Things You Love:

1. Drawing
2. Singing, especially on stage
3. Knowing the bathroom situation of any place we go to (you want to know if there will be porta-potties, regular bathrooms, single-occupancy, etc and you want to make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom before we go anywhere.)
4. Charlie
5. Cuddling with your daddy
6. Girl time with your momma (you particularly love wandering around the American Girl store at the mall - which is actually loads of fun because you never ask for anything in that store. You've never been a 'doll kid'; you like to look at them in the store, but you're happy to leave them in the store.)
7. Making cards for people
8. The Holderness Family, Art for Kids Hub, and Super Carlin Brothers YouTube channels
9. Church, specifically your Sunday School class
10. Reading
    

Top Ten Things You Don't Love:

1. When you're forced out of your routine (which, admittedly, is something that Daddy and I do on purpose to stretch your 'roll with it' muscle. It definitely needs a bit of stretching ...)
2. When Charlie knows something you don't know, or figures something out before you do. (It's particularly funny when I'm drilling you on math problems and he calls out random numbers just to mess with you - and sometimes, he happens to call out the right number. Which just tickles him to no end and infuriates you to your very core. Charlie's right; it's very funny.)
3. Cumin and beans (which is super unfortunate because your parents love tacos almost as much as we love you)
4. Humidity
5. Reading comprehension ("You mean I have to look through this book to find the answer??????????? I can't do that!!!!!!!!! It'll take too long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
6. Cleaning the bathroom (I am fully aware of this fact, but you still feel the need to remind me every single time you're asked to do it)
7. That you're not perfect (One of my many prayers is that you would loosen the grip you have on this idea of perfection that you feel you have to meet. Daddy and I know you'll never be perfect and we know that it's a useless and fruitless quest to be perfect, but you hate not being amazing at everything.)
8. Dry skin in the winter
9. Waiting in lines
10. Chaos. (Hectic/loud/chaotic environments make you feel panicky.)
    

Top Ten Things You're Good At:

1. Math (I've always known you were good at math, but this is the first year where you've realized that for yourself. Thanks, Math Mammoth!)
2. Handwriting
3. Drawing cartoon characters 
4. Singing
5. Sarcasm (It's definitely a life-long process to learn when and how to use sarcasm to its fullest potential to where it's funny but never hurtful)
6. Teasing Daddy about you being halfway to (insert twice of whatever age you currently are). (Daddy hated that you were halfway to 18. I'm assuming he'll be even less thrilled with you now being halfway to 20).
7. Trying new foods (You definitely don't like everything you try, but I love that you're always willing to try)
8. Keeping your room clean
9. Following the rules (It truly confuses you when people don't follow the rules)
10. Rollerblading, climbing rock walls, and doing handstands
    

Top Ten Things You're Not Good At:

1. Having a good poker face. (Not that we play poker ... yet. But when we play spades and you end up with a great hand, you try your hardest to look normal, but your mouth purses up and your eyes open wide.)
2. Receiving constructive criticism (It's never fun to hear that you've done something wrong or that there's a better way to do what you've done, but it's important to be humble and recognize that you don't know everything)
3. Driving a car (if any police officers are reading this, I'M JUST KIDDING .... Of course I'm kidding ... you're a great driver)
4. Doing any activity (school work, reading, drawing, sitting in the car) without singing or humming
5. Being an adult (this, of course, doesn't stop you from trying to be a momma to Charlie ... it might surprise you, but he only needs one momma, one daddy, and one sister)
6. Juggling fire batons
7. Simply listening (and not participating) when an adult conversation is happening
8. Lying (praise Jesus!)
9. A triple lutz
10. Remaining calm when you hear that someone has to go to the bathroom without there being a bathroom in the immediate vicinity. (It makes you so nervous to think that someone might have an accident. I keep trying to tell you that an accident is pretty low on the list of Worst Things in the World, but that doesn't seem to help.)
    

How is it possible that a decade has passed so quickly? Those first six months of your life and the entire year of you being two definitely seemed to have lasted a lifetime-and-a-half (Will she ever stop throwing up on me?? Will she ever stop crying?? Will she ever stop pounding on the door and kicking the walls when she's mad??), but the other eight-and-a-half years have practically flown by in a blink. Watching you grow, learn, fall, learn some more, fall some more, and then learn some more has been a joy.

You're remarkably capable, ridiculously thoughtful, and incredible talented. You love performing in musicals and you love the quiet solitude of reading in your room. You love being silly and ridiculous, but you can also carry on an intelligent conversation with an adult. You're encouraging and sympathetic, kind and eager. You're tough and hard-working, cautious and curious. You're beautiful and strong, sensitive and mischievous. You're your daddy's baby doll and your momma's peach. You are our Natty-J.

As a girl in 2018, you're bombarded with slogans like GIRLS RUN THE WORLD and SORRY BOYS, GIRLS RULE and THE FUTURE IS FEMALE. To me, these slogans scream that being a girl automatically makes you better than a boy. That boys are incapable. That you must loudly proclaim your worth to the world at all times or else your worth is zero. Being female is wonderful and unique. It should not a burden nor should it be of utmost importance. 

Being female is not better or worse than being male; it's not a competition. God made us to be different - to like different things, to have different skills, to have different ideas. And that's wonderfully A-OK. 

Boys are not incapable. Sure, there are lots of boys and men who make really terrible decisions. That's not a gender problem; that's a sin problem.

