Now this is what a Santa picture is supposed to look like.
Showing posts with label Grace the Ace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace the Ace. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
One moment in a million that I don't want to forget
For several days Grace has followed her father around with questions about Santa Claus (several months ago she asked similar questions about the tooth fairy after reading a book in the school library). He pushed the questions off, worrying that I would be hurt if not included in the discussion. Finally this morning she wrapped her arms around my waist and said, "Mom, I keep asking Dad about Santa, can you talk to me about it now?" She asked me this 15 minutes before school started, so I put her off one last time, "We'll talk about it tonight, okay, before you go to bed."
She had come to her own conclusion, of course, and hoped against hope that somehow her Dad and I might be able to extend the illusion a little bit longer. Oh, how I wanted to extend the illusion. Nearly every day I almost gasp at the passage of time. Where is my wee toddler, the imp, the squirrelly little Grace who made me want to scream in exasperation and kiss her all over at exactly the same time? Now she's seven year old Grace--smart, inquisitive, thoughtful--when she tilts her head in thought, concentrating on her homework, I catch a glimpse of the Grace she will be years from now. Talk about heartache.
So tonight, as her sister slurped on a popsicle in the kitchen, the three of us cuddled on the sofa. Craig opened the conversation, "So you wanted to ask us about Santa?" Her eyes said everything, and Craig and I started to squint our own eyes to keep the tears from falling.
"I think Santa maybe isn't real."
"Have kids been talking about this at school?"
"No, no they haven't."
"So what made you wonder?"
"Well, the tooth fairy made me wonder since I know about that."
Her voice was starting to quiver at this point, and I asked her "how does that make you feel?"
Tears trickled down her cheek, "Well, it breaks my heart because I can feel the imagination going away, because Santa is part of my imagination."
In tearful chorus, Craig and I answered, "yes, yes, we know, we know." And then we went on to confirm her suspicions and to talk about the spirit of Santa Claus and how this knowledge won't change the contents of her stocking. But I don't think she was too worried about her stocking. I remember all too vividly that feeling--that the ability to lose myself in an imaginary world was slipping away. I didn't want that to happen, and neither does my girl.
She will take this confirmation in stride, as most kids do. At fifteen, I still remember running down the stairs to check my stocking, wondering aloud at what Santa had brought. He never really went away completely, and I hope he'll stay for her too.
She had come to her own conclusion, of course, and hoped against hope that somehow her Dad and I might be able to extend the illusion a little bit longer. Oh, how I wanted to extend the illusion. Nearly every day I almost gasp at the passage of time. Where is my wee toddler, the imp, the squirrelly little Grace who made me want to scream in exasperation and kiss her all over at exactly the same time? Now she's seven year old Grace--smart, inquisitive, thoughtful--when she tilts her head in thought, concentrating on her homework, I catch a glimpse of the Grace she will be years from now. Talk about heartache.
So tonight, as her sister slurped on a popsicle in the kitchen, the three of us cuddled on the sofa. Craig opened the conversation, "So you wanted to ask us about Santa?" Her eyes said everything, and Craig and I started to squint our own eyes to keep the tears from falling.
"I think Santa maybe isn't real."
"Have kids been talking about this at school?"
"No, no they haven't."
"So what made you wonder?"
"Well, the tooth fairy made me wonder since I know about that."
Her voice was starting to quiver at this point, and I asked her "how does that make you feel?"
Tears trickled down her cheek, "Well, it breaks my heart because I can feel the imagination going away, because Santa is part of my imagination."
In tearful chorus, Craig and I answered, "yes, yes, we know, we know." And then we went on to confirm her suspicions and to talk about the spirit of Santa Claus and how this knowledge won't change the contents of her stocking. But I don't think she was too worried about her stocking. I remember all too vividly that feeling--that the ability to lose myself in an imaginary world was slipping away. I didn't want that to happen, and neither does my girl.
She will take this confirmation in stride, as most kids do. At fifteen, I still remember running down the stairs to check my stocking, wondering aloud at what Santa had brought. He never really went away completely, and I hope he'll stay for her too.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Pain in the neck.
