Letter to My Sons - November 2013

In this season of thanks, I realize that I have so many things to be thankful for. However, I am most thankful to be able to share this life with you and teach you about your world. Motherhood is the most amazing gift.

L- You are so sweet and are wise beyond your years. We have been talking a lot about things that we are thankful for. For days, your standard answer was: "I am thankful for chicken" (maybe there's some confusion about chicken and turkey???). After helping me with some of the holiday meal preparation, you spontaneously listed off a bunch of things that you were thankful for which included mama, papa, your brother and lots of good friends.

You are still loving kindergarten. I have asked you many times what you like best about school. Completely honest, you said, "I like P.E. best. We don't have to sit still or be quiet." That makes me laugh because I was worried about my little wiggle worm even being able to sit at a desk in the first place. I guess maybe I didn't even really need to ask!

M- Your snuggles and kisses brighten my day. I love the way you ask to smell my cheeks. I love the way your skin feels on mine. I am so thankful to spend my days with you .

Your organizational skills and love for lining things up has led you to your newest passion. You LOVE to fold the towels! And, boy are you ever good at it. You actually shrieked with delight the last time I brought out a laundry basket full of towels. I intend to slowly cultivate these skills so you can help me reorganize the house!

I love you both more than the moon and the stars in the sky.

XOXO,
Mama

I am very honored to continue being a part of the blog circle "Letters to Our Children".
Click here to say what the very talented Nicole Herda has to say.

Letters to my sons - Septemper 2013

September has been very busy for us. There have been lots of changes, new routines, and moving from summer into fall. I really haven't picked up the camera too much lately as I have put my time and energy elsewhere. I kind of miss that though, and need to get back to documenting our daily lives.

#1 - Your parents, by nature, are not early morning people. So, for five years, I have dreaded the beginning of your formal schooling. We talked about what we would need to do in order to be successful and get out of the house to make it to kindergarten on time. I suggested that we practice this new routine for a few days before school. This, however, was NOT and idea that you would even entertain and day after day you refused to follow the plan. Much to my surprise on the first day of school, you woke yourself up at 6:30 and did everything you needed to do to get to school. I guess you were right, you already knew the plan! You are loving school and your new teacher. You come home and make me play the games you learn from school or you pretend to be the teacher with your brother and I being your students. You are so eager to learn and so proud of your accomplishments. You are making new friends and learning to spread your wings. I really had my doubts about your adaptability, but you have proved me wrong. I have learned my lesson; you are so much stronger and more resilient than I ever thought. I cannot even begin to explain how proud I am of you.

#2 - You, my love, are enjoying having more alone time with mama while your brother is at school! We have been enjoying walks by the beach, playing at the park, and reading books. Oh my, how you love books! Your favorite series is the "Magic Tree House" and you gather up all of them in the house and stack them, organize them, move them from room to room. You study them. You "read" them. You know the titles by heart. You take a few of them to bed with you and "read" them in bed with your flashlight. This is another one of your obsessions...and I am completely okay with this one!

I really am so lucky to be your mom! I love you both more than the moon and the stars in the sky!

XOXOXO,
Mama


Please continue to follow the blog circle of "Letters to our Children" to see what my other talented mom/photographer friends have to share about September. You will find Melanie's blog here. Enjoy!

Letters to My Sons - August

This past summer has flown by and August is no exception. We have been graced with an incredibly beautiful summer and lots of sunshine to play in. This month we have had a trips to the islands and the coast. We've been able to sight see Seattle with family. We have done our annual blueberry pick-a-thon complete with many readings of "Blueberries for Sal".

My first born son, in a few days your life is about to change. You will be entering kindergarten full time, 5 days a week. I am not sure I am ready for this moment, you on the other hand are. You are excited for new friends, a new teacher, new activities...and even homework! You had your last day of preschool this month and I am sure you don't know the finality of it. But, I know that you will do well with all of these changes.

You are on the cusp of reading. One night during bedtime, you identified every letter of every word on every page. This made for a LONG story time, but I couldn't help but marvel in the way that things are coming together. The things that you have been working so hard on and for so long are starting to come together. You also are trying to master numbers and counting to 100. This has brought up many interesting conversations about how many numbers there are and infinity.

Your favorite past time is making your own masks and costumes. Our house is a mess. There is paper everywhere, tape everywhere...and you have gotten quite handy with a glue gun. You even convinced me that you needed a needle, thread and fabric to make your own Iron Man costume. Oh, how I admire your creativity... your desire...your imagination; I hope you always hold onto these things.

My second born son, you amaze me with your kindness. The other morning the first thing you did when you woke up is to tell me that you loved me. My how my heart swelled. Then, the second thing you said was, "I love your sweetness." That had me on cloud nine. I love your hugs, your kisses, your cuddles. I will take them anytime!

