Spring is Here!

In preparation for spring, I cleaned out the kids’ closets and that resulted in bags of clothes that no longer fit. We also threw out and gave away much read and loved books and things that were no longer needed. Ridding ourselves of constraining heavy warm clothing and having less clutter feels good, similar to raking the leaves from the garden beds.

Somehow, over the cold dreary winter that seemed to go on and on, the kids grew…a lot. Aside from the physical growth I see other changes emerging in the areas of organization, planning and preparation, focus, responsibility, and consideration.

Greyson has begun to tell the truth, finally realizing that lying will always have much harsher consequences than any truth he can share.  Aubry is becoming more responsible for her actions and gaining self-confidence. Josi is navigating peer pressure and accepting the nuances of life. Holden is prioritizing, studies first.

All of my kids are in different stages of development. And each of them have their own special timeline, just like the flowers and plants that are busy pushing up from the ground and blooming in the spring sun and warming temperatures. I enjoy and am grateful for all of it.

Happy miraculous spring!

A Special Way of Asking

Holden came up with a special way to ask a girl he really likes to his prom.  And what I discovered about my son is that he is confident enough in himself to let his thoughtful and sensitive side shine through.

Alyx attends a different high school and lives in another community. Holden’s plan required detailed planning and help. Assistance would come from her parents, who he met several weeks ago.

Once Holden decided how he was going to ask this young lady to prom, he worked backwards to put everything into play. He was going to ask her at home and success depended on her being away from the house.

We were with Holden when he received a text from her mom over a week after hatching his plan. The first step was in play; Alyx was going out to dinner with her parents. Holden left and promised to take pictures.

While the family was gone, Holden worked in their barn. As agreed, he added the finishing touches right after Alyx’s mom texted him that they were five minutes away.

Holden texted Alyx’s mom that he was ready and then texted Alyx, “Smile.” 

Alyx’s mom sent her to the barn for drinks and as she opened the door she noticed the single candle in front of her and  heard the music over the iPod system. Walking in further, she saw the other candles in the far corner of the barn, her favorite candy—Reese’s Pieces, and Holden.

The candles spelled out a simple request, “Prom?”

And Alyx smiled and said, “Yes!”

Tell Me…What About Me?

The kids never tire of hearing stories about themselves as babies and toddlers. The stories are a way of claiming, giving them membership within our family and a sense of weaving us together. 

I found myself again this morning sharing interesting anecdotes about each of the kids. Here are a few from the past:

If a toddler can lust, Holden did…for brooms. We’d be on the lookout for a broom anywhere we went with him because once Holden had spotted a broom he had to touch it, hold it, sweep with it.  Separating him from the broom, regardless of how long he’d been able to cherish its weight and use, resulted in a full-blown tantrum. A restaurant we frequented took to hiding their brooms when they saw us coming in. Holden once chased a maintenance guy around the Charlotte airport in the quest for the brooms hanging off his rolling trash container. We gave him brooms for gifts. The fetish for brooms disappeared around the age of three-and-a-half.

Josi was our yeller…yep. Our daughter who likes to stay under the radar loved to call attention to herself. This behavior began in China, when she was nine months (she was our earliest walker). Josi would stand and yell, as if to say, “Look at me!” She wouldn’t stop until she made sure she had our “eyes.”  Our petite baby girl would then take a step or two and tumble over. She repeated the process again and again. Once she began walking, which was in a matter of days, she became quiet.

Aubry loved sticking things in things. Didn’t matter what or who’s “thing” it was. I had her finger up my nose or in my ear more than once. Everyone did. Aubry put things in her orifices too—as far as they would go. One of favorites was her nose. I knew it was just a matter of time before something stuck, and that something was Polly Pocket (remember those?) pink mirrored wrap-around sunglasses. Someone had left Josi’s Polly Pocket case open with the dangerous-to-children-under-the-age-of-three toys. It took a trip to the emergency room to get them out. The ER docs were impressed.

Greyson was the banana masher (reminiscent of Josi’s noodle trick—another story). The first few times it happened I panicked, sure he would choke to death. Greyson loved bananas and still does. One day, before I could cut it into bite-size pieces, Greyson grabbed and shoved the entire banana into his mouth. I don’t know how he did it, but he did. I couldn’t get it out. He clamped his mouth shut and kinda mashed it up and swallowed the banana whole—like a snake. Now he bites them off.

 So, what are your stories? Do you tell them over and over?