Lit-er-ally. The last ten days have been about pain, more pain, and even more pain in my neck. How it started is still unclear. Was it craning my neck to talk to a friend at a restaurant? Was the workout I did the night before too strenuous? It doesn't matter. What I know is that a week from last Thursday, I felt a searing pain light a fire from my neck into the base of my skull. A thinking person, a practical person would have slowed down, taken a break, but not me. I had school shopping to do, and a birthday party to plan. I wouldn't take a break, so my neck gave me the finger and made me slow down. It enlisted my shoulder and upper arm to go on strike. I couldn't move easily or well. I spent a lot of time lying on the floor until Craig said, "you really have to go to the doctor."
Which brings us to today, a full three days after I crawled in to see a doctor, and the drugs she prescribed have finally brought me some relief. I don't have to lie down every ten minutes, hooray! Cervical sprain is the term the doctor used, though I could have cared less. I cared about the words "muscle relaxant" and "pain killer."
But enough about me. There were other important things going on in our lives, like...
the first day of school.
Both girls are doing well. Grace likes her teacher and her teacher likes her. WIN. On Julia's second day, she brought home this gem, "You get what you get, and you don't pitch a fit", which really only works if you say "get" like "git." That's my Georgia peach.
All in all, life is okay. My neck will be alright. My freelance job will get done (damn you neck). And we'll prepare ourselves for the next unexpected twist (I put my money on a kid getting sick).
Which brings us to today, a full three days after I crawled in to see a doctor, and the drugs she prescribed have finally brought me some relief. I don't have to lie down every ten minutes, hooray! Cervical sprain is the term the doctor used, though I could have cared less. I cared about the words "muscle relaxant" and "pain killer."
But enough about me. There were other important things going on in our lives, like...
the first day of school.
Both girls are doing well. Grace likes her teacher and her teacher likes her. WIN. On Julia's second day, she brought home this gem, "You get what you get, and you don't pitch a fit", which really only works if you say "get" like "git." That's my Georgia peach.
All in all, life is okay. My neck will be alright. My freelance job will get done (damn you neck). And we'll prepare ourselves for the next unexpected twist (I put my money on a kid getting sick).
Sunday, August 7, 2011
7 on 7
Happy 7th birthday, darling girl, on this 7th day of August, 2011. For fun, let's review:
Here you are the day after your birth. However did the nurse tie that bow in your hair? To this day I swear it was superglued.
Here you are at the house on Lake Michigan, the morning after your first birthday party. We spent the day before on the beach watching you crawl after seagulls.
What a serious face on the day you turned two. We had just moved to Macon the month before and both sets of Grandparents traveled to see you for your birthday. You had also just received your first ever haircut.
You turned three when we were visiting Maine. You had been a big sister for a little over two months. At age three you were a ham.
You turned four when we were in Michigan. We had a party with Grandma, Grandpa and GG. Then you went to spend a week by yourself with Grammy and Poppy.
You started kindergarten and Grammy came to visit right when you turned five. You requested a cake with mice on it.
You were missing a few teeth by the time birthday number 6 came around. We went bowling and to a waterpark to celebrate your special day.
Now you're seven, and I can't believe it. I would tell you to stop growing, but it's so much fun to see the world through your eyes as you mature. You're about to start second grade (which I really can't believe). You're kind, loving, and considerate. You're smart as a whip, and I'm so proud to be your mom. I couldn't love you more--it's just not possible.
Here you are the day after your birth. However did the nurse tie that bow in your hair? To this day I swear it was superglued.
Here you are at the house on Lake Michigan, the morning after your first birthday party. We spent the day before on the beach watching you crawl after seagulls.
What a serious face on the day you turned two. We had just moved to Macon the month before and both sets of Grandparents traveled to see you for your birthday. You had also just received your first ever haircut.
You turned three when we were visiting Maine. You had been a big sister for a little over two months. At age three you were a ham.
You turned four when we were in Michigan. We had a party with Grandma, Grandpa and GG. Then you went to spend a week by yourself with Grammy and Poppy.
You started kindergarten and Grammy came to visit right when you turned five. You requested a cake with mice on it.
