Just Skate

Took this girl skating for the first time! She struggled hard but kept pushing herself. She already has some skates picked out to buy so she can practice more!

“This is harder than you think.” she said!

Love doing new things with the kids!

Love,

Mom

Ryker for the Win

Ryker had his work featured in the District Art Show this past weekend! And then he headed to the field and got a touchdown, interception, and a ton of flags.

Hear hear-Ryker!

Love,

Momma

RIP

Brownie, a goldfish Dempsey won at the Boulder County fair last August, finally passed away three days ago, may she rest in peace. She outlived all of our expectations, but not our hearts.  we held a funeral this evening. 

Dempsey is pretty darn cool

Oh Dempsey. She's so fun! And sassy.

The other day she was stuck on some math and Russell called in my reinforcement. Unfortunately I was at  work in a mandatory training, so I had to provide support via text message. I was trying to let Dempsey know that I could help her later because I love math. She does too, and I think that is why she was so frustrated with the homework. Crazy enough when I got home to help her she got in done within 10 minutes. I love that she loves math!

She had a concert and she played the xylophone. It was totally adorable. She was hardly nervous and I kept thinking my how things have changed. I have seen her really be brave this year, and it's the coolest thing to watch. Before the concert we talked about her hair and she requested two tiny brains on the side of her head. Russell came in and asked to be there and she kicked him out saying this was a Mom-daughter thing because I know how to do her hair. Russell has learned to do somethings. It's really fun having a girl. The other day she finally recited the line, "Girls rule and boys drool." A famous coin pouch that I had forever-I bought it Claire's at the mall:)

Love her,

Mom

GROWING up!

This guy.

I watch him vacillate between the sweetness of an elementary kid, and the desires of a middle schooler. He is growing up right in front of my eyes. The other day he got in trouble because he wasn't cheering with enough enthusiasm at the latest assembly. Ryker was explaining to me that he's kind of over the cheers. "They are so CHEESY, Mom. I think I'm just ready for middle school." HAH! Ryk is starting to be able to articulate what he is feeling and why, and I'm so proud of him. It's interesting because I don't remember AJ ever being ready to go to middle school. I guess, he was ready but he wasn't antsy like Ryker is. Maybe that is what happens when you have an older brother who tells you how big the cheeseburgers are, and how you have 10 minute passing periods. 

I'm just pretty excited to take both of them to same school! AJ is so darn excited, and Ryker is too! One of those situations that makes me happy for my kids...I never knew what that was like...to follow a sibling or be joined at school by a sibling. It makes me so darn happy that they have each other and for the most like really like each other.

Last night we had friends over with their children. Their kids are younger than Dempsey. AJ was gone, so Ryker had a chance to be the cool older boy to show their younger boy how to do things. Ryker enjoyed for a bit. Then he decided to join the adults and said to me, "Mom-when is AJ coming back?" I said, "Do you miss him?" He said, "Yeah." I could tell he didn't quite feel like he fit in with the younger kids. And there was a time that I tried to kick him out of the adult chat...and looking back now...I can now see what was going on. 

It's going to be fun seeing him do the middle school things!

Love,

Mom

Car rides in the AM

I really love giving AJ car rides in the morning. Sometimes he is SUPER quiet. Sometimes he is chatty. He is definitely my guy that appreciates whatever is going on in nature on the car ride. He will stop and gasp at mountains, or the moon, or the mist, or sunrise. The other day I was driving by myself and the mountains looked so darn beautiful and I thought to myself how I wished AJ was there because it feel so great to have someone by your side that really appreciate the small BUT big things.

Another moment to share about AJ is that we were talking about his Science teacher. I asked if she was hard. He said, "Yeah, she can be hard." I said, "Do you like her?" And he said to me, "I really like her spirit. She has such high energy." This is just another example of how AJ appreciates things about people that no everyone notices. I don't know the last time I have heard a 12 year old talk about appreciating another person's spirit. AND believe me-I talk to a bunch of 12 year olds:)

Love, 
Mom

Pictures in January:)