Van turns 10, Abe is 6!

 We told our kids that each child can have a getaway with just mom & dad (within reason) to celebrate their 10th birthday. Van said he would love to go to Pinehurst, play some golf, watch some football, eat good food, and try a real coke for the first time. Waking up on his chilly birthday morning to have coffee and chat with our newly crowned 10 year old was a special moment I do not want to forget. It was the first time in years we had a chance to just be with him alone...to filter all of his questions, dreams, and goals. At ten, Van has already outlined the majority of his future. He's designed his custom home in the everglades where he will drive a truck, have a few boats, be a professional sports fisherman...with a side of NBA playing, perhaps :) and of course playing his guitar. He is definitely pivoting from a child to a teen and while that brings some challenges with independence and boundaries he is an extremely good role model for his brother, sister, and friends. Van's soul is kind and extremely patient and I'm very proud of the young man he is becoming!

Abe is still our firecracker with a never-ending battery fully charged with energy.  At 6 years old, Abe is extremely spirited and passionate. His goal most days is to one-up Jeanie and Van, whether that means holding a plank the longest, running the fastest, having the most homework, or staying up the latest, bless his busy little soul. He's a terrific student, follows instructions, and loves school. My favorite memories of Abe this year are snuggling in his bed re-reading Mercy Watson books over and over and laughing together. I also loved watching him proudly graduate from kindergarten and winning the sportsmanship award. He still gives the tightest hugs.  For his 6th birthday, he wanted to have a sports party with all his buddies.We love you, Abe! 

2020.

I am so grateful October brings the rich flavors of a new season. 

My word of the season is "savor." 

I want to savor the hugs, throwing the football in the sunshine, baking chocolate chip peanut butter cookies, sunset strolls, reading with Abe every night at bedtime, Friday night movie nights, singing our favorite hymns alongside the virtual church broadcast, sticking our feet in the sand a few more times before its cold, lighting the pumpkin/honey/pine-scented candles, the aromas of sautéed onion and garlic on their way into a delicious soul-filling dinner, hand-writing sincere thank you notes, celebrating both boys' birthdays, watching Jean-Margaret fill the bird feeder on a crispy morning and chatting with the birds who visit, paddle-boarding across a peaceful waterway, listening to Van play his favorite song on the guitar, meeting a dear friend for wine, laughter and swapping tales of 2020, admiring the way a glop of gold paint can swirl around the canvas with a palette knife, watching our burnt orange mums start to bloom, noticing the the varying shapes and colors of the pumpkins, their stems, soaking in ALL the giggles...and sharing a perfect cup of coffee with Evans on the back porch or on a boat cruise.

Savoring the beauty of this season blooms from the despair and overwhelming complexity of 2020. I have a sincere thirst for indulging in all the senses and celebrating even the smallest moments life has to offer this fall. What keeps refreshing my hope in this world are these precious souls:

Van (5th), Jean-Margaret (3rd), Abe (1st)

The kids check temperatures twice daily, fill out three covid affidavits each morning, drop off at three separate locations, have A/B schedules for Van, wear masks all day, have socially distanced recess... (Van mentioned, for him, recess has turned into "the worst hour of the day"), zero sports teams or gymnastics...very few birthday parties.  It has been so inspiring to watch them tackle all of these obstacles in stride. 

I wonder how this will affect them emotionally down the road, or even next year. Will this all disappear? Will they feel increased anxiety in groups or without a mask? Will they miss having more time to play at home? We will go back to our "old life" juggling so many activities and sports? How will they remember 2020? Mom was super irritable and edgy? Mom was a superhero and homeschooled us on the fly? Will a new president set a new tone for their future? I'm not sure. But I do want to remember that despite the unpredictability of 2020 I attempted to remain steady, hopeful, and savor it all.

Abe's First Day of Kindergarten

Other than me having a surprise attack emotional breakdown the day before he started, everything went smoothly for Abe's transition to kindergarten. He was so ready, and I know he will do great. Its going to be a fantastic year but the nostalgia of my "baby" starting school combined with losing our Sophie just hit me. This summer was HARD keeping everyone entertained, fed, carpooled... and I felt like I was constantly breaking up squabbles and explaining "consequences" to bad choices... trying to be sure everyone was getting relatively equal attention... learning to grasp new freedoms and asking them to be more helpful around the house.  Whew! 

With all of that said, I am beyond grateful for their fantastic school, their hardworking teachers, and so thankful to have everyone in the same place.  There are going to be so many advantages to having three school-aged children and I am so proud of each one of these kiddos. Onwards and upwards to elementary school (K, 2nd, & 4th)!! Hooray :)

Van Turns 9, Abe Turns 5

Disregard this is nearly a year old, just a sign of the times!!

For Van's ninth birthday, he wanted to have a few buddies over for flag football, Madden Xbox games, and pizza. It was super sweet (except now I know its worth it to hire a referee). Happy 9 years to our sport-loving Van!

For Abe's 5th birthday, I asked what he wanted to do and he said he wanted to try hibachi with his family, a cookie cake, and the trampoline park with his bff, Remy. I love that this boy knows what he wants and it makes for a very easy and fun birthday. We went to Nikki's on an off night and apparently the traditional hibachi chefs had the night off, so we were lucky enough to be entertained by "Vanilla Rice" who apparently learned everything he knows off of YouTube. It was hysterical and incredibly memorable. Happy 5 years Abe! I promise to give you a "real" birthday party next time ;-)

Life 2019

And just like that... Abe is off to kindergarten.