You were missing a few teeth by the time birthday number 6 came around. We went bowling and to a waterpark to celebrate your special day.
Now you're seven, and I can't believe it. I would tell you to stop growing, but it's so much fun to see the world through your eyes as you mature. You're about to start second grade (which I really can't believe). You're kind, loving, and considerate. You're smart as a whip, and I'm so proud to be your mom. I couldn't love you more--it's just not possible.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Summer Reading is serious business
We picked up our summer reading logs from the library a couple of days ago, and Grace has almost completed hers. She told me last night that her goal was to read ten chapter books in one day (her max has been four so far).
I know I'm just at the tip of experience when it comes to parenting, but this seems pretty dang great.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Jump Rope for Heart
A little over a month ago Grace participated in the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart. She raised over $50 and jumped in honor of her cousin, Whitney, whom underwent open heart surgery when she was a teeny-tiny baby.
Naturally, we were proud of our girl. We didn't know then that she would top off the experience by showing even more selflessness. Yesterday during the AHA recognition ceremony, a classmate had his prize broken by another student. The boy was understandably upset, and Grace stepped in, giving him the speed jump rope she received in appreciation for her fundraising. She didn't think twice. She saw someone hurting and knew she could ease his pain.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
To Do List
What did you get done this weekend?
That's paint on my fingers, so you can guess what I did.
That's paint on my fingers, so you can guess what I did.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Training Children to be like Mice
Greetings readers,
It's Craig here to add an entry describing the lab activity I hosted for Grace's school on Mercer's campus. The actual events took place on four days for two consecutive weeks. I had the 3rd graders in on Wed. Feb. 16, the 5th graders on Fri. Feb. 18, 1st and 2nd grades together on Wed. Feb. 23rd, and 4th grade on Fri. Feb. 25th. Now I did not have all the kids from those grades nor did I have them all day long. (I am not insane.) I did have them between 9:50 and 11:10 AM but I only hosted those kids involved in the REACH program. This is the elementary school's gifted and talented program.
The purpose of bringing them to my lab on campus was to let them participate in a lab exercise where they carried out a few activities related to their central nervous system. Specifically we were talking about balance and proprioception (body awareness) while they attempted to walk across balance beams of varying thinness. They recorded some limited data and then watched videos of mice doing the very same thing (walking across tight ropes of varying thinness). They also collected data from the mouse videos to compare to their own from balance beams. Students worked in groups of 2-3 and used stopwatches to time these crossing events but they also counted the frequency of arm waving (or tail waving in the case of the mice). These data were then entered into some pre-designed spreadsheets where graphs would fill in with their data for easy comparison. Ideally they would see some sort of relationship between branch thinness and slower crossing speeds and increased arm waving in both themselves and mice. Afterwards we talked about the human nervous system and proprioception and how mice have these same attributes. The lab was fun to do and it involved several of my undergraduate students. They were great and very helpful managing the kids on all the beams and computers. Grace was there too in the 1st and 2nd grade group. On that day Ellen also assisted (thanks hon).
One funny story... in the 1st and 2nd grade crowd this little boy immediately put his hand in the air as I began my introductory spiel. He was eager to say something but I was eager to get started so I waited until I had finished before calling on him. He then said "You know you look a lot like Bill Nye." Of course everyone started laughing, including my undergrads who immediately began downloading pictures of Bill Nye onto the lab computers as their new wallpaper. For those of you who don't know, Bill Nye is the Science Guy that all kids know from educational films and television. He is tall, skinny, and dorky, wears a lab coat and a bow tie. For the record I look nothing like Bill Nye. I don't wear bow ties and I don't wear a lab coat unless I am dissecting things. I am kind of dorky though, especially when I get started talking about animals that climb (like my specially trained lab mice). Here are some pictures.
It's Craig here to add an entry describing the lab activity I hosted for Grace's school on Mercer's campus. The actual events took place on four days for two consecutive weeks. I had the 3rd graders in on Wed. Feb. 16, the 5th graders on Fri. Feb. 18, 1st and 2nd grades together on Wed. Feb. 23rd, and 4th grade on Fri. Feb. 25th. Now I did not have all the kids from those grades nor did I have them all day long. (I am not insane.) I did have them between 9:50 and 11:10 AM but I only hosted those kids involved in the REACH program. This is the elementary school's gifted and talented program.