Likewise, girls are not the end-all-be-all. There are lots of girls and women who make really terrible decisions. Again, it has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with sin.

Your worth does not need to be proclaimed on a glittery shirt. Your worth is not determined by your gender, your looks, your talents, or your likes or dislikes. Your worth is defined by the Creator of the word 'worth'. Your worth is defined by the One who created you. Your worth is defined solely by what He did on the cross. If you live like your worth is based on anything else, your worth will never feel secure. Because every single one of those anything elses can and will change - your talents can change over the years, your likes and dislikes aren't written in stone, your physical appearance will morph as you get older. On a day when your hair looks amazing, you blaze through school without any trouble, and you talents seem endless, you'll probably feel something like, Man! I am amazing. Look at how great I'm doing!! I'm a force to be reckoned with! But on those days when you can't find a thing to wear, you struggle with math concepts that you understood last week, and you can't seem to get along with anybody, you'll probably feel, Man! I'm a disaster. I can't do anything right. I'll never be good enough.

But if you base your worth on Someone unchanging, Someone eternal, Someone who loves unconditionally, you can face the great days with humility and the not-so-great days with grace. You understand that while He's the giver of every talent you have, His love for you isn't based on possessing that talent. His love for you is based on your position as His child. You understand that while He's responsible for the brain in your head, He's not demanding you be perfect at anything. He knows you'll never be perfect; He just wants you to follow Him. And following Him will look like amazing days as well as not-so-amazing days. 

So keep following Him, my darling. Follow Him on the good days and follow Him on the bad days. He's faithful and steadfast and He's crazy about you. You are His masterpiece.

Your daddy and I are quite fond of you as well.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy and Daddy

Year Seven - Year End Review

Happy whole-hand-plus-two-fingers-on-your-other-hand birthday, my favorite little be-dimpled Bear!

Are you ready for your Top 10 lists? Well are you? ARE YOU?

Good.

Top 10 Things You Love:

1. Natalie
2. Soccer
3. Pizza, noodles, rice, cheeseburgers, and any and all things sweet and dessert-y
4. Babies
5. Legos
6. Sonic Dash on the Kindle
7. Your school
8. Dude Perfect YouTube videos
9. Things. Quality things, cheap things, free things - you like things.
10. Your suit. (Ladies love a sharp-dressed fella).

Top 10 Things You Don't Love:

1. Anything that doesn't fall into the Pizza, noodles, rice, cheeseburgers, and any and all things sweet and dessert-y category. The same boy who can take 40 minutes to eat a cup of broccoli can inhale a cup of ice cream in mere seconds.
2. The dark
3. Being alone upstairs when it's dark
4. Bugs and spiders (The Great Yellowjacket Infestation of 2014 has convinced you that every living thing smaller than your thumb has a killer agenda)
5. Dogs (The Scary Dog Encounter of 2015 has convinced you that all dogs are terrifying)
6. Coloring (anytime I give you a worksheet that requires you to color, you immediately melt down in your chair until you're a giant boy-sized puddle under the table)
7. A harsh tone. (Your sensitivity is one of your best qualities)
8. Unfairness. (if Natalie get a few minutes on the Kindle while you were playing Legos, you immediately complain that you didn't get the same Kindle time. If I've said it once, I've said it a trillion times - IN THIS HOUSE, FAIR DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL)
9. Hot weather
10. Doing your laundry (too bad for you; clean clothes are delightful)

Top 10 Things You're Good At:

1. Encouragement (More than once, I've seen you help up a fellow soccer player, regardless of what team he/she is on. And more than once, you've come over to me and patted my back when I've had a migraine. You're a natural, kid.)
2. Getting sweaty regardless of the temperature (your poor pillow has a permanent sweat/salt halo around your head while you sleep ...)
3. Math (Again, you're a natural)
4. Handwriting (even though you complain about writing so much, you have really nice handwriting. You're welcome, by the way.)
5. Putting an outfit together (you put the rest of us to shame on Sundays ... we wear regular clothes and you come downstairs in a three-piece suit. Like, literally. You're stylish to the point where you've asked for suspenders, a top hat, and a pocket silk for Christmas. I've even seen you check yourself out in the bathroom mirror and declare, "Man! I look GOOD!")
6. Driving your poor sister crazy
7. Praying (your prayers always include safe travels for Daddy, if we end up eating dinner before he gets home - and prayers for kids without any mommies or daddies.)
8. Winning games you have no business winning (you've bankrupted the three of us on more than one occasion in Monopoly ... what makes it worse is that your business strategy is deciding to buy properties based on if you like the property's color or like the way the name sounds, not if it makes good financial sense ... and you land on Free Parking a freakishly high number of times)
9. Hoarding your treasures. (Your bedside table is full of rocks, old phones, a few leaves, a broken action figure, the top of a plastic water bottle, some string, a battery or two, a hotel room key. And if I suggest that maybe you clean out your drawer, you're all, "No! This is my good stuff!")
10. Making people laugh (you = big ol' ham)

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At:

