6 Years Old

Barrett William...B-dub...50 cal...Bubby...You're 6 years old now.  You've completed kindergarten.  You've played a whole year of mini-mite hockey.  You learned to ride your bike without training wheels.  You started playing the piano and have caught on much more quickly than I expected.

One thing we've learned during this school year is that you love to learn.  You beg us to write down math problems for you to do.  You want us to "give you homework."  You are reminding us every night that you need to read to us before bed.  You even love learning to play the piano.  Now, that's not to say you don't get frustrated at times, but you have a desire to learn and try new things that is refreshing and so fun to watch.

I've never been one to really follow Zodiacs.  So, when someone warned me that because you're a Gemini you'd have split personalities, I just shrugged it off.  However, this year it's really come to light that Barrett often seems caught between two sides of himself.  On one hand, he is kind and sensitive.  He has always been and still is the snuggliest of all my children.  He takes care of people in need without having to be asked.  He just does it because he knows they need help.

On the other hand, he is wild and rambunctious.  He wants to be in the middle of the action and gets super competitive.  It's sometimes hard to know which side will come out in any given moment.  His hockey games are a great example.  Some days, he's skating hard, pushing around the other players, and doing everything he can to get the puck to the net.  Other days, he seems like he's in a fog, doesn't care what's going on with the game, and just tries to fall as much as he can so he has an excuse to lay on the ice.

Barrett has also found a unique bond with Tripper.  The two of them can run and chase each other for hours.  It is so nice that they can wear each other out!

You're still rocking your glasses, and you're still surprisingly responsible with them.  You picked out new ones recently, and I am pretty sure you chose the ones you did because they looked most similar to the advertisement they had up on the wall for grown men's glasses.  That doesn't surprise me because you want to be just like your dad.  If you don't want to do something, all I have to do is mention how your dad does it or did it when he was little, and you're all in.  You even like to wear dress shoes and belts to church now, because that's what you're dad does.

You also look up to your sister a lot.  The two of you have reached an age where there is a good amount of sibling rivalry and jealousy going on.  Nonetheless, there are days when you and Audrey can play together for hours uninterrupted. And, when one of you is away, the other one is constantly asking when they'll be back.  At other times, however, the two of you can't seem to be in the room together without fighting.  With Fletcher, you're a great older brother.  You do get a little rough with him sometimes, but you're also very compassionate when he's actually hurt and not just throwing a fit because you told him no.  

I am really enjoying being part of your journey toward adulthood.  You never cease to amaze me, which is probably why I am learning so much from you. You'll always be my little snuggle monster and my big-hearted boy.  I love you more than mere words can express. 

Little Birdy

About a month ago, Audrey rushed up to me as I walked in the door from work to inform me that some birds had built a nest on the wreath hanging on our front door.  Now, this is something we fight with every year.  I have torn down countless nests. I stalk the front door each morning and night to tear down any twigs that the birds have started to bring so they'll know this is not the place to build their nest.  This year, however, there was so much going on that I didn't really pay attention.  So, that evening when Audrey showed me to the front door, there were 2 tiny blue eggs in the nest.  My heart sunk when I saw them, because I knew that we couldn't move the nest now.  So, Audrey proceeded to make notes to put on the doorknobs both inside and outside the door so that people would be reminded to not use that door.

Surprisingly, it hasn't been that big of a burden to not use the front door.  It has also been an amazing learning experience for all of us. Here are some of the highlights of what we've learned.

First, there were new eggs every day or two for almost a week.  The most eggs that were in the nest was 6.  About a week after the last one was laid, we found an eggshell on the front porch.  It's my guess that the momma bird knew it wasn't viable, so she dumped it out so there would be more room for the eggs that would hatch.

A couple of weeks after we noticed the first two eggs, they started to hatch. It took about a week from the time the first one hatched until the last one did.  I was really surprised by just how unrecognizable the little baby birds were when the first emerged.

Once those eggs started to hatch, the momma bird got much braver.  Early on, if we got anywhere near the door from the inside, she would fly away.  After that first egg hatched, we could walk to within 2 feet of the door before she'd fly away.

