sick day

Last year, by this time, we were playing in parks, throwing the ball with the dogs outside, planting seeds, and you had already played shirtless with the hose in the driveway! 

This year there is still a lot of snow on the ground and it's just now starting to peek out of the 30s into the 40 degree temps. Oh, how we are dreaming of summer!

You are on your spring break. You are laying next to me right now in mine and your Daddy's bed, sleeping in your black and blue sonic fleece pj pants, grey blue and white socks, a blue runners t, and a grey sweatshirt. 

We were just about to head out the door to go see Gwinivere, when you mentioned you didn't feel very well. You said you felt weird when you stood up and your forehead hurt. I took your temp, and it was 101.6. So, we crawled into my bed and off to dream land you went. Little sweetheart. 

You are sick enough that you didn't eat your pb&j or strawberries and banana. You have a card that came in the mail from Gra, just laying next to you on the bed, unopened. You didn't have the strength and decided to save it for later. 

Today, we both sat up on the kitchen island and made easter bunnies out of paper plates. It was fun!

You are looking forward to Easter. You told me this morning that there are only three more days. You thought I was going to fill your plastic eggs with the candy you already own because we normally order your candy, so we don't have any unnatural dyes in it. I told you that you would get new candies. And you said that we'd better go online and order some jellybeans. I told you that I already took care of all that. I said, "what would easter be without jellybeans?" 
You looked up at me and said, very mater of factly, "the resurrection of Jesus Christ." :)

I'm glad that after all the years of trying to make Jesus the focus of our holidays, you understand and believe the importance of the true meaning at such a young age. I'm so grateful that you have God in your life. 

I also can't wait to do your easter egg hunt, dying eggs, and you finding your hidden basket from us. It's going to be a good weekend.  

March Memories

Well, we've been keeping pretty busy with life, 

and I kind of have a lot of catching up to do here. 

Without the photos I would have NO idea what those things might be.

I need to keep that in mind and get back into the habit 

of snapping a photo here and there. 

Most importantly, you have been extremely happy.

You're so full and glad to live in a home with 

two real parents who have things covered 

so you can just do childhood and boyness. 

We are so blessed to have come so far. 

I walked into the living room to find this a few weeks ago.

You and your three dogs, cuddling in a pile.

They sure do love you, and you sure love them.

This was from my Birthday a couple weeks ago.

On Saturday we went out with Uncle Tony and your Dad

to do random acts of kindness all around town. 

We gave gifts to random people,

shared treats and cards to community workers,

brought donations to shelters,

we put un-popped popcorn on red box machines, 

put away carts and gave people candy with uplifting messages,

we filled carts with quarters,

passed out stickers to kids,

and all around kind of freaked people out

(in a good way).

It was SO much fun!

Then, on Sunday morning, we had

a surprise for you.

We took you to the CIRCUS!!!

We have not been to the circus before.

   

It was AWESOME!

Of course my favorite was the elephants.

There were very cool acts that I've never seen anything like before. 

It was a very special Birthday thing to do. 

Of all the ways I was blessed on my birthday weekend, 

this photo shows my greatest gift of all;

the three of us, with twinkling happy eyes, smiling, together.

We've still been making sure that you have LOTS of playdates. 

Especially on the weekends.

We've found a couple of boys your age who have been coming over.

You really enjoy having them here.

We kind of like it ourselves.

We love to hear the sounds of all three of you

playing together around the house.

You have been tackling through second grade all too well.

Part of me wants to boost things up to offer 

some challenges and keep you from boredom, 

but I feel like we are enjoying the ease far to much

for me to tamper with the flow of things.

As it is, you are already in third grade courses and curriculum 

for some subjects because you work through things so quickly.  

You are often commenting that your lessons are "for babies". 

I just encourage you to be grateful that it comes easy to you

and work on your penmanship or some other part that you

can build your skills in as you zoom through. :)

I've been having you do a little daily planning for yourself.

You were getting upset that you didn't feel like

you had a life because of school. 

I tried to explain to you that you have way more 

time and freedom than a lot of kids have,

and you just need to take responsibility for 

what you do in your spare time.

This was, as expected, pretty ineffective. 

So, I had you start writing out a daily idea

of the kinds of things you needed to do,

wanted to do, and would like to do.

This helped A LOT. 

You started to think of what you wanted with your time.

You started to recognize that it was up to you

to make sure you did those things.

I love your lists and pages. 

SO adorable, the things you write in your book. 

You are a pancake-aholic. 

There's nothing more to say.

You just want pancakes every single day.

:)

I took a picture of this meticulous little spread 

you created when you decided to do some crafting 

one afternoon. Very interesting.

You lost another tooth, and you got a claymation set 

from the "Daddy fairy" as we lovingly refer to your parents 

putting gifts on your bed in exchange for your sweet little baby teeth.

You are a pretty amazing sculptor, and I'm seriously

considering putting you in classes.

I did NONE of these characters. 

You did them all on your own. 

The dog is quite impressive!

We have been reading and watching the 

Little House on the Prairie series

as a family almost every weeknight after dinner.

We are ALL smitten. 

(note: we don't let you watch every episode. we look them up ahead of time

online, and skip the ones that are not appropriate for your age.)

What's left? You are over the cat obsession. 

You still LOVE cats, but you don't act like one anymore, ever,

and you are equally interested in dogs. 

Your own in particular.

You are super into swords, knives, guns and bows. 

That is all you ever buy with your allowance

You have TONS of them. 

I can't even count anymore. 

Seriously.

You are very kind. VERY.

You still like quiet, laid back, kind kids, but tolerate 

the obnoxious bossy ones as if they just don't get it

and it's not worth the drama of anyone making a big deal out of it.