1. Hanging up your shirts neatly. (it's one of those things that I don't feel is a battle worth fighting. Your shirts are on a hanger; they're just not evenly spread out over the entire hanger.)
2. Problem solving (because it's more fun to come to me and announce that you can't reach the potato chips instead of just dragging the stool over to the pantry so you can reach the shelf with the potato chips.)
3. Losing (Oh, the pouting! And the whining! And the tears!)
4. Staying focused on any task that's not building Legos or eating anything that doesn't fall into the Pizza, noodles, rice, cheeseburgers, and any and all things sweet and dessert-y category.
5. Nuclear Physics. I really thought you'd have nailed this by age seven.
6. Keeping your tongue in your mouth when you do anything athletic.
7. Not sounding like a high-pitched fire alarm when you get tickled. (For the love of our ears, please lower the decibel level.)
8. Taking the time to look for a specific Lego piece. (I hear everything from "I lost it" to "I must have sold it" to "I think I left it at church")
9. RECOGNIZING THAT THE FOOD I COOK IS DELICIOUS, DARN IT.
10. Slam-dunking on a regulation hoop

Oh my boy, how I love any excuse to celebrate you. You exude joy, silliness, and kindness. You love both people and solitude.  You seem just as content to play with your friends as you do to play Legos by yourself. Speaking of Legos, you're remarkably able to think of an idea and, within mere minutes, produce the Lego-fied version of that idea. Your creations always have stories associated with them - the minifigures all have names and back stories; the houses are always thoughtfully designed to appeal to its children occupants; the vehicles are usually on an important mission.

You come up with some of the best, most random questions I've ever heard. I've compiled a list of some of my favorites that you've asked throughout the year. 

• What if there was a restaurant that just served pickle skin?
• Is there a bathroom in heaven?
• What if someone built a bridge that could hold 100,050 cars at once?
• Do fish have tongues?
• How many kilograms are in a second?
• What if there were bathrooms in elevators?
• What if a crocodile played Pie Face?

You're growing like a weed, and if I were a bettin' lady, I bet you'd surpass your sister in height before you're nine. This obviously displeases your sister greatly, though SHE WILL ALWAYS BE OLDER (anytime she says that, she hollers it, hence the all caps). I'm often asked if the two of you are twins or if you're the older one, and this infuriates Natalie to no end. She can't fathom how people could think she's the younger one. You're both blessed/cursed with my baby face, so you both should get ready for an incorrect estimation of your age for the rest of your life. 

I often pray that this ol' world wouldn't harden your sweet spirit. Based on my unprofessional opinion, being a boy in 2018 comes with some unique obstacles. BE TOUGH, some say. Or, TOUGHNESS MAKES YOU A NEANDERTHAL; BE SENSITIVE. Or, ONLY MEN KNOW ANYTHING; GIRLS ARE HELPLESS, SO TREAT THEM AS SUCH. Or, GIRLS RULE THE WORLD; BOYS ARE THE SOURCE OF EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THE WORLD.

Oh, how I pray these skewed messages don't seep into your heart and mind.

Manliness is not simply being tough and athletic, nor does the presence of sensitivity mean there's an absence of manliness. Manliness also looks like comforting someone when they're hurting or sad. It looks like holding the door for your momma and sister. It looks like helping when you see a need. It looks like working hard. It looks like being courageous. It looks like being protective of the females in your life. It looks like feeling the big, sad feelings without feeling ashamed, and it looks like acknowledging that not every little hurt requires a giant response. It looks like humility. It looks like love.

It looks a lot like you, my darling boy.

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for you, and how He'll use your unique combination of qualities to be a light in this world.

I love you tremendously, my seven-year-old Bear.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Headlines for November 9, 2018:

• Ginsburg 'up and working' after fall, says nephew 
• Ty Pennington opens up about home improvement craze: ‘I’ve been told I’m an OG’ 
• Florida governor's race could be heading to recount 
• California bar shooting victims include police officer, aspiring Army service member 
• Southern California wildfire threatens 30,000 homes, forces evacuations

Summer 2018 - Recap

My dear Peach,

You are almost a month into fourth grade and I feel like this year might just be the best one yet. I changed practically everything in our curriculum and so far, the changes seem to all be for the good. 

We switched from Singapore Math to Math Mammoth. We've used Singapore since kindergarten but I never really loved it. I used it because I heard it was one of the best - and I'm sure it is - but I never felt it was a great fit for us, and I was too overwhelmed with choices to look for something different. A dear friend uses MM with her kiddos and they love it. I perused one of the workbooks and I thought it would be something you would like. Again, we're only a month into it, but you seem to like math waaaaay more this year than last year and we've had waaaaay fewer tears than this time last year. So thumbs up for MM.

We using Apologia Astronomy for science. I'm not very science-savvy (that's KK's department) but I think I'll really like this curriculum. You're building a lapbook with the information you're learning, and anything that involves coloring and crafting is A+ in your book.

History is not my jam. Like, not at all. I want to like it but, gracious, it usually just bores me to tears. And I've had quite the knack of choosing history curricula that just fed my dislike of all things history. But this year I chose Mystery of History - and I'm really liking it (cue the Hallelujah Chorus). This curriculum is broken up into four books and we're starting with the first one (duh), which begins at creation and ends at Jesus' resurrection. But it also talks about what else was happening in the world at the same time as Biblical events. This curriculum also includes various crafts and activities so this clearly gets the Natalie Seal of Approval.

Reading comprehension has often been a struggle for me. I distinctly remember taking tests with questions such as "What was the author trying to say when he wrote the following ..." And I was all, "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW? IF THE AUTHOR WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING, THEN HE SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID IT. I'M NOT A DANG MIND READER." So this prompted me to introduce you to literature reviews this year. Before school began, I assumed we'd read one book a month. In reality, however, we'll probably get through two books each semester. Quality over quantity is the name of our game. We're starting with From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and using a literature review I bought from Teachers Pay Teachers. It's been a lot of fun - and it's really comprehensive. It includes vocabulary, creative writing, and recalling what you read. 

