andrew @ 13

andrew is officially in the teen years.

emotionally, he's been there for a while now. but we can't deny the fact any longer that 2 of our 3 kids are teenagers.  and there is so much to love about that. really!

andrew is all kinds of wonderful.  in his serious, sarcastic, under his breath way he makes the world a happy place, but you have to be paying attention to get it.

andrew is loving, curious and caring about the world and the people that live in it. he is a compassionate soul. he is a thoughtful listener. he explores and discovers with enthusiasm.

to say he is easy going is an understatement. it's a middle child thing. but he rarely complains - although when he does, watch out! he is happy where he is, doing what he does.

he loves legos (still), video games, nerf guns, baseball (maybe like it a better word), role playing games, rap music (the clean stuff), jokes, head's up, and being random. but he hates the spotlight.

he is enlightened and intelligent. mature with his words. pensive and insightful. he is sensitive but with an outrageous sense of humor. he may not always share his feelings but when he does, watch out!

and he loves a good donut.

what more could a mom ask for? he is my happy place. my deep thinker. he is love. he is goofiness and sunshine and a head full of messy hair.

and i love him with all my being.

welcome to teen-hood.

celebrating lots of happiness

today we get to celebrate 3 things.

may 10th is mother's day in mexico. it is not always celebrated on a sunday, like it is here is the u.s. today i get to say thank you to my wonderful mom who is my biggest example of how to be a woman, a wife and a mother. she is my hero and i adore her. thanks mom for always being there for me and my family, for your unconditional support and love.

today is also mother's day and i get to celebrate being their mom. these guys are my everything. they are why i do what i do everyday; the shuttling, the cooking, the worrying, the cheering, the studying, the listening, the comforting, the pressuring encouraging, the loving, the smiling, the laughing. i am proud to be their mom. it is the greatest job in the world.

i forgot to add celebrating the wonderful mom's in my life, mother-in-laws, sister's and friends. you all inspire me. yay for motherhood.

today we get to celebrate his 13th birthday. he was born on sunday, may 10, 2002 and he filled my heart with joy. he is the coolest 13 year old i know. he is curious and mature with a  wicked sense of humor. he is persistent and nerdy but with an easy going attitude. his heart is full of love and laughter. happy birthday andrew. you are azaming! (that means better than amazing according to andrew.)

the story behind the picture.
me: andrew do you feel loved?
a: yeah, why?
me: i just want you to know that i love you.
a: uh oh. i don't like where this is going.
i walk over to give him a hug. he doesn't let go of the game controller.
a: am i being punished?

happy sunday!

12 things as he turns 12

andrew turns 12 tomorrow, here are some cool facts about our boy

1. he goes by many names - goozy, monkey boy, grillito, mr. bun buns, aj and andoo.

2. recently he has been researching jokes - funny jokes and is working on a routine.  he even wrote a script for him and i to do in front of the family.  stand-up comedy may be his calling.

3. he loves his sister and admires his brother. with all his heart.

4. he also loves his hair and is always in need of a haircut.  getting that done when he gets back. it may be the deciding factor for high school.  short hair may not work for him.

5. he gets up easily in the mornings on school days and early on the weekend.  he likes his quiet time before everyone else gets up.

6. 3 obsessions: legos, video games, and star wars.

7. he will follow in his father's footsteps and start a role playing game with his friends. can you say nerd?

8. he is so smart, and takes such care with his school work, when he's not totally absent minded about it.  his favorite subject is social studies and has been fascinated with war and ancient civilizations.  can you say nerd?

9. he has the best one liners.  "like steak on a grill." "i don't know about you but i have a life to live." "sometimes the smallest mistake can be your biggest problem."

10. he is moving into adolescence.  some changes are obvious and some are not. but we will have another teenager in our house soon.

11. he plays baseball from his heart.  he's not the best hitter or outfielder.  but he never misses a practice, he listens to his coaches and he tries hard.  what more could you ask for?

12. he is a sweetheart, a comedian, a deep thinker, a true friend, a compassionate boy, a

believer, and an amazing son.

i love you goozy and can't wait to celebrate with you!
mom

the quiet man

andrew turned 11 quietly on the 10th of this month.
he was home from his sea world trip and celebrated with his friends at the park.
quietly.

quiet.
a word used to describe andrew.
not that he isn't noisy or loud at times.
not that he doesn't get angry or frustrated.
he is just quiet.

he doesn't like to make a fuss.
he isn't about calling attention to himself.
he likes peace, calm, and tranquility.

he is crazy funny.
but you have to be listening.
he is subtle.
he is clever.
he is mature.

he is loving.
but not outwardly.
he sneaks it in.
he whispers it.
he is tender.

he is adventurous.
but not to the point of danger.
he walks the line.
he tests it out.
he is restrained.

he is amazingly bright.
but keeps his thoughts to himself.
if it's worth sharing, he will.
if called upon, he's on it.
he is gifted but not pretentious.

he works things out.
with his friends.
with his siblings.
with himself.
sometimes i wish he would ask for help.
sometimes it's frustrating that he doesn't.
but he's found a way to make it ok.

he's a heck of a ball player.
but he doesn't like the roar of the crowd.
he hates to disappoint.
he doesn't want to be a star.
but that smile shows his love of the game - strike out, walk or hit.
that smile means everything.

he is all love.
he is all laughter.
he is all that is good in the world.

i will quietly whisper i love you.
he will quietly whisper he loves me too.
that's all we need to know.

presidential walk through time

yesterday the 5th grade class put together a morning with the presidents.  the kids have been working on their reports for a few weeks and then they had to do a speech about why their president should be voted into the presidential hall of fame.