You are pretty much over video games and TV. 

The only video game you ever ask to play is the Sims.

Which I personally think is AWESOME of you

and let you play whenever you ask. 

I think that game is excellent for you in SO many ways.

In your spare time, you play with your play mobiles, 

play outside with the dogs, and read, read, READ.

You read like crazy. You love it. 

Right now you are digging your way through

the 40+ chapter books of Geronimo Stilton.

You can't get enough. 

And your Dad and I can't get enough of YOU! :)

Lately

You've been playing with friends. Manny, Lil, Zach, Lij, Nick, Noah, Jordan, Luke, Jaymee, Michael. You've been hanging out with them a lot. After school, during school, for school, playdates, play days, sleep overs... It's been good for you. 

As of late you are loving Aunt Pam's place the most, though. You love being there and spent more waking hours at her house this past weekend than you did here. 

You love being with Zach. And even Lij, though he is the "youngest brother". You snowboard, whittle, play ship, come up with ways to earn money for homeless kids?, and even eat whatever Aunt Pam serves up for lunch or dinner. 

In no time, you should be milking goats, separating cream, and churning butter with them. ;)

Yesterday, we were both pretty ornery when we started school. I could feel your attitudue pulling me down further, and I predicted a mass melt down of sorts. So I called off school. 

You looked at me so funny. You asked why we wouldn't do school today? I didn't dare tell you it had anything to do with you too, for fear that you might try to get more days off of school in the future. :) So I said it was called a "crabby mommy day", and threw in something about how public schooled kids get random days off for conferences and teacher work days... 

You thought this was incredibly fun, and so we cooked and cleaned and played cars instead. It was good, and another reason I just love homeschooling. 

Today, we ARE doing school. Followed by a hair appointment for me. Followed by an afternoon with your Daddy at work while I have an appointment with the doctors. 

It's will be in the 50s today, and thankfully there will be thundershowers, because otherwise I would want to cancel the whole day and just go riding with you and Gwin. Of corse, the temps will be back in the single digits in the next few days. Such strange weather. 

And now I'm typing about the weather... 

Good time to wrap it up.

I love you, Muffin (if we're a lone)

Zeek (if we're with your friends) 

You're my Nib.

Riding with Morgan

Today, we went to see Gwin. 

Gwen and Morgan were there to clean up and ride. 

I cuddled and groomed Gwin. 

Then I rode her bareback while you and Morgan played in the snow together. 

It was a beautiful afternoon. 

You wanted to ride. 

Morgan rode Angel and you rode Gwin, together. 

It was so cute. 

I could see you growing up together to be ridding buddies. 

Gwen rode with Morgan on Angel. I didn't realize it was okay to do that. 

I know I always did it with my cousins when we were kids, 

and as much as I'd LOVE to with you on Gwin, 

I wasn't too keen on the idea. 

Now that I know it's fine we are SO going to start doubling. 

I can't wait. ;) 

Forever

If I don't write something, I never will. I always want to go back and recap for you where I left off. 

For now I'm just going to write on today. I'll "catch up" later, if I get around to it. 

We are back to school as of yesterday. You were not looking forward to it, but by mid-day you said, 
"Maybe I don't hate school like I thought I did." 
I could have told you that. :)

I think this was just the first time you ever really needed a break. 
We all did. It was the perfect timing. 

Many things in our home and family have changed greatly over the past month. 
We know that you don't realize how or why. And it's okay if you never do. 

We know that you know we have been hurting. I pray you have no idea how terribly. 
Nanna has helped us keep you from so much of what you don't deserve or need to go through with us. That's why you have spent so much time with her lately. She has been our God send for you. Never forget that God always takes good care of us.

It is our determination for a better life, home, and family for you that has given us much of the strength and hope to work so hard on what we are striving for.  

We're so grateful to God that the transitions have been smooth and seemingly undisturbing for you. 
We're also very happy that your upbringing is going to be much healthier, giving you a more stable foundation to grow from. 

I'm not sure how you caught on to it, but you've coined it perfectly a few times, and you couldn't be more right; you are finally a kid.

It brings tears to my eyes. It's so true. 
You deserve to be a kid, Zeek. 

We each deserve the blessings that are showing from becoming whole and well together in this family. 

I love you, babe. 

Elf Days Catch Up

Granted, this isn't all that was left. 

We didn't get photos of every single day, as I'd hoped we would.

A few remaining highlights from Spark-Fredo's December surprises:

Apparently, the whole lot of your cats joined Sparky 

for some base jumping off the bridge.

...or maybe they were having their own fun

and strung him up?

And of course, Gold Fish Cracker fishing 

in the bathroom. 

My favorite was the night that Sparky

painted you an adorable cat picture on a canvas  

leaving all the paints and supplies out for us to 

do our own painting to Christmas music 

the morning after. 

 Our sneaky little guy really made some fun for us that day.

And finally, the morning we woke up to Sparky praying

at your new Nativity set.

Even he knows what Christmas is about. :)

DC in Dec '12

  We went to Door County for the week after Christmas. 

I took the three dogs to Uncle Jeff's center,

where they were royally pampered with an entire room set aside just for them

and tons of day time play dates with all the other dogs.

We had an awesome time.

We went to the Wild Tomato for the first time. 

Amazing! 

We went to Hand's On Art.

Your Dad made a bowl. 

I made you a space cat plate.

You made Mea a new cat bowl. 

 One of the guys at the studio offered to take our photos for us. 

It was very nice of him. 

We made good memories

and it's awesome to have pictures of it, too. 

I'm so glad we have DC
and all the years of going on our little vacations
to the same getaway, the same restaurants,
the same beach, and studio, sights and sounds.

It's such a blessing.