You're also in your homeschool group's Fall musical. You got the part of Gretl in The Sound of Music. I can't WAIT to see you perform. You're a natural ham (shock!) so you're really fun to watch you on stage.

You are now a bespectacled Peach. I read to you and Charlie during breakfast every day (we just finished the last Little House on the Prairie book!) and you always come around to my seat when I show you two the pictures. I thought you were just being dramatic when you said you couldn't see the pictures very well. But a doctor's checkup proved that your vision is, in fact, quite terrible. The nurse asked you to read what you could from the eye chart and out of 15 letters, you got two correct. I thought you were just joking and purposefully saying the wrong letter. Even the nurse was all, "You can't see this letter right here? This big letter?" Fast-forward a week and the optometrist confirmed that you definitely needed glasses. The next two weeks were spent trying on frames and finding something wrong with every single one of them. Too pink-ish, too purple-ish, too small, too big, too square, too round, too thick, too thin, too ugly, too old lady-ish. I finally took you to the optical department at Walmart as a last-ditch effort to find something you wouldn't hate. We hit the jackpot - we found some frames that fit your face perfectly, were the right shape (square-but-not-too-square), the right color (tortoise-shell brown), and - my personal favorite - the right price. Nine dollars. Seriously. Nine. Dollars. The first time you put them on, you squealed, "Whoa! These signs have WORDS?!? And these trees have LEAVES!? Momma, the world is so beautiful!"

And they look so natural on you that I'm not used to your face without glasses - and it's only been 10 days. And you love them, too. I could be mistaken, but I think your smile is even bigger now, now that you have your glasses.

And the world is even more beautiful when you're smiling. 

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Headlines for September 1, 2018:

• John McCain remembered as father, friend, statesman who 'called on us to be better'
• USA Gymnastics coach fired 3 days after hiring
• As school year starts, FBI urges parents to use ID app in case a child goes missing
• Gladys Knight reveals that she had stage 1 breast cancer but is now 'cancer-free and grateful'
• This life-size Lego sports car is fantastic plastic

July 2018 - Recap

Man. This is NOT the house in which to forget to write a recap.

"Mommy, have you written my recap yet?"
"Mommy, will you please write my recap?"
"Mommy, how come you haven't written it yet?"
"Mommy, any progress?"
"Mommy, can I just read previous recaps?"

In your defense, I'm six months late in writing them. In my defense, teaching and grocery shopping and scrubbing the occasional toilet takes time. 

So here I sit, wracking my brain, trying to remember what happened for the first half of 2018. 

You learned some math.

You fussed over the learning the aforementioned math.

You cheered up once you understood the aforementioned math.

You were in a musical.

You want to do all the musicals now.

You handled the first time getting your blood drawn like a BOSS.

You finished the 3rd grade.

You joined a homeschool enrichment.

You want the aforementioned homeschool enrichment to start ASAP.

You went to VBS.

You went to Art Camp.

You aggravated your brother.

You played with your brother.

You aggravated him some more.

A pretty solid six months, if I do say so myself. Which I do.

You hate not being awesome at things. I get it, I really do. One of my prayers for you is that you find beauty in the struggle - not just a math struggle, but in all kinds of struggles. There is much to learn while you're in the thick of a valley. You learn tenacity, you learn patience, you learn humility. And one of the gifts of homeschooling you is that I get to watch you learn these things (and see the light bulb go off!). And, simultaneously, I also learn these things myself. The learnin' don't stop when you graduate, my darling. The learnin' keeps on a'comin' even when you're old like me.

Valleys are OK. Valleys aren't to be feared or avoided at all costs. Valleys keep us scrappy. Valleys force us to look up. Valleys are where some of the sweetest life lessons are formed. Valleys makes us appreciate the hills that much more.

Performing in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was definitely a hill moment for you. You loved every bit of the 10 weeks of rehearsals and you knocked your parts out of the park. You played the reporter (who spoke to each of the kids as he/she found a Golden Ticket), a kid in the candy store during the Candy Man song, and the Head Oompa Loompa (Charlie played one of the other Oompa Loompas). During one of your reporter monologues, the audience laughed (because you're my daughter so obviously you're a hoot). The look on your face was priceless. You looked all Wait, they're laughing! They think I'm funny! THIS IS THE BEST! You ad-libbed some of your mannerisms while you were an Oompa Loompa (which, again, was met with some laughs). Your expressions were hysterical. You did so well.

After the show, you realized just who was in the audience. Your nurse came. Your Sunday School teachers came (Charlie's teachers did, too!). Three darling friends from church came - seeing them made you burst into tears. You were floored that so many people came to see you and Charlie perform. You are very loved, my theatrical peach.

Daddy and I signed you and Charlie up for a homeschool enrichment for the fall. So one day a week you both will go to 'school' all day. You'll have core classes in addition to some fun electives, like art and a home ec-type class. You're so excited about starting, especially because you know almost all the girls in your grade. It's a precious group of girls and I'm so glad you're going to be with them. Another reason you're excited to start is that you'll need a lunchbox. There are so many positives to homeschooling, but certainly one of the negatives is not needing a lunchbox. Apparently.