Your favorite pastime is digging holes in the ground. Give you a shovel, and you can entertain yourself for hours. You are so proud of your work...and serious. I have got a large hole in the backyard which is ok since it is in your designated digging area. But, I am not sure what I am going to do with the mountain of growing dirt on the lawn. I can't  seem to convince you that we need to put it back. I guess, this too will pass.

One other thing that you just can't seem to get enough of is...puzzles. You really love them, although they frustrate you. You work really hard at putting them together and taking them apart. It is so interesting to see the advancement in your skills.

I think I am the luckiest person ever to be your mama. We have so much fun together and I am so lucky to be able to spend so much time with you. As I look back on our photos over the past few months I am overwhelmed with all that we have been able to do. I look forward to the adventures that await us in September and I am looking forward to having another amazing summer next year.

I love you more than moon and the stars in the sky.

xoxo, 

mama

Click here to continue with the blog circle of "Letters to Our Children" and to visit the very talented Nicole Herda.

Letter to My Sons - July 2013

 How did July fly by so fast? The summer of 2013 has been filled with fun and many adventures. I am a little short on words this month as I am trying to be present in life as it happens. So, here it goes...

#1 You have grown so much this past month and been daring to try new things. Rock climbing... check. Carnival rides that even mama is a little afraid of...check. Building your own musical instrument...check.

You continue to amaze me with your ability to craft your own toys. You are a busy boy creating Wolverine claws, Thor hammers, and Wasp wings; all out of paper and tape. You are obsessed with super heroes and learning all of the details about the characters. Your perseverance, attention to detail and creativity will serve you well in life.

 # 2 You are full of emotion these days. Trying to become the person you are suppose to be is hard work. Hard for you. Hard for mama. It's hard being a little brother. It's hard sharing. It's hard loosing your naps. It's hard being crazy busy with the adventures of summer. Let's both take a breath. We will get through this.

Your newest love is foam stickers. You could spend hours peeling and sticking. Your continued love is the Marvel comic super heroes. You now have a Captain America mask and shield and it is the most adorable thing if I do say so myself. I love that you are trying to save the world. And, your entrance...the way you fold your arm in front of you and put the other in back of you as if you were flying in, well, it is priceless. We just need to work on a more appropriate place to play the Incredible Hulk. Smashing things, stomping and grunting at the park doesn't go over very well!

My boys, how I love both of you and how I love being your mama. There are just no words to justly describe this adventure we are all on.

XOXO,
Mama

The next stop in the blog circle "Letters to Our Children" is the very talented Nicole Herda.

Letters to My Sons - June

Another month has passed and it is time for the next installment in the blog circle of "Letters to Our Children". I am again excited to share with you moments of our lives as captured through words and photographs. Please follow the link at the bottom to see what my other talented friends have been recorded as well.

June has been a big month for us. The start of summer. Busyness and adventure. A trip to Idaho to see your uncle graduate. Getting a taste of rural as compared to our ever urban lives. Our first camping trip of the year with some of our best friends. Exploring the beaches at low tide. Tending the garden. More flights, more family. Long and lovely days filled with sunshine. Bring on summer!

#1 - My big boy. My how you are changing. You are taking on your brother's love for super heroes and now can't get enough of spiderman. As usual, you are crafting your own play. You are never far from a rope or a piece of string, for these items, you use for webs. You are trying your hardest to scale every surface in the house from the cabinets to the refrigerator with your sticky feet. I even had to buy some new underwear for you...of course, the spiderman kind!

#2 My little one. I love your cuddles, your hugs, your kisses. When either your papa or I need to leave, you are insistent on getting your hug and kiss (maybe a couple) no matter what you are doing. You have started calling me your "lovely mama" which melts my heart every time. Your sweetness, your pureness...well, it just exudes from you. You are like your papa; genuine.

As sweet as you can be, you are serious about this superhero business. For your 3rd birthday, you got a superhero puzzle book. It was by far your favorite gift. You study it. You memorize it. You have learned the stories behind the characters. You pretend to be the characters. You even tried to color yourself with a green marker to turn yourself into the incredible hulk. Too bad I forgot the camera on that one!

I love watching the relationship between the two of you grow. You are brothers to the core. You are each other's best friends. You play together, you wrestle each other, you teach each other...you fight with each other. I even secretly enjoy when you plot together for it shows me how well you can work together to accomplish a task. I hope that you will always have this closeness throughout your lives.

I love both of you more than the moon and the stars in the sky!

XOXO,

Mama

Next stop in this blog circle, the extremely talented Nicole Herda.

Letter to My Sons - May

Another month has gone and I am excited to be a part of this continued blog circle where some very creative friends are writing letters and documenting their children with photos.

What a big month May is for us, and will always be. Both of you have birthdays, and this year you are turning 5 and 3. I can't help but think that time is going too fast. Before my very eyes you are changing and growing by leaps and bounds.

