nine.

Dear Dylan,

Late this summer, just before you started 3rd grade, I read you this letter written by a blogger I follow. Her son was also about to start 3rd grade and in the letter she urges him to be aware of those moments when his heart aches for someone else and to understand that ache is compassion, and it is God’s signal to do something.

She goes on to tell him, "We don’t send you to school to become the best at anything at all. We already love you as much as we possibly could. You do not have to earn our love or pride and you can’t lose it. That’s done. We send you to school to practice being brave and kind."

Dylan, as you turn nine this year (Mommy can hardly believe it, I swear you were just my little brown eyed baby boy), your Daddy's and Mommy's hearts are bursting at the seams because we see those traits growing in you.

You tried something new this fall, buddy, completely new to all of us. You strapped on pads and put on a helmet and walked onto a brand new sort of playing field. There were kids you didn't know and rules you had to learn and really hard things to face for a conservative, cautious kid like yourself. It was hard and you were scared. And you did it anyway.

And in countless little moments throughout the season, you didn't just practice football, your practiced being brave. You made a choice to keep showing up, to keep trying, in spite of feeling uncomfortable, stretched, and at times, not able. In this space between being a boy and a man you are learning how to be brave, one small moment at a time, and to learn this is to learn what it means to grow up.

Be brave.

For years now, your teachers have told Mommy and Daddy over and over again what a sweet, sensitive, caring guy you are in the classroom. You have a way of making the kids in your class feel known and valued. You come home with the True Friend award year after year.

You are not in the business of leaving people out or trying to climb the social ladder or doing things you shouldn't just to fit in. And you're not just nice to the other nice kids or the popular kids or the smart kids. You've learned to look for the kids who need a little extra kindness in their lives - the new kids, the naughty kids, the kids who don't go home to a warm, safe house at night.

Be kind.

You're growing up, Dilly Man, and we can see it more in this past year than ever before. Almost all the traces of the little boy are gone and in his place is a bigger, stronger, braver boy. We are proud of so many things about you - you truly are our pride and joy - but most of all we are proud of your heart. God created you to be someone very special and to do some unique things in this world, and we pray that you continue to grow into that calling just as you continue to grow into being a man.

Nine. Halfway to 18. (Takes my breath away a bit.)

It is an honor and a privilege to be your mom.

Happy birthday. We love you, Dylan!

Love,
Mommy (& Daddy too)

{seven | six | four}

everyday moment. {Project 52}

Since this boy was old enough to toddle around the house, he has been fascinated by cars. Even now, as an eight year old, when many of his peers have moved on to iPads and video games, our house is still frequently filled with the sounds of his homemade vrooms and the rumble of plastic wheels. 

I know one day I won't find Hot Wheels scattered across the living room or lined up along the kitchen counter, and I'll long for an everyday moment like this.

{more Project 52 posts here}

A day at the {cyclocross} races.

Yesterday afternoon our family enjoyed a day at the cyclocross races on one of the last "warm" (50 degree) days in Michigan at nearby park. The boys scouted it out last Sunday as spectators, and this week Dylan was ready to give it a go.

If you've never heard of cyclocross, it's a form of bike racing that takes place typically in the fall or winter on a short course featuring trails, grass, hills, and obstacles which require the rider to hop off his or her bike and carry it for short portions. Dylan signed up for the one loop kids' race (about 15 minutes worth of riding) and Matt did the longer race after that (5 loops, taking about 45 minutes).

Dylan was excited to start but then the experience proved to be a little tougher than he anticipated. Dylan is a first born and hates to fail or feel silly and he got stressed out pretty quickly. Luckily, Matt was riding beside him and could talk him through it. As they passed by and we cheered, I could see Dylan fighting back tears, his eight-year-old lip quivering. He's so close to being a big boy, but still a little boy at heart. But he kept going, and our boys finished strong (well, Matt did anyway).

Meanwhile, Mady discovered the little kids' course set up, complete with super cute balance bikes. She happens to be getting one of these for Christmas and we were happy to see that it will be a big hit. She "rode" and rode around the course, over the ramp and the little barrier they had set up.