You just finished up a week of Art Camp. I think you assumed that it would be five days of drawing and painting and you were a little nervous when I told you that you'd learn how to use grout, how to print t-shirts, and how to make a gazing ball/cube. But in true Natalie Form, you realized that just because something was unfamiliar, it didn't mean it wasn't worth trying. (Please know this advice does NOT apply to drugs or going seatbelt-less or stealing or anything else bad) You had the best time at camp and were so excited to show us your projects at the art show after camp was over. God has absolutely blessed an artistic talent within you and I love getting to see how you use your gift. 

WHEW. There. Now you'll stop mentioning to me how I've failed at writing your recaps.

Hopefully your next one will come sooner than your 10th birthday. But I make no promises.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Headlines for July 1, 2018:

• Newspaper where 5 gunned down thanks public, affirms mission: 'We are journalists'
• Idaho apartment stabbing suspect attacked child's birthday party seeking 'vengeance' after being asked to leave, cops say
• Trump has expanded Supreme Court shortlist amid pressure from pro-choice advocates, GOP senator claims
• Notorious French criminal escapes from prison using helicopter, sparks massive manhunt around Paris
• Russia stuns Spain on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals
• 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' takes No 1. at the box office for the 2nd time 

2017 - Year End Review

Oh, my sweet girl,

I'm so happy you were born. I'm so happy you're in our family. I'm so happy the world gets to experience the gift of you. So with all that happiness, I give to you your Top 10 Lists.

Top 10 Things You Love:

1. Drawing
2. Singing (the soundtrack to our lives is lovingly provided by you)
3. One-on-one time (quality time is totally your love language)
4. Being tickled
5. Charlie
6. Reading (every time we go to the library, you leave with no fewer than 20 books for yourself)
7. Being read to
8. ArtForKidsHub and SuperCarlinBrothers YouTube channels
9. Baby animals and baby humans (you're a fan of all things cute)
10. John Crist, Tim Hawkins, and Brian Regan

Top 10 Things You Don't Love:

1. A semi-short but very specific list of foods: cumin; beans; casseroles; applesauce; Saltines; anything spicy
2. Humid weather
3. Emptying the dishwasher (but you like eating on clean dishes, sooooo ...)
4. Seeing kids argue; it makes you so upset to see people not getting along and not resolving their differences
5. Struggling with a hard problem (I know there's probably not anyone who really loves struggling, but it seems to be an especially repellent notion to you - one of my many prayers for you is that you'd learn to find beauty in the struggle)
6. Realizing there's a conversation going on and you not being involved
7. When plans change without your prior approval (but you're not the parent, sooooo ...)
8. Naps, unless you have a fever (Sunday afternoon naps are the BEST! How can you not like them?!)
9. Watching sports on TV (but your daddy loves sports, sooooo ...)
10. Being told that you're wrong (but you're human, sooooo ...)

Top 10 Things You're Good At:

1. Drawing
2. Singing
3. Saving money (you're not a stuff kid, so there's very little in terms of toys that you're dying to have)
4. Math
5. Helping me in the kitchen
6. Calligraphy
7. Making toast, macaroni and cheese, and PB&J sandwiches
8. Drawing and decorating birthday cards for people (handmade cards are also your love language)
9. Doing handstands and the almost-splits
10. Wall climbing 

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At:

1. Facing challenges with a go get 'em attitude (you so want to succeed the first time you try something new and when you don't, you're very hard on yourself ... my little apple sure didn't have far to fall ...)
2. Trying to fool me (it brings such joy to my heart that you're a terrible liar and a horrible actress - I pray you'll always be unable to tell a lie without it being plainly displayed all over your face)
3. Responding and not reacting (though you have improved by leaps and bounds over this past year)
4. Doing a backbend without assistance
5. Speaking a foreign language (but that doesn't keep you from trying)
6. Letting other people talk
7. Curling your tongue (you're the only one in our family who can't ... this doesn't go over very well with you)
8. Whistling
9. Watching a movie  quietly (Who's that guy? Why is he crying? Where is that family going? What's going to happen when the friend finds out? Why is she in a cast?) A common theme in our house is, "If you'll watch the movie, I'm 99% sure your question will be answered." Because if you just want answers to these questions, we'll turn off the movie and just read the movie's Wikipedia page.
10. Raising one eyebrow (if you ever figure this out, please tell me how you did it. I want to do this too)

My peach. My doll. My precious girl who made me a momma. You, my love, are in a class by yourself. You are an extroverted introvert who knows exactly when she's hit her max capacity for people-ing and needs to hide out for a bit to recharge. You're a wickedly sharp girl who has a penchant for sass and sarcasm. You're a people-pleaser and a talented artist. You crave quality time and are equally delighted by the spotlight a quiet reading nook. You are sensitive, emotional, strong, clever, artistic, kind, and smart. Your brother idolizes you and your parents adore you. God sure gave a gift to the world when He gave it you.

You're nine. Your last single-digit age. Halfway to eighteen (don't tell this to Daddy; it makes him sad). Assuming you go off to college when you're 18, we're at the halfway point of having you at home. THAT is mind-blowing. 

My mind is filled with Bible verses that I pray over you. Verses about being honest and kind, verses about being humble and thankful, and verses about working hard. But what comes to mind most often with you, my angel girl, is this verse:

Ephesians 3:17-19

"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses the knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

My heart practically is bursting with my desire for you to wholly rest in the perfect love that God has for you. His love is amazing, complete, and beyond what our little human brains can process. There's nothing you can do to make God love you any more; He's already your Number 1 Fan.