The purpose of bringing them to my lab on campus was to let them participate in a lab exercise where they carried out a few activities related to their central nervous system. Specifically we were talking about balance and proprioception (body awareness) while they attempted to walk across balance beams of varying thinness. They recorded some limited data and then watched videos of mice doing the very same thing (walking across tight ropes of varying thinness). They also collected data from the mouse videos to compare to their own from balance beams. Students worked in groups of 2-3 and used stopwatches to time these crossing events but they also counted the frequency of arm waving (or tail waving in the case of the mice). These data were then entered into some pre-designed spreadsheets where graphs would fill in with their data for easy comparison. Ideally they would see some sort of relationship between branch thinness and slower crossing speeds and increased arm waving in both themselves and mice. Afterwards we talked about the human nervous system and proprioception and how mice have these same attributes. The lab was fun to do and it involved several of my undergraduate students. They were great and very helpful managing the kids on all the beams and computers. Grace was there too in the 1st and 2nd grade group. On that day Ellen also assisted (thanks hon).
One funny story... in the 1st and 2nd grade crowd this little boy immediately put his hand in the air as I began my introductory spiel. He was eager to say something but I was eager to get started so I waited until I had finished before calling on him. He then said "You know you look a lot like Bill Nye." Of course everyone started laughing, including my undergrads who immediately began downloading pictures of Bill Nye onto the lab computers as their new wallpaper. For those of you who don't know, Bill Nye is the Science Guy that all kids know from educational films and television. He is tall, skinny, and dorky, wears a lab coat and a bow tie. For the record I look nothing like Bill Nye. I don't wear bow ties and I don't wear a lab coat unless I am dissecting things. I am kind of dorky though, especially when I get started talking about animals that climb (like my specially trained lab mice). Here are some pictures.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
husband wrangling
I plan to wrangle mine into writing a post about the lab he did with REACH (gifted) kids from Grace's school. The first and second graders had their session today, which included two people bursting with pride: Craig (so, so proud of his girl) and Grace (super dooper proud of her dad). I actually overheard some second graders point to Grace and say, "Dr. Byron is her dad, wow!" There should be pictures too, so stay tuned (but don't check too regularly because this wrangling could still take another week).
On a totally unrelated tangent, I read a post on an advice blog asking readers to chime in on the question "what do you want to do when you grow up?" The question wasn't posed to kids; this came from and for an adult. I didn't add to the conversation (I'm a terrible commenter), but I remember very clearly asking that same question when my kids were younger, back when I still felt rather unworthy being a stay at home parent. Thankfully times have changed, and my answer to what do want to do when you grow up comes a lot more easily:
I am grown up. Whatever I'm doing right now is my job. I may do something different in the future, but it won't be because I've grown up. I've already done that.
What sweet, sweet relief to have finally reached that conclusion.
On a totally unrelated tangent, I read a post on an advice blog asking readers to chime in on the question "what do you want to do when you grow up?" The question wasn't posed to kids; this came from and for an adult. I didn't add to the conversation (I'm a terrible commenter), but I remember very clearly asking that same question when my kids were younger, back when I still felt rather unworthy being a stay at home parent. Thankfully times have changed, and my answer to what do want to do when you grow up comes a lot more easily:
I am grown up. Whatever I'm doing right now is my job. I may do something different in the future, but it won't be because I've grown up. I've already done that.
What sweet, sweet relief to have finally reached that conclusion.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
If it weren't for these two...
Our holidays would have been more miserable, probably totally unbearable.
Thankful, I am, for these little mites. In case you didn't know, happiness can be siphoned directly from their squeals.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Heat Seeking Cats (and Cookies with Noah)
I caught this picture of Zuzu earlier today. Our cats move from sunspot to sunspot as the day passes. With this most recent cold snap, I've caught both of them basking in a ribbon of light on the kitchen counter. Normally they would jump down at the first sound of a human. In a testament to the chilliness of our house, the last time I caught Ollie he looked at me sleepily and then buried his nose under his paw and drifted back to sleep.
