1.20.17

1.20.18 || Namaste to 1:1 Girl time

On Your First Day of 5th grade

Dear B,

Happy First Day of FIFTH grade!  You were so excited for school to start and were counting down the days until you could see your friends.  Once the outfit was FINALLY picked out, you were off in your silvery sparkly skirt, riding your bike all the way to the bus stop.  Dad and I are so proud of you.  You are a sweet and kind and happy Girl who is friends with everyone! You work so hard in school and this year you will just soar.  There is no way we could love you any more.  I hope this year is as amazing as you are!

Love,
Mommy

3 June

Dear B,

I'll never forget how hard you worked this year on reciting your Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem this week.  I don't even know what half the words mean.  With tears in my eyes I watched you practice night after night, making sure you paused to look up at the audience, say the words with the exclamation points loud (like "SHOUT!), and take a bow with a cute little embarrassed smile at the end.  Just like everyone else in your 4th grade class.  You work 150 million times harder than anyone I have ever met or known.  The quote below just about sums up how proud I am of you.

"Having you has changed me more than any other event in my life, Overall, I think I'm a better person that I was before.  I try to see things from different perspectives.  I try to listen more carefully.  I try to remember that everyone has something going on. What makes me the happiest is watching you navigate this world, unencumbered by your diagnosis."

I love you girlie!
Keep rocking it!
Love,
Mommy

16 May

 Today was the BIG recital.  She had been practicing all year.  We did our hair, we had our costumes hemmed and ready,

 She was super excited. 

 B was amazing.  The best,best thing about Miss Betsy, is that she truly loves them all for who they are.  The dances unfold as they will, no expectation of perfection (and are amazing!)

 She even had a solo!

The whole thing was just amazing. 
I have no idea how one person is able to put such a production together.  At the end, the girls that are graduating from the program (age 12) did an amazing number to Colbie Caillat's "Try". 

"Try"

Put your make up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim
So they like you. Do they like you?

Get your sexy on
Don't be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong
So they like you. Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try
Yoooou don't have to try

Ooooo, oooooo, oooooo...

Get your shopping on,
At the mall,
Max your credit cards
You don't have to choose,
Buy it all
So they like you. Do they like you?

Wait a second,
Why should you care, what they think of you
When you're all alone, by yourself
Do you like you? Do you like you?

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to bend until you break
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try

You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try
Yoooou don't have to try

Oooooo
Oooooo

You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing

You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i
You don't have to try
You don't have to try

Take your make up off
Let your hair down
Take a breath
Look into the mirror, at yourself
Don't you like you?
Cause I like you

 

Love that song, There wasn't a dry eye in the house.  What a special moment, special group of girls and parents.  So happy we were a part of it.  Here's to loving them all for who they are.  Can't wait until next year! 

7 January

Tonight, the local stories project....Two classes of third and fourth graders and B's school presented a project that they had been working on four months. The invited everyone they knew, family, friends and community.   It was a combinations of art and theater and community storytellers.   The classes heard local stories in their classrooms from members of the community about the history of our town and Marsh (Stories matter people!)  They visited places and saw artifacts.  They made journals from what inspired them.  They acted out the stories on stage and they created a huge mural from their own drawings which will adorn the walls of the brand new school for years and years to come.  Wow.  what an amazing experience (there are no words) for this group of students and teachers.  This is what school should be.  And my girl, who immediately took the hands of her two best friends and had the time of her life up there (with not a single ounce of "special" support mind you....) did amazing.  What an amazing, rich, school experience with this collaborative, kind, supportive community.  Love our schools..  They all are, all the kids are, cheering for her, helping her, telling her how smart she is, and getting to know her, because she is there, in class with them, in gym with them, on the bus with them, experiencing the SAME rich and diverse curriculum with them.  She is THERE, doing it.   Inclusion, Inclusion, INCLUSION for the win.   Best.year.ever.  I'll end with a quote (loving Kelle Hampton's perspective these days).