I think we may have another rider on our hands.

In the end, Dylan won his division. His eyes lit up when we told him the news, and he has already broken into his winnings: a 6-pack of A&W root beer  The day was redeemed and a bike racing career may have been born. (Small print: he was the only rider in his division, but you had better believe we're not telling him that.)

On a related side note, there is a favorite family story of a young Matt crying before a bike race at the county fair, worried about how he would do. His parents talked him through it...and then he took first place. It's in Dylan's genes.

Tonight, before bed, Dylan prayed out loud, "And thank you I could do the bike race and win some rootbeer and thank you that my whole family was there to watch me and cheer me on."

Amen.

And they're off!

First Day of School!

A couple of happy, school-aged, all-day, every-day kiddos!

Our morning went off with out a hitch! (Aside from opening Mady's door to find her covered in exploded Pull-Up goo...I totally affirm all of you cloth diapering mamas.)

Further proof that they really are growing up: no grumbles or complaining about my before school picture taking. Just a lot of sweet smiles...

 ...followed by a couple of goofball moments.

And now a new phase of life is upon us: loads of Mommy & Mady time!

P.S. Part of our morning success was due to this new printable - no nagging, just a couple of kids who kept checking into the kitchen to see what was next on the morning checklist {printable credit: Children Inspire Design}.

Change is always bittersweet, but today I'm celebrating new beginnings, fresh challenges, and growing, healthy kiddos!

seven.

Dylan at seven years old is serious and sensitive - his teacher tells me almost every time I see her about Dylan's character and his good heart. At conferences, she told us that she had the kids fill out a form listing (among other things) a few of their friends. Dylan's name showed up on almost everyone's form - he is a friend to many and an easy kid to like. He has befriended one of the least-liked, hardest-to-love kids in his class and we couldn't be prouder.

One of my favorite parts of my day is when the kids come home and empty their  backpacks out on the kitchen island. I love looking through their papers and hearing about their days.

Dylan is at the phase of learning where he can read pretty well (he had a slow start but now he's doing great!) and he can spell...kind of. He spells phonetically (knife = nif) plus he spells the way he speaks (let's = yets). All of this adds up to a very adorable / hilarious paper review time around 4:00 pm each day.

Matt refers to it as a special language but I think Dylan's writing is pretty readable, as long as you read it out loud. It's a bit like playing Mad Gab. If you get stuck, you just keep repeating the phase until it suddenly dawns on you.

11-2-2011 story

I wut to Mexxukow and I wut to the besh and I wut in the wodr and I wut lucken fo fish with my dad. We soll vere lill fis the coll wus vare sipe but I wus saf cus I hoold my dad had.

[I went to Mexico and I went to the beach and I went in the water and I went looking for fish with my dad. We saw very little fish, the coral was very slippery but I was safe because I held my dad's hand.]

Writing prompt: That is it

seid my mom no now fiden

[said my mom, no more fighting]

Persuasive writing letter

Dear Mommy,

Will you git a wotrrsliyd for me and Ella. We will tak kr uv it. We will play on it owly win yowr owsiyd so we don git hrt on it.

[Will you get a waterslide for me and Ella? We will take care of it. We will play on it only when you're outside so we don't get hurt on it.]

I love you Momy.

I love you so mush.

From Dylan

Love Dylan


I sure do love this little boy. He holds a very special part of my heart and I can't get enough of his big brown eyes. I'm excited for him as he learns the gift of reading - there is so much out there to take in - and proud of him as he learns to communicate his thoughts on paper - he has so much in his heart to share.

back to school!

It seems a little surreal that I sent two kids off to school this morning. And for the first time in almost seven years, my baby boy will be spending more of his awake time away from home instead of at home with his mama and sisters.

We had a great first day, starting with a fairly smooth morning - I owe a big shout out to these printable morning routine cards I found on Pinterest last night.