Yesterday Grace had her regularly scheduled play date with Noah at our house. I didn't want the two of them canoodling upstairs, planning their elopement, so I baked gingerbread cookies for them to decorate.
By the end, my new kitchen floor was covered with sprinkles and many surfaces (in and out of the kitchen) had a veneer of frosting. After cookies, the kids went upstairs to play unsupervised. At one point, Grace locked Noah out of the room for some transgression, and he only gained re-entry by serenading her with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". It was so sweet I almost cried.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
child bride
Every Thursday after school Grace has a play-date with her friend Noah. We switch back and forth, and today they played at Noah's house. The kids love this ritual. They are very similar (highly verbal, artistic, and bossy--what a combo) and play together, perhaps surprisingly given their similarities, quite well. Noah has expressed his affection for Grace to me a number of times ("I love my Mom, my Dad, and Grace"), so I suppose I should have known when, soon after her arrival home, Grace declared that she had something very important to tell me.
Hmmmm. Now what could that be?
Do you see what I see? Yes, that's my personal invitation to Grace and Noah's wedding (and not the wedding of Noah, Ellen & Grace, which I don't think is legal in Georgia). Furthermore, they have chosen a date (well, a month really): December 2020!
Fair warning, people, mark you calendars for the wedding of my sixteen year old to another sixteen year old (which, I'm almost sure, is legal in Georgia).
Hmmmm. Now what could that be?
Do you see what I see? Yes, that's my personal invitation to Grace and Noah's wedding (and not the wedding of Noah, Ellen & Grace, which I don't think is legal in Georgia). Furthermore, they have chosen a date (well, a month really): December 2020!
Fair warning, people, mark you calendars for the wedding of my sixteen year old to another sixteen year old (which, I'm almost sure, is legal in Georgia).
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Post 2 of the day: Proof our animals are disgusting
I found this note pasted to the bathroom door after Grace discovered a present from one of the cats. In case you can't read it: "Don't step on browness in downstairs bathroom. Thanks." I love how polite she is and also that she illustrated her find.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Halloween 2010
Introducing...
Word Girl and Sacajawea
Every year when October rolls around my office turns into a sewing room, as I madly try to complete costumes the girls have chosen. Not surprisingly, each year they get a little more complicated. Thankfully, my sewing capabilities have improved over time. I doubt I could have handled Sacajawea five years ago.
Though October turned out to be a crunch month for us, I enjoyed these projects, and what's more, the girls were absolutely thrilled with the results. Word girl has flown around our neighborhood a number of times (not only on Halloween), and Sacajawea will be worn for years to come (Julia's called dibs for Halloween 2012). We put them to use too--trick or treating on Saturday with Grace's buddy, Noah, and scaring the animals at Zoo Atlanta's Boo at the Zoo on Sunday. Now we're all worn out.
We hope you all had a great Halloween (and it's Halloween, people, not Fall Fest or Harvest Fest, as so many of my more religiously minded neighbors might tell you). Enjoy the pictures and video.
Word Girl and Sacajawea
Every year when October rolls around my office turns into a sewing room, as I madly try to complete costumes the girls have chosen. Not surprisingly, each year they get a little more complicated. Thankfully, my sewing capabilities have improved over time. I doubt I could have handled Sacajawea five years ago.
Though October turned out to be a crunch month for us, I enjoyed these projects, and what's more, the girls were absolutely thrilled with the results. Word girl has flown around our neighborhood a number of times (not only on Halloween), and Sacajawea will be worn for years to come (Julia's called dibs for Halloween 2012). We put them to use too--trick or treating on Saturday with Grace's buddy, Noah, and scaring the animals at Zoo Atlanta's Boo at the Zoo on Sunday. Now we're all worn out.