I pray that He would reveal His love to you in wonderfully unique ways - ways that speak directly to your heart. God is so amazing, my girl. He calls each of us to Himself individually and specifically, and I pray that He'll make you sensitive to how He shows His love for you.

There is sweet rest that comes from knowing that you're fully and completely loved by the Creator of the universe. Having this knowledge can prevent you from looking for validation and approval from the wrong things - temporary things, flawed things, . 

I love you more than I can possibly express. And even with that, God loves you infinitely more. So He wins.

But I win, too, because I get to be your mom.

Happy birthday, my sweet peach.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

Year Six - Year End Review

Dearest Birthday Bear,

You've been counting down your birthday since practically August. I'm both flabbergasted that you're six years old and relieved that the Great Birthday Countdown has finally stopped (until your Half Birthday Countdown starts up in a few months).

Here are your Thank-Heavens-You're-Finally-Six Top 10 Lists:

Top 10 Things You Love:

1. Natalie
2. Legos
3. What's Inside YouTube channel
4. Snack food (specifically Cheez-Its, chips, pretzels, and string cheese)
5. Phineas and Ferb (for what it's worth, this would be on my Top 10 list, too)
6. Cheese pizza and cheeseburgers
7. Going to church
8. Babies
9. Wrestling with Daddy and Natalie (but not with me; I'm too delicate for that fool business)
10. Opening and holding doors for people

Top 10 Things You Don't Love:

1. Many foods (including beans; veggies that aren't orange and yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, and broccoli; casseroles; bread where you can see the grains/seeds; cooked fruit)
2. Scary parts in movies
3. Emptying the dishwasher (cry me a river)
4. Putting your laundry away (again, boo hoo)
5. Coloring
6. Big dogs
7. Disappointing people (you're a huge people pleaser; we're trying to harness that for good and for it to not give you anxiety)
8. The dark (you've slept with the lamp on since you were one)
9. Spiders
10. Losing a game (we're still working on teaching you how to lose both graciously and gracefully)

Top 10 Things You're Good At:

1. Math (you instinctively knew to 'count on' - like, when you first started adding a problem like 4+3 in your head, you naturally started counting at 5 and adding 3 more as opposed to counting up to 4 then adding 3)
2. Building Charlie-original Lego designs, usually vehicles
3. Reading letters that aren't there. I'm super impressed with the progress you're making with reading, but sometimes you assume you know what the next word or letter will be. So you say it, only to find out that, sadly, you're not an awesome assumer. 
4. Apologizing (you always want to make things right, but you take after your momma and sometimes apologize too much or apologize when it's not needed)
5. Throwing a Frisbee
6. Writing your letters (I'm a sucker for pretty penmanship and I'm doing my best to have your handwriting be legible)
7. Helping Daddy (I love seeing the two of you in the garage doing 'guy stuff' together)
8. Making people laugh (you're welcome for your awesome sense of humor)
9. Being charming (thank Daddy for your awesome sense of charm)
10. Praying out loud

Top 10 Things You're Not Good At:

1. Keeping your Legos organized. (Does it bother you? Not in the least. Does it make your mother super twitchy to see bins and bins and random Lego pieces? Without a doubt.)
2. Hanging up your button-down shirts on a hanger. Without fail, you'll come to me with a completely baffled look on your be-dimpled face while carrying an unbuttoned shirt and a hanger. You show me how IMPOSSIBLE it is to hang up, usually with the finesse of a hapless infomercial star when she tries to open up a carton of milk and manages to spill it all over the counter. THERE'S GOT TO BE AN EASIER WAY. I button up a few of the buttons and hand it back to you. You put it on the hanger and realize that the buttons keep the shirt securely on. IT'S LIKE MAGIC.
3. Saving money (the second you get money, you want to spend it ... everything in the store becomes The Coolest Toy in the World and the Very Thing You've Been Wanting for Years and Years)
4. Quantum Physics (just like your sister ... lazy bones)
5. Waiting your turn (eh, you're six ... it comes with the territory)
6. Keeping surprises a secret (you're a professional Bean Spiller ... it's like it causes you actual pain to know about a surprise but not be able to tell someone else)
7. Doing your schoolwork without decorating your pages with a various assortment of stick figures and doodles. It's sometimes hard to see what you wrote through all the smiley faces and random shapes. It's infuriatingly adorable. Or adorably infuriating.
8. Putting in Lego arms. I insert no fewer than one set of arms into empty Lego torsos each day.
9. Sleeping in. You're a great sleeper but you have yet to realize how delicious it is to sleep in on Saturday morning. You do find it positively amazing to jump on Daddy and me on Saturday morning, however. It's a good thing you're cute.
10. Sweeping. (if the goal was to fling or to scatter, you'd get an A+; as it is, you need some improvement)

I can remember the instant my midwife handed you to me. I was hopelessly smitten and absolutely terrified. A son. I had a BOY. But I didn't know the first thing about what to do with a little boy! What do I say? What games do I play? What places do I take you to? I was stumped. But my heart was so full of newborn sweetness that I didn't care. Who knew that all I'd need to keep you happy was six hours of hair dryer noise at night and lots of cuddles during the day? And that when you got older, you needed no hair dryer but that you still liked cuddles during the day. And that you're perfectly content with a near-steady supply of cheese, carbs, and Lego time. The Lord was so generous when He gave you to us. He knew that my heart longed for you before you were even born. 