There was even plenty of time left over for me to take an obnoxious number of first day of school photos in the front yard. (The signs D & E are holding are another Pinterest find.)

Then we loaded up the whole fam and took them to school today all together (it was quite an event).

First we dropped off sister...

And then big brother...baby sister made herself right at home.

When we came back home, Mady and I enjoyed a nice run on a beautiful fall morning followed by a mommy/baby girl shopping trip and lunch at Panera. We loved our one-on-one time together...

...but we were glad to see brother and sister get off the bus again at the end of the day. (And our new after school routine worked like a charm!)

My favorite story of the day: Dylan told me that he and Ella talked to each other through the fence at recess (their school keeps the little ones on a separate playground). Somehow that brought up prison yard images which made me laugh and then it reminded me how much they care about each other which made me smile.

First day of school = great success!

best buddies

They begged for the privilege

of sharing a room last night.

They were given the you-only-have-one-shot-at-this talk

by Mommy and Daddy.

{It was already getting late

and we were not in the mood for any monkey business}

And they proved to us that they could do it.

We love that they are such good buddies.

Pairs of brothers and pairs of sisters get a lot of good press...

but we think their brother/sister bond is extra special too.

"You don't choose your family. 

They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

Desmond Tutu

{last} t-ball game

Dylan had his last t-ball game of the season this morning. Here is a little glimpse into how we have been spending our weekday evenings and Saturday mornings these past couple of months.

Playing "pitcher". We are always very serious about our t-ball-ing.

Determination. 

[The boys graduated to coach pitch halfway through the season.]

The sisters found a new hangout spot to beat the heat.

Medals: always a bonus.

"Can I have my picture taken with Dylan??" -Ella

Dylan's teammate and buddy Gibson.

Watching t-ball is very entertaining because there is a lot of room for error - great if you're in the stands, not so great if you're one of the coaches. It was fun to watch the teams get better as the season progressed (by game 8 there were even some legitimate outs) and we'll see how many more games on these fields are in our future 

(Ella is quite enamored by the little girl teams with their pony tails and visors...we just might be watching two kids play next year!)

big brother extraordinaire

I've been in a reminiscent sort of mood lately - I recently took this picture of Dylan pushing Mady around the neighborhood and then remembered a similar shot I took of Ella and him several summers ago.

Dylan is such a great big brother. Yes, he bugs his sisters but mostly he takes great care of them - he saves half of his birthday treats from school to share with Ella when he gets off the bus. He helps Mady get her shoes on so she can get outside (her favorite!) just a little bit faster. And he is always eager to help out by giving his sisters a push in the stroller.

He just needs frequent reminders NOT to drive the stroller like a race car ;)

room mom-ing

No one tells you

when you bring your baby boy home from the hospital

that someday you will be up later than you would like

(while he sleeps soundly upstairs)

baking reindeer cookies

with pretzel antlers and M&M faces

for his kindergarten Christmas party.

And no one tells you

the next day

 

you will be so glad that you did.

six

We call him Little Man but he's not seeming quite so little to us these days. Sometimes I catch him out of the corner of my eye and I see the teenager he's going to be, the grown-up man.

Six years old.

Hard to believe.  

There is something about your first-born, your first baby. He's the one that made us a Mommy and a Daddy. We expect so much out of him - we always comment that if he was the baby of the family we would let so much more slide. But he's our oldest, so we expect a lot...the burden of being the first-born (oldest children grow up to be presidents and astronauts - he'll thank us later). But sometimes it's good to remember that's he still little. Just six.

Dylan is our deep-thinking, 

car-zooming, 

fast-running,

letter-writing-number-adding, 

question-asking, 

boy. 

All boy. 

He loves his Daddy - his best friend. 

Looks after his two little sisters. 

And still has time to give his Mommy hugs when she asks for them. 

He's not perfect, but we know who he is - we can see who God created to him be.

 And those brown eyes. Enough to melt his Mommy's heart, every time.

We love you, Dylan Matthew. 

We are so thankful that you are our first-born, our first baby. 