We hope you all had a great Halloween (and it's Halloween, people, not Fall Fest or Harvest Fest, as so many of my more religiously minded neighbors might tell you). Enjoy the pictures and video.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Craig's Father Day Diversion
I will quickly go back to June 20 (Father's Day) to record a special memory of mine (sorry no pictures). While Ellen and Julia were taking care of a nap, Grace and I wanted some adventure near the campground. Fortunately there was a trailhead within a quarter mile from our campsite. Grace and I pulled a backpack together that included binoculars, first aid supplies, water, and snacks. We walked over to Soltafara Creek Trail and began our hike.
The weather was perfect, and the trail was nice and lonely. Because Soltafara Creek is nothing more than a creek cutting between two low ridges, there is not much to look at. This means no tourists. However, no tourists also means more wildlife which means big animals like bison may appear in the trail suddenly. This did not happen to us, but it was always a thought in the back of my mind. I wanted to see wildlife, but I did not want any emergency situations where I would have to entrust Grace to run back to camp while I grappled with (i.e., received a mauling from) a bear or bison.
We saw lots of bison fur stuck on trees, indicating they were around somewhere. We also found a big pile of bear scat with loads of fur in it. Later on we found a patch of fur stuck to a tree that was not from a bison. Grace and I both think it was from a grizzly bear, and so being young scientists we collected it to save in our cabinet of curiosities. Grace was trooper, just as I expected. We walked along the trail a ways without seeing anyone. As far as Father's Day goes, it was such a great way to spend my afternoon. All I could hear was the wind blowing in the trees and birds chirping. Those quiet moments of forest solitude may be my absolute favorite thing in the whole world. We probably went about 2 miles in one direction when we decided that we should turn around to head back to camp. Before we headed back however, Grace wanted to treat me to a special adventure she knew I would like.
She suggested we bushwack our way up to the top of one of the ridges to get a better view. She correctly assumed that I had wanted to be doing this all along. There were lots of dead trees that had fallen in the big fire from the late 80's. It was not easy travel, but we climbed up and over big pine trunks and around young trees until we found a nice spot to stop and enjoy nature before turning around. Grace was so proud of herself for coming up with this idea. She explained it was a present from her to me, so I could have a happy day. Well Grace, I had a lovely day with you, and I look forward to more wilderness adventures together. We made plans for our first backpacking trip when she gets older. Grace loves the idea of having all our stuff in a backpack that we get walk around the woods with. I like that idea too.
The weather was perfect, and the trail was nice and lonely. Because Soltafara Creek is nothing more than a creek cutting between two low ridges, there is not much to look at. This means no tourists. However, no tourists also means more wildlife which means big animals like bison may appear in the trail suddenly. This did not happen to us, but it was always a thought in the back of my mind. I wanted to see wildlife, but I did not want any emergency situations where I would have to entrust Grace to run back to camp while I grappled with (i.e., received a mauling from) a bear or bison.
We saw lots of bison fur stuck on trees, indicating they were around somewhere. We also found a big pile of bear scat with loads of fur in it. Later on we found a patch of fur stuck to a tree that was not from a bison. Grace and I both think it was from a grizzly bear, and so being young scientists we collected it to save in our cabinet of curiosities. Grace was trooper, just as I expected. We walked along the trail a ways without seeing anyone. As far as Father's Day goes, it was such a great way to spend my afternoon. All I could hear was the wind blowing in the trees and birds chirping. Those quiet moments of forest solitude may be my absolute favorite thing in the whole world. We probably went about 2 miles in one direction when we decided that we should turn around to head back to camp. Before we headed back however, Grace wanted to treat me to a special adventure she knew I would like.
She suggested we bushwack our way up to the top of one of the ridges to get a better view. She correctly assumed that I had wanted to be doing this all along. There were lots of dead trees that had fallen in the big fire from the late 80's. It was not easy travel, but we climbed up and over big pine trunks and around young trees until we found a nice spot to stop and enjoy nature before turning around. Grace was so proud of herself for coming up with this idea. She explained it was a present from her to me, so I could have a happy day. Well Grace, I had a lovely day with you, and I look forward to more wilderness adventures together. We made plans for our first backpacking trip when she gets older. Grace loves the idea of having all our stuff in a backpack that we get walk around the woods with. I like that idea too.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Happy Birthday
To my mountain goat, my antelope-girl,
You are the best six year old I know. I am so proud to be your mommy. I had the best time with you this summer: climbing mountains, watching birds, and discovering new things about our world. I look forward to all the adventures we will have this year.