Continue to choose kindness. Turn the wrench right with us. This world needs more love right now, and paying it forward, looking out for someone else, doing the right thing never goes out of style. When I wake up in bed at night and think about that second grade classroom, that high school cafeteria, that work place lunchroom, I’d love to know that it will be filled with kindness and acceptance—kids who will sit with her and ask her about that dance she went to—the one they know about because they sat with her the day before and heard about it. Students who will lean over and help her find that page, friends who will come over and hang out, teams that will cheer for her when she runs, employees who will take the extra time in training, graduating classmates who will clap and holler her name when she crosses the stage and takes her diploma. We create this kind, celebrative, supportive community for our children with every opportunity we are given to be the change.

(Kelle....you are not there yet, but the change, it's happening!) 

9 October

the big tenth Birthday was awesome.  I made her a shirt for school for all her friends to sign.  We had a traditional birthday breakfast muffin and the balloons in the colors that she had requested.  The Cake was chocolate with "Bre is 10".  All of her gifts and cards were so incredibly thoughtful.  Hugs all around.  A quiet night at home with her favorite dinner and all her favorite people...small friend party to follow.  What a Great Day.

The boy is starting cub scouts, just one patch change out and the hand me down uniform was complete.  He is over the moon, finally something just for him.  Being the third child is tough!

Ten.

"We are all Human beings FIRST. We are not cancer, schizophrenia.  We are not a divorcee.  WE are not Autism or Down Syndrome.  We are not a lost cause or less than anything that is slapped on a chart or across our face.  We are vast and profound and ritual and ordinary.  A pure and precious soul that was born and is loved and grew and failed and tried and succeeded and made it all the way to HERE.  This very day. " -Life with Greyson and Parker

Some days it still seems so huge, someday we do circle back to that very first day.  I promise you, the advocacy that a Mom does for a child.....any child, never ends.  You love horses and stuffies, you hate having to talk about your school day when you get home.  You love singing and dancing and just being with me.  You want to play lacrosse, get your ears pierced, have your friends over, have a chocolate cake and three balloons (pink red and purple) when you turn ten (you have been talking about it for 6 months!) You forgive in a heartbeat, you never hold a grudge, you love with all your heart. You are more alike than different.   Happy 10th Birthday Pretty Girl, Here's to watching a once in a lifetime sunrise and solar blood moon eclipse this morning.  Here's to inclusion and acceptance and forgiveness.  Here's to another year of watching you grow.  If ever there was a question, Love Wins. We Love you Girl.  

23 July

Tuesday......a Little Father son, alone time camping adventure.  It was a campground right on the ocean.  they packed up, shopped at LL bean for a new pocket knife for L and a stovetop coffee maker, and headed over to the campground.  L was in absolute Heaven the whole time, making the most of their one little day away with fishing,  boating and three little mini hikes. He will remember this little trip for his whole life I'm sure.

In the evening, we dropped T at his lacrosse camp and had a girls night complete with Pedicures (B's First!) , Mac and cheese at Panera, the playground, pool and ice cream.  Such a fun night to spend with two of my favorite girls!  

24 June

Monday......the first day of Summer camp.  B is going to Farm camp and L Rec camp.  They were all packed up, sunscreened up and ready to go on this beautiful early summer day :)

13 June

{this Moment.}

14 April

The weekend lens.....

Friday and Saturday were absolutely beautiful.  My friend and neighbor Tina posted on Facebook that the one great day erased the last "150 days of crap" Just like that..  So true.    I got some compost spread on my garden.....kids were playing outside in the yard.   Awesomesauce.

Our local Dairy Corner opened up and of course we were there.  With Gammie and Grampa.  They have some amazing new cheesecake flavors this year!

Saturday night was the Girl Scout Annual Father Daughter Dance.  I was on the committee that helped plan it this year and volunteered to take all the "couple" photos.  There were over 100 girls.   I had a great time doing it.....it was such a nice way to get to talk to everyone that went.  Of course my girl loved it. She's so grown up now.    Anything to dress up, curl her hair and put on make up.  This girl speaks dance as a second language....for sure.  She was in heaven. The boys attended a big band Concert at the High School that Grampie was playing in.  They loved it, got to stay up late and the report was their behavior was "excellent".  They can't wait to go to Grampa's next "gig"  :)

We made smoothies (at practacally every meal) with the vitamix,  LOVE it!