My first born, how have five years passed since I first met you? It as if you have always been here, and now, I do not know life without you. You are literally growing on me and I have trouble keeping up with your food demands. You have always been such a funny and picky eater, and now is no different. You now want a particular cereal and will eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner...AND snack. I recently had the conversation with you about needing to eat a variety of foods and your response was, "I love it. I just can't stop thinking about it... I can't get it outta my head!" Then, the sly grin peaked out. These little obsessions will too pass, but what I am falling in love with, is your sense of humor. You are telling me jokes and making me laugh on a daily basis. I wish I could bottle your giggles, but since I can't, I will forever keep them close to my heart.

Your fifth birthday was fantastic. We spent the day getting breakfast at the local dive (per your request), playing at the beach, taking a nature walk, and of course, getting ice cream. You also had a construction party with lots of building and digging involved. This included "digging in the dirt"cupcakes complete with gummy worms.

You are insightful and I am so proud of how you are solving problems on your own. So much so, you are already preparing yourself for adulthood! One day you  kept bossing your brother around. I finally intervened and at one point, I asked you who made the rules for him. Your response was: "I don't make the rules. You make the rules mama. I am practicing for when I am older. Everyone needs to practice, right?" You were not joking on this one, but rather, completely serious. I couldn't let you see, but I was grinning from ear to ear on the inside!

My second born, in a few short days, you will turn three. How can that be? I have just finished going through some of your earlier photos and a long trip down memory lane. You are pretty much potty trained and I love to hear you say, "I don't need those diapies anymore!"Sometimes you hate to wash your hands and you repeatedly ask me if you need to do this chore after going on the potty. One day I asked you if you liked to wash your hands and your response totally cracked me up. You said, "I like to run away and say... OOPS, I forgot!"

You love to play superhero in the house and put your cape one and fly around. You use your amazing memory for learning all of the Marvel superheros and their special powers. Your inner daredevil is shining these days. You have started to do tricks on your scooter. I am not sure where you come up with this stuff, but frankly, I am frightened and delighted. Can you be both of those things together? Maybe the fright has just worn off and now I think it is cute. You started by riding sideways, then moved to hooking your leg around the stem, and now jump with both feet in the air and land back on the base...all while moving. You are talented and sure footed and have way more courage than I think I ever have had. X games, here we come!

I love both of you more than the moon and the stars in the sky!

XOXO,
Mama

Please follow this link to see the next letter in this blog circle by the talented Christina Guzman

Letters to My Sons - February 2013

Wow, 2013 is flying by. I can't believe that February is nearly over and March is just around the corner.   We have been lucky this past month to be graced with good weather, sunshine and many trips to the snow. This past month is full of memories that include s'mores, sledding and sleigh rides. We really are very lucky and blessed to have such good fortune.

#1 It is hard to believe that my first born is getting so old. I can't believe that this month we have spent so much time pondering your future. Next fall, you will be a kindergartener. How did that happen??? I swear that you were just born a short time ago, your body fitting cradled in my arms. Now, your lean and lanky body dangles off mine and I just can't seem to get all of you within my grasp. I am sad, to say the least, that your days are soon to be filled with time away from your family. So, for now, I am going to savor the moments that I have with you. You are growing into a sensitive, caring, and creative young boy. You are the first to help your brother out if he has a problem, that is, if you are not the source of his problem! You can creatively problem solve with me and often suggest things to me that I haven't even thought about. You are becoming a storyteller, weaving fact and fiction. You have also become very passionate about building and construction. Your favorite show is "Bob the Builder" and you have mastered the theme song to it. You have taught this to your brother and the two of you are singing that song all day long. This is a bit of a special treat for me, for you are not a musical person nor have you ever dared to sing songs. Please never lose your curiosity, your ability to think outside the box, nor your ability to create.

#2 You are growing and developing so much. You have been working hard at potty training and have even been able to wear big boy underpants outside of the house. What an accomplishment!!! You are very independent and want to do it all yourself from taking your clothes off, to flushing the toilet, to washing your hands. I admire your enthusiasm and hope that you can carry this tenacity with you throughout your life. You also enjoy being in your own skin. You love to get completely naked and run around the house for hours. My how I adore your little body and I hope that you always know how perfect you are. You are kind, thoughtful and genuine; you get these traits from your father. You are often inquisitive why someone might be sad, ready to give a hug, and are often telling me "thank you". Your simple words can melt me like nothing else.

I have so much fun with both of you. Know that I cherish the time we get together and that I love you more than the moon and the stars in the sky. 

XOXOXO,

Mama

I am excited to be part of a blog circle full of moms that are passionate about photography. We will be writing letters to our children once a month that describe and honor our children. I hope you enjoy the letters from these talented women.

Please follow this link to see the next letter from my friend Jenn Burnett