I love you, kiddo.
Mommy
Thursday, August 5, 2010
a few details
As you might imagine, it's been a little hectic around here. In addition to Grace starting school, my older cat, Zuzu, got sick. She's been at the vets since Monday with a surgery on Tuesday. We hope to bring her home by this afternoon. Making a calm and quiet place for her to recover is going to be a challenge. Calm and quiet aren't words that generally populate Grace and Julia's vocabulary.
In any case, the Tetons are coming, I promise. We're going to switch gears a bit though and have Craig write some of the travel posts. It's always good to have the Dad perspective (and it gives me a break). I just have to upload all the damn photos. That's next.
Hope you all are enjoying your summers (since ours is over, Julia goes back to school on Monday).
In any case, the Tetons are coming, I promise. We're going to switch gears a bit though and have Craig write some of the travel posts. It's always good to have the Dad perspective (and it gives me a break). I just have to upload all the damn photos. That's next.
Hope you all are enjoying your summers (since ours is over, Julia goes back to school on Monday).
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming
For the First Day of School!
Not to be outshone, Julia had to get in on the action (even wearing her backpack to Grace's classroom). Grace was very excited and didn't hesitate when we said goodbye. She has the BEST teacher this year, and we are thrilled.
Not to be outshone, Julia had to get in on the action (even wearing her backpack to Grace's classroom). Grace was very excited and didn't hesitate when we said goodbye. She has the BEST teacher this year, and we are thrilled.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Moving On Up, sappy edition
I've lost my edge. This blog is all flowers, sunshine, and sap these days. Expect more of that.
Today Grace had her Moving Up/Kindergarten Graduation (no diploma, medals instead). Each class sang a song and the entire grade sang several songs together. The medals were distributed by class, and the ceremony closed with a sweet video montage of the year. Afterwards we picnicked in the gym (rainy weather kept us from the park) and laughed with Grace while we ate strawberries. It was good. Neither Craig nor I cried (miracle of miracles).
This has been a roller coaster year. I didn't share many of our travails because while we were going through it, I couldn't talk about it. Then I didn't want to talk about it. Now at year's end, I feel peaceful about her experience. By all measures she has excelled. We've grown too. We've learned to let a lot of stuff roll off our shoulders. We've learned how to advocate for Grace without hurting her, and we've learned to let go of her (at least a little bit).
By many standards, we're parenting outsiders here. Our values don't match up with many of Grace's peers, but I'm okay with that. I hope she understands our choices (after years of therapy) because while Craig and I may be different from other parents, we're exactly the same about the stuff that counts. We love our kid. More than she can ever imagine.
Below is a tiny clip from the event, and shows Grace receiving her medal. Craig shot extensive video but getting that from the camera to the computer won't happen for awhile (and really only the grandparents want that much detail).
Today Grace had her Moving Up/Kindergarten Graduation (no diploma, medals instead). Each class sang a song and the entire grade sang several songs together. The medals were distributed by class, and the ceremony closed with a sweet video montage of the year. Afterwards we picnicked in the gym (rainy weather kept us from the park) and laughed with Grace while we ate strawberries. It was good. Neither Craig nor I cried (miracle of miracles).
This has been a roller coaster year. I didn't share many of our travails because while we were going through it, I couldn't talk about it. Then I didn't want to talk about it. Now at year's end, I feel peaceful about her experience. By all measures she has excelled. We've grown too. We've learned to let a lot of stuff roll off our shoulders. We've learned how to advocate for Grace without hurting her, and we've learned to let go of her (at least a little bit).
By many standards, we're parenting outsiders here. Our values don't match up with many of Grace's peers, but I'm okay with that. I hope she understands our choices (after years of therapy) because while Craig and I may be different from other parents, we're exactly the same about the stuff that counts. We love our kid. More than she can ever imagine.
Below is a tiny clip from the event, and shows Grace receiving her medal. Craig shot extensive video but getting that from the camera to the computer won't happen for awhile (and really only the grandparents want that much detail).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)