You like to use big words. It's understandable - I, too, have an incredibly smart older sister and I did my darnedest to keep up with her. Sometimes in your haste to go toe-for-toe with her you'll throw out gigantic, $10 words. I've been impressed with your correct usage for many of these words. But then there are those times. Those times when you throw out a sentence like "Look at my hair, Mommy! Do I look like a negotiate?"

Speaking of your hair, you're quite particular about it. You style the front in a specific swoopy way that makes you look like an adorable businessman. Who has a penchant for Captain America t-shirts. 

My sweet boy, you bring an ease to our family, a particular playfulness that leave us in stitches, and a soft heart that leaves us wishing the world were kinder but that by simply being you, the world is automatically kinder. You're respectful, silly, sensitive, excitable, and talented. You're incredibly friendly and extraordinarily thoughtful. Everyone who meets you is smitten by your mischievous smile and carefree attitude. 

There are two verses that I pray over you often:

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

These verses speak to me about a few of your natural, God-given strengths (kindness, respect, and protection). I pray these continue to grow as you get older, always seeking out ways to look out for and serve others. I also pray the Lord would develop and grow the areas of your life that are currently marked by scary thoughts at bedtime. I pray that you will learn to train your mind on good things, on lovely things, on things that He has created. One of the ways to do this is to realize and to remember that He is with you always. There's not a moment He's left you or forgotten about you. You are immeasurably treasured to God, my darling.

And you are to our family as well.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

October 2017 - Recap

My sweet angel,
You've seemed awfully grownie here recently. I was commenting to a dear friend about how you look so different from October 2016. I look back at our family Halloween picture from last year (when we dressed up as the Batfamily) and yesterday (when we dressed up as a 50s Family) and the difference in you is startling. And when I combine yesterday's picture with the picture of almost-two-year-old you also dressed up as a 50s girl, I have to take a deep breath. As I've said many times, I've never been one who mourns each passing stage because each new stage has been better than the one before it. But looking at your toddler sock-hop-y picture and seeing you yesterday makes me realize just how quick seven years has passed and what an amazing person you've grown into. I've loved getting to witness this growth first-hand.

You've always been artistic but you've been uber-artistic this month. We found a channel on YouTube that's full of cartooning tutorials and you've been working through them at a steady pace. I'm incredibly impressed with the smattering of cartoons you've drawn. It took a few months but I'm glad to have finally found a good art channel to supplement our homeschool curriculum.

Speaking of homeschool, it's still going great (and all the mommas said AMEN). It's fun to teach you in a grade when I specifically remember being in that grade. I loved my teacher; I loved learning what the word satchel meant (my teacher called them satchels instead of backpacks and it took well into the first day of school before I figured out what she was talking about); I loved math; I didn't love social studies. In fact, I got my first C in third grade - my final six weeks grade in social studies was a C+ and I thought that meant I wasn't going on to fourth grade. I was sobbing at my desk on the last day of school because I thought I failed the third grade.

One of the things I distinctly remember learning in the third grade was multiplication. We spent days and weeks and months going over multiplication tables. Then we spent a week or two doing 100-problem worksheet drills to test our speed and accuracy. One of my few claim to fames is that I was the only student in my class who could correctly answer 100 multiplication problems in five minutes. It took three or four tries (it took that long for me to remember that 7x8 was 56 and not 54), but I finally did it. And my reward was that I got to play with clay (like actual artist's clay, not Play-Doh) during the next day's math lesson. Which was awesome. Except that squishing and kneading the clay to where it would be soft enough to actually play with took the entire length of the math lesson. So, awesome but kinda not. However 30 years later, I still remember that 7x8=56. Boo yah.

So I'm passing on the 100-problem torch to you, my dear student. And you couldn't be more thrilled or excited to carry on this time-honored tradition. Ok, so maybe thrilled isn't the right word. Maybe eye-roll-y tolerating is more accurate. We've only done two worksheets so far but you went from missing four to only missing one (8x6 is definitely your version of my dreaded 8x7 ... psst, it's 48 not 46). And you've shaved five minutes off your time. Another boo yah.

I love being present for each of your boo yahs.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for November 1, 2017:

• NYC Attacker Followed ISIS Playbook, Planned Rampage for Weeks
• Navy recommends sweeping changes after ship collisions
• Team U.S.A. Prepares for the Winter Olympics
• Fellow soldier, intel analyst defend Bergdahl
• Harvey Weinstein banned for life from the Producers Guild of America

September 2017 - Recap

My sweet love,

Whelp, once again I forgot to write last month's recap so I'm pulling double-duty this month.

A few weeks ago, you took your second-but-you-were-too-little-to-remember-your-first trip in an airplane. We flew to Texas to go to our dear friend's wedding outside Austin and to see another set of dear friends in Houston. Flying is not my favorite thing in the world. I never feel well when I fly - it's a combination of a headache and queasiness and discomfort-from-being-six-feet-tall-and-jammed-into-a-tiny-space. When I fly, it's definitely about the destination; the journey can go jump in the lake.

But this journey included two kiddos who had never been on an airplane before - and things are always better when you see them through the eyes of first-timer. On the first leg, you and I sat next to each other and Daddy and Charlie sat next to each other. We switched kids on the way home.