Sunday morning we  practiced music and played games.......Cat and Minnie lost by a mile.

Then on to three hours of Lacrosse in the afternoon.  Trevor had two practices (one for the travel team) and Lucas one.  I always stay for the practices because I love watching them play.  Then they practiced more when they got home.
Sunday night, (it was raw and rainy outside) we settled in for a movie and a chicken "farm" (Bre calls it) dinner.  Best weekend ever. (Aren't all of them?)

25 February

Right now.....

OMG, the things she says.....(she doesn't stop!)
"REALLY (insert, Mom Dad Lucas or Trevor)"?!?!
"It's not fair!"
"Are you kidding me?"

Stuffed cat is one of her best friends and he is nine.
Is loving trashing the barrettes to experiment with some more grown up hairstyles (help?!?)
Is done with wearing earrings. :(
Is doing awesome skiing especially when she can turn and follow someone.
HAS TO check the hot lunch choice for the next day as soon as we sit down for dinner. (and she remembered that she missed chicken nuggets last Friday when it was a snow day....seriously.)
HAS TO help pack all the lunches every night (she's an awesome helper)
Wants to do everything Lucas does, seriously Everything.
Loves acting out little scenes with her animals and VIDEOTAPING.
did I mention Videotaping? with her iPod?
Loves anything to do with Girl time (and calls it "girl day")
Has to check the weather every night..
still loves her cheese sticks
Always asks to "cuddle" at night before she goes to sleep.
Ate all her valentine's party chocolate on the bus on the way home yesterday, ugh.
Loves everyone and everything unconditionally with her whole self all the time.....no exceptions.
Love this girl.

14 February

This Moment.....

24 January

20 January

So, we had a super Fun Day skiing with friends for the MLK holday (we always ski on this day every year....for some reason the mountains are never crowded).  We went to my childhood stomping ground Shawnee Peak.  I'm not sure why we had never skiied here as a family before, but it was great.  There are big trails and little trails up the same side of the mountain, and the bigger of the two bunny hills was just perfect for B to start skiing totally on her own!  It was completely amazing (not sure why we just didn't let her go a long time ago).  But, after the trouble she had with friends and the dance clinic on Saturday (I cried for two days), THIS completely cured my blues.  I can't stop celebrating :) And I just might have totally overshared on every social media I am on.   And the other kids....seriously the adults just can't keep up with them anymore.  This was a great mountain for us....and for sure we will be going back!

January 18/19

The weekend Lens......

We worked hard on our snowpal for school, trying to find the most interesting things from around the house to glue on....buttons, snowflakes, beans, and a handknitted in progress on the knitting loom hat (that was never going to be finished anyway).  That's my favorite part.

I love the way it turned out.  He's so creative.

T had a swim your own age meet. (Picture is from last year)  this works out great bc he doesn't have to swim against boys who are almost 13 (huge difference between a just turned 11 year old boy and an almost 13 year old boy in development).  He totally rocked it making states in the 50 free with a 31.99 and 5th place finish (he never dreamed he would make states this year so he was over the moon excited).

B had Ballet class then a really big Girl Scout event, the girls did a Dance clinic then got to perform at half time in a Red Claws Game.  Let's just say that the Dancing part didn't exactly work out for Bre (story for later) But the kids all had a great time sitting with their friends.  What a great group of girls and parents.  So proud of them.

Love this photo.....

and This place was a packed house....even on a snowy night.  So, LOUD!

And bravo to the weathermen who totally nailed the forecast this weekend.....Going from a dusting to an inch to a change over to rain to snowing like 8 inches ALL weekend.  It made the roads so messy and we ALMOST ended up in a 3 car pile up as we were going to the game Sat night.  Luckily we turned quickly and went off the road into a field to avoid the car that skidded and was crossing the center line (thank god for 4WD).  Luckily no one was hurt.

These two loved playing out in the sticky snow all day and built "chairs" instead of snowmen.  Again, love their creativity, and I love that they really are best friends.

Then they came in and painted snowmen.  on deck for tonight...T is inviting a friend over to watch the BIG game (GO Pats!) and Tomorrow.....for the MLK holiday...skiing with friends!  Hope you are enjoying a warm, cozy snowy January weekend!