Just kidding. It hasn't been easy or fast to stay home with these monkeys but I'm very glad I was able to. We have shifted into a new mode of life this year. Goodbye to cute playdates, preschools, and rest times... hello to marathon days of waking kids up at 6:30am and going hard until lights out at 8pm.  I always assumed I'd be back at a full-time job at this point in my life, but the joke is on me. 

We are one month in to having all three kids in school. Sounds easy, right? The first week Abe was only able to go half days...the second week we evacuated for Hurricane Dorian...the third week I spent in doctor's offices catching up on appointments...and this week Jean-Margaret has been home all week with the flu. 

Don't get me wrong, I realize I will have more time this year (and hopefully more sanity) but so far it has been nice to have the flexibility of being available for the kids (especially with Evans's unpredictable work/travel schedule). This year I'm excited to accomplish my to-do list without feeling like I'm zooming through life at tornado speed all before a noon preschool pickup.  Now that we have a new puppy (Welcome, Letty!) my days are full of exercise, meal prep, errands, chores, school volunteering, puppy playing, laundry, carpooling, keeping the family calendar somewhat organized, helping with church, playing tennis, helping with homework, and answering about 1,000 kid-related emails and texts per day ;-) I have slowly transitioned into a morning person and I'm attempting to savor these non-glamorous-yet-necessary demands of "staying home" and the consistency and stability it provides our family. Luckily I get to paint about 2-3 commissions per month, so I'm able to break up the monotony of home and carpool. I'm learning to appreciate the hour or two of "rest" I get when the kids are all in school and feel like it has been hard-earned!! I am not sure how any mom of three young children manages a full-time job and have major respect for those who do. 

We have somehow ended up with three incredibly active and athletic children. I am trying to emphasize (especially to Van) that academic motivation is just as important as being fit. He is determined to make the honor roll this year (and quarterback) and I'm proud of his drive to keep playing guitar, practice golf, soccer, tennis, running, and basketball. Whew! And thats just one. Van is a super healthy eater (favorite snack: grapes & red peppers). He is reading more than ever and puts a ton of effort into school. Fourth grade isn't easy! We are looking forward to celebrating Van's 10th birthday by taking him to Pinehurst (just Evans & me) for a golf weekend (his request). 

Jean-Margaret (has opted to use her full name these days) and is also playing soccer this year. She is a fast little runner and still flipping and cartwheeling through the house. She enjoys kayaking (and tends to row too far away for my comfort level). She loves to read and could not care less about math. She is learning to play piano and spends every spare second with Letty, her cute little buddies from school, or indulging in her vivid imagination.  She had a hard time saying goodbye to Sophie girl but I was so proud she was brave enough to stay in the room to comfort Sophie in her final moments. She has really grown up a ton over the summer but her personality remains spunky. She's lost almost every single front tooth (top & bottom) and I love seeing her toothless grin. 

Abe won his first race this summer-- clocking in a 8 minute mile (leaving me in the dust). He loves to swim, is learning to play the ukulele, and on his first tee ball team. Kindergarten so far has been a breeze-- he has known his teacher for a while and feels very comfortable at a school where all the big kids know his name and give him high-fives in the hallway. He's still our most "spirited" child and Evans and I try to embrace the highs and lows that come with big love and big tears.  He is very aware of how much attention his siblings get and expects the exact same for himself (and luckily he's not afraid to speak up).  While its bittersweet to watch him start school, I have given him so much over the past 5 years-- I know he is very ready for a full day (and so am I!)

While I sacrifice having a full-time career to help raise the family, Evans sacrifices his time to support us all. He works so hard and I am proud of how much he has accomplished in his career, all while being a present and sweet daddy. One of our favorite parts about having the kids in school is our standing Friday morning tennis date after they go to school. Dates have changed quite a bit, but I'm not complaining as long as we get a few moments to be grown ups. On the horizon, there are a few travels we'd like to take... a trip abroad, out west, and a family camp together.  

Living near the beach has become ingrained into our daily lives and our very being. When Sophie died, all we could possibly fathom was spending a day on the boat to reflect on her life while feeling the beauty of the ocean and sky wrapped around us. Hurricane Florence taught us how little we value our "things" and how much we value each other and our safety. Every morning I try to walk on the beach and soak in the goodness that this life has provided for me. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Jeanie's 7th Birthday

It was so fun hosting some of her closest buddies at our house for Jeanie's 7th "gymnastics" party. Although she's never technically taken gymnastics, she sure does love it. Happy 7 years sweet J!!

Jeanie's Sixth Birthday

(Excuse the old post, I'm backlogged a few birthdays ;-)

Who rules the world?

Depends who you ask.

Jeanie usually says "girls, but sometimes boys too because I love my daddy and my brothers."

All Jeanie wanted for her birthday this year was a girl's only dance party. Luckily a friend has her own cardio dance studio and she taught the girls a few fun moves to Beyonce's token hit. After the girls learned the routine the lights went off and the glow paint went on. It was a blast! We were so excited to have cousins in town too! Its going to be difficult to top this party.

At six years old I don't even know where to start to describe Jeanie's zest for life. She is such a loving part of our family. I love watching her teach and encourage Abe to do things and I love how she tries to nurture Van- even though he's twice her size. She really does look out for her brothers and always wants her mommy and daddy to be happy. Happy 6, Jeanie!