Once the little babies were hatched, we noticed that two birds would sometimes be at the nest.  I can only assume that means daddy was helping out.  It is pretty cool to watch the parents bring food to feed their babies though.

The grossest part of all of this is how the waste from the babies is just building up around the nest.  I am pretty sure I am going to have to throw out the wreath once the babies fly away.  It's been worth it to do it this one time, but next year I am going to have to be more diligent to prevent the birds from nesting on our door again!

The last observation that I'll share is that I've been really surprised as well by how quickly the babies have grown.  It hasn't even been 2 weeks since the eggs hatched, and they almost look fully grown.  It is really miraculous to see God's creation in action!  

Mother Appreciation Day

The past couple of weeks have been hectic.  An entire week went by where my husband and I didn't see each other at all and talked for maybe a total of an hour over that period of time.  All of the kids have entered new stages that have brought with them a lot of frustration for both parent and child.  Work has also been busy for Billy and I.  In all of the chaos, more times than I'd like to admit, I have found myself losing my temper, feeling sorry for myself, and simmering with anger at the ones I love the most. I begin to wonder how anyone ever balances it all and start to wish I didn't have to.

Then, in the midst of it, I am humbled by the realization that I am not the first woman to experience this.  In fact, there are two amazing women that have paved the trail, literally, right before me. You could also say they paved the trail with and for me.  Billy and I's moms both worked full time while raising their children, and their children were the better for it.  We never doubted their love and devotion.  In fact, I remember times when I wish my mom didn't care so much about my life and would just leave me alone.

In the midst of working, keeping house, being wives and friends, they somehow managed to be there when we needed them, and even when we just wanted them there.  They taught us to be independent and resourceful.  They listed to who knows how many concerts and plays.  They cheered us on when we were succeeding and lifted us up when we were failing.  They never let us quit, unless we really needed to.  They taught us how to make decisions on our own, but also to appreciate and respect the advice and experiences of those that went before us.

They also had moments where they struggled.  Moments when they lost their temper and did or said things they didn't mean.  They weren't always perfect.  To be honest, when my mom went through a casserole phase, she had everyone in the house wishing for PB&J.  Yet, it's those imperfect moments that make me love them more and truly appreciate all they did for us. They weren't perfect, because none of us are.  But they persevered. They did everything in their power to keep us safe and cared for. They loved us well, and we never doubted that we were loved.

I just hope that my children feel half as loved by me as Billy and I did by our moms growing up. Our moms set an amazing example that we only aspire to live up to.  So, Rosie and Lana, thank you.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of the sacrifices you made, instrument practicing you endured, patience you showed, lessons you taught, and love you gave. Billy and I are all the better for it, and our children are too.

 

Side by Side

Spring always makes me a little nostalgic. Outdoors, everything starts to grow again, so it's fun to think back to the past and consider how things have changed.  I also find myself wanting to take more pictures in the spring because of how nature explodes with color and how the sunlight sticks around into the evenings to illuminate everything.So, in celebration of spring, sunlight, and all of the photos I've taken over the years, here are some side by side shots for easy comparison.

I went to the Mother-Son dance with Barrett today at his school.  Having a dance with boys is just a little different than having one with girls.  This one isn't time lapse, but it is still interesting to see the contrast of dress clothes and hockey jerseys.



Tripper has grown a lot over the past 5 months since he came to our home.  Here's the proof.

Now it's time to start some real time travel.  Flash back to 2013, our first spring in the house on Harwood.  We had just planted the tree in the front yard, and had little other landscaping to speak of.  We've come a long way for sure!

Now, we can't have a side by side without doing some comparison of the children.  So, here goes.  A photo of each child on their second birthday doing what every two year old loves to do...eating cake! 

I've got one more to bring it home.  Today, we went to the park for a bit and the kids rode their bikes.  It was fun to watch Fletcher ride the same trike that used to be Barrett's.  Hilariously enough, he rides it the same way using his feet to scoot it along instead of peddling.

 

I love watching my children make new memories. I also love that those memories sometimes remind me of days gone by.  Life is good!