We parked the car in long-term parking and waited for the shuttle to take us to the airport. You were fascinated and thrilled during the entire three-minute ride. You couldn't stop giggling and kept looking around with your mouth open. I love that you're easily impressed. It makes life so fun.

We got through security and boarded the plane without any issues, and you immediately buckled up and started reading the safety information card. That's typically your M.O. Whether we're at a public pool, a playground, a trail, or really anything with a set of rules, you immediately read them. ("Mommy, this sign says the playground is for kids who are 3-5 years years old. Charlie is five-and-a-half. Is that OK?")

You looked a little nervous as we sped up for take-off, you ooh'd and ahh'd as Nashville got smaller and smaller, and you giggled as we rose through the clouds. It was such fun to watch you react to everything. Flying with you definitely helped to distract me from feeling queasy.

And despite my pleading for you two to NOT have to go to the bathroom for the four hours we'd be in an airplane, nature came a'callin' during our flight home. I warned you beforehand that an airplane bathroom was ridiculously small and you got to see for yourself. 

One of the coolest things was when the pilot of the flight to Texas let you and Charlie sit in the cockpit as we were exiting the plane. He encouraged you two to play around with the steering wheels (is it called a steering wheel in a plane?) to get the whole 'pilot experience'. Southwest, you're top-notch.

School is in full swing and this year has already surpassed last year by leaps and bounds in terms of your excitement level and enthusiasm. We've had a few tears, of course (what would homeschool be without tears?!). But I feel like we've hit a good groove this year (whereas last year was fairly groove-less and frustrating). So thumbs up to you, Third Grade. Please don't punk out on me.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for October 2, 2017:

• At least 58 dead, more than 500 injured in Las Vegas shooting
• Tom Petty, legendary rocker, dead at 66
• OJ Simpson: What's next following prison release?
• American trio awarded Nobel Prize for Medicine
• Equifax Made Major Errors That Led to Hack, Smith Concedes

Month 68 - Recap

My best bear,
So I don't even think you know I do these recaps. Or don't do, as has been my normal for the past few months, but that's neither here nor there ... But since your darling older sister called out my slacker tendencies on keeping up with your recaps, I got back on the wagon with hers. But I can't very well recap her life and leave yours out (I mean, I can - #secondchildprobs - but I won't).

So you're now a graduate of K4 at First Presbyterian Preschool in Dothan and are now enrolled as Student #2 in the Smith Academy of Occasional Learning and Constant Cheese Consumption. I'm still working on our school's name, but the point is that I'll be homeschooling you for kindergarten. I'm both nervous and excited to be teaching you both. This will be a year of growth, full of laughs and tears, lasting memories and occasional eye rolls. But let's stop talking about me.

We got you a new bike. I don't expect Daddy and me to receive an award for Most Observant Parents for When It's Time to Upgrade Their Child's Bike. See, you've had the same Cars bike for pretty much your whole life. It's not like your bike has grown with you through the years so I'm not sure why it really never occurred to us to get you a bigger bike. With each inch you've grown, your bike looked more and more ridiculous. But you know what's funny? Daddy and I didn't even realize it (until a few weeks ago). I mean, we sort of did, but not fully. I guess we didn't realize how much you had grown (newsflash, self: a kid grows a lot in three years *facepalm*). 

Nashville is anything but flat, so we're all getting used to riding bikes over these hills (the only hills we encountered in SE Alabama were a speed bump or two). After our 2nd or 3rd bike ride, Daddy and I realized that you were struggling a lot to keep up. And it wasn't for lack of trying; you were pedaling like a mad man. It was because your bike was made for a wee baby child. So we upgraded you to the size of bike that Natalie had and upgraded her to the next size up. And wouldn't you know it, your legs aren't a blur anymore on our bike rides. Now we just need to work on our endurance. Because, oof.

A few days ago Daddy gave you and Natalie the task of bagging all the leaves from the backyard. Because of having longer arms and three years more focus, she finished bagging her piles that same evening. You, however, only finished half of your piles. It was supposed to rain the next day so I wasn't counting on the job getting finished. But after breakfast the next morning, you got your socks and shoes on and informed me that you wanted to finish you job. You were outside for an hour, bagging up the soggy-from-the-overnight-storm leaves. Never once did you complain (except for when you saw a bug. I tried to tell you that it's normal to see bugs outside, especially in leaf piles, but you were having none of it).

You finished your job without me prompting you. You knew it had to be done, so you did it. No fuss, no whining (minus the bug, of course), just hard, sweaty work. And it was probably the most proud I have ever been of you in my whole life. What may have seemed like a simple action speaks volumes about your character. I pray integrity continues to be a habit, that it becomes fully ingrained into your very person. I don't want you to shy away from hard work because it's everywhere. The Lord has given you a sweetness and compassion that's incredibly endearing - and couple that with a desire to work hard? My boy, you'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Hugs and smooches,

Mommy & Daddy

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Headlines for August 9, 2017:

• North Korea Mulling Plan to Strike Guam, State Media Announces
• Google may face lawsuit alleging gender discrimination
• Ex-Astronaut Offers Bold Three-Step Plan to Put Humans on Mars
• Paris Police Hunt BMW After Soldiers Rammed in Levallois-Perret
• 'Rhinestone Cowboy' Crooner Glen Campbell Dies at 81
• Disney removing content from Netflix to make way for its own streaming service