God has great things planned for you.

photos by Mindy Leigh :)

hey, tooth fairy!

First loose tooth! Time to give the Tooth Fairy directions to our house. What's the going rate these days?

school days.

We attended kindergarten orientation last night. I remember two years ago feeling vaguely overwhelmed at preschool orientation - I think they might have handed out a calendar and there were newsletters here and there. Now that we have two years of preschool under our belt I figured kindergarten would be a piece of cake.

I was wrong.

A lot of people worry about their child starting school - will they cry when you leave? will they make friends? will they be able to keep up with the school work? I have to say I'm not too worried about Dylan. He'll like the challenge and he'll love the big playground and he'll finally know the answer to 12 + 27. I'm worried about me.

First of all, the sheer amount of paperwork is overwhelming - lunch forms, snack calendars, "specials" calendars (i.e. which days you need to make sure your kid brings gym shoes), Scholastic book order forms, bus tags, classroom policy forms, forms for the office, forms so you can volunteer...get the idea?

And then there are the volunteer tables - as you are surrounded by hoards of sweaty children and their parents in a tiny non-air-conditioned hallway They would like to know if you would like to help out with the Valentine's Day party...or perhaps Santa's secret shop...or maybe popcorn day? Oh, and could you pick up some extra hand sanitizer and glue sticks for the classroom too?

Seriously, however, I am very excited to volunteer and be involved and I am glad the opportunities are available...it's just a little hard to decide as a first time kindergarten mom what is too much? too little? (Not to mention the big question: will the other mom's like me?? Nothing like being in a school setting to trigger all sorts of school-aged insecurities!)

And actually - truth be told - I love school - love the structure, the learning, even the forms. I'm a rule follower at heart, but I think that's also my problem - there is some mild paranoia that I am going to forget something - and how terrible would that be?? I had JUST mastered remembering to send show and tell to preschool every two weeks. This is a whole new ballgame.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg because there is also an emotional level to all of this kindergarten business - my child has a locker, and a bus stop, and he's eating lunch in the school gym - where did my sweet chubby cheeked little boy go? Have I prepared him adequately to go out into the world? Can I cross everything off those checklists they keep handing out (pop quiz: does your child know his address? his birth date? his mother's social security number? (kidding on that last one - or am I?)

So just when I've slowed down, taken a couple of breaths and realized this all really going to be OK (and possibly purchased one of those obnoxious super organized mom calendars), I realize...oh wait, there are two more little ones coming behind big brother. Can someone please explain how you juggle more than one school aged child's schedule??

Here's to a new school year - full of change, possibility, and forms.

oh yeah, we have other kids!

I'm realizing the last three posts have been about Mady so maybe it's time to give Kid #1 and Kid #2 some blog love. It's easy to take pictures at "events" and harder to remember to snap photos of day-to-day stuff. Here is a glimpse of everyday life around here.

Ella was given this "princess" dress for Christmas last year from Matt's mom (it's actually a bride Halloween costume that she found on clearance at Marshall's - brilliant!) and Ella is famous for disappearing for a few moments and coming back looking like this. You can't help but laugh when she comes dancing into a room and we make sure to give her plenty of oooh's and aaah's (Ella is most at risk of suffering from MCS (Middle Child Syndrome). It's fun to watch Matt with a little girl too - his experience growing up with three brothers was mostly boy-based - and I can only imagine the look on his face in 20-ish years when she walks into the room in her wedding dress.

Besides being a part-time princess, Ella also fills her days watching Curious George, writing her name (looks a little like E-l-l-q), taking care of her baby twins, and talking in a weird high-pitched voice to Mady (she doesn't get that from me, does she?)


The first thing I should say about Dylan is that I love him dearly. The second thing I have to say is HE NEEDS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. With that off my chest - besides driving his mother crazy - Dylan is busy making car dealerships (see below), drawing pictures (that's his turtle too), asking me what 12 + 87 makes, and calling Matt and I from various phones (he learned both of our phone numbers this summer...Bonus! Kind of...)