andrew chose to do his report on george washington.  i'm not sure why he chose washington but andrew learned a lot about who george washington was and what he did to create the office of the presidency.  i love that he knew all of these random facts about him and how interested he was in the battles that he fought in.

as part of the speech the kids needed to dress up as their president, or first lady or brother.  the speech was told from that point of view.  washington is not the easiest president to dress but we came up with something pretty cool.

he wore baseball pants and long white socks with black dress shoes.  i glued ribbon to jordan's old suit using glue dots to temporarily adhere them to the collar.  i also sewed on the gold buttons and glued some tassels to the shoulder for epaulettes.  one of them fell off while he was getting into the car so he didn't have it for his speech.  we used a piece of white fabric for the shirt collar and fluffed it to make it look right.

the best part of his costume was the wig.  i had purchased some batting and made an ok wig with it, but honestly i was not happy with it.  so the day before the speech i googled george washington wig and found a tutorial using a du rag and cotton balls.  it would be rushed but andrew and i knew we could pull it off.  a quick trip to the 99cent store and we had everything we needed. andrew and i glued cotton balls all over the du rag and let it dry.  it came out great.

his speech was perfect.  story, facts and humor were exactly what she asked for.  and bravo to him for going first.  it's tough but he handled it well.

all of the kids were amazing.  each learning about their president and then telling us about them in an interesting and unique way.  i know i learned a lot.

washington and his bff lincoln enjoying some powdered donuts after all of the speeches.

and kudos to their teacher who is truly the best.  she made the presidents come alive and i know the kids, and many of the parents, learned a lot.  thank ms. green for brining this all together!!

i'm trying to figure out how to upload the video.  i'll repost when i have it.

he, he and she

he is starting his last year at cha, a school he has attended for 9 years.  he is big man on campus, literally. he has grown 6 1/2 inches over the last year.  he is starting his final year of swim team for our church next week.  he has mastered a few songs on the drums.  it's actually nice to hear him play.  he is adding volleyball to his sport list this year. he made a goal to try something new at school.  he is at a middle school retreat until tomorrow.

he is starting his first year of middle school.  he has his own locker (i hope he remembers the combination). he will have electives for the first time. he got to try out the new ipads in his class.  he will start wearing glasses in the next few weeks - after we order them.  he grew 3 and 3/4 inches over the last year. he refused to get his haircut any shorter. he enjoys watching the republican national convention and giving side comments. he is at a middle school retreat until tomorrow.

she is part of the lower school now.  she has lunch in the cafeteria and plays on the big yard.  she has her own desk. she loves her new grey high tops. she adores her teacher. she is greeted by every teacher, and a lot of students, as she makes her way up to class.  she is going to dinner with me and bobby tonight - her choice.  she gave me homework on the first day.

they are excited about the coming year.  they are having a hard time adjusting to the new schedule - we all are.  they are all at carpool together which makes it so much easier for me.  they love listening to the same songs in the car and sing out loud occasionally. they love going to the same school.

it's gonna be a great year.

wordless wednesday:: i love this face

favorite memories

ok, so i made it through the last day of preschool without completely losing it.  although sofia's teacher had a box of tissues set out just for me.  i never really said goodbye to any of them, just "thank you."

sofia was excited to get her portfolio and cd of pictures.  and all day she kept telling people, "did you know i graduated from preschool and now i'm going to kindergarten?"  of course she thinks she's going today.  she is adjusting so much better than i am.

yesterday was filled with more than just goodbyes.  we had parties and memories and plans for the summer.  but before we move on, i asked the kids to share some of their favorite memories from the past school year.  i am playing catch up with their school albums but i wanted to make sure i got this information down before it was forgotten.  here's what they wrote.

jr
my favorite subject was science.
i liked playing kickball, whiffle ball and basketball with my friends.
i liked doing cross-examination (in mock trial) because i liked "poking holes" on the other team's side.
i liked watching willy wonka jr (the school play) because i liked watching my friends acting and singing.
i liked creating my first comic in my cartooning elective. i felt like i accomplished something in my elective and i liked drawing and creating comic strips.
i enjoyed going to yosemite because it was beautiful seeing nature and i liked being with my friends.

my favorites
feeling so proud and yet so panicked about him as the prosecuting attorney in mock trial.  he has more confidence and guts than i ever did.
watching him struggle a bit in math.  and then letting him own it.
getting his braces.  the change is amazing.
watching him with his friends.  what a great group of kids.
making it to the school spelling and geography bee.
hearing him say about yosemite, "the pictures didn't capture the beauty of this place."
seeing him get excited about drawing.
seeing him surpass his goal for basketball.

aj
my favorite subject is p.e. and science.
i liked outdoor science camp.
i also liked knott's berry farm.
i liked learning about physical and chemical changes in science.
i liked multiplication and division, but it wasn't the easiest thing for me.
i liked learning about the mayan civilization - they invented chocolate, popcorn and accurate calendars.

my favorites
hearing how he made his teacher laugh and seeing how proud he was of himself.
watching his handwriting improve.
seeing how much care he put into his work.
being told that he is a quiet leader.
hearing about what a great friend he is.
reading his creative stories.
watching him present his book report dressed as albert einstein, complete with paper mustache.

sg
i liked playing with alexa.
i liked playing with emilene.
i liked playing with sophia.
i liked playing in the sandbox.
i liked going on the swing with alexa.

my favorites
knowing that she can play with the girls and the boys.
seeing her confidence in herself grow by leaps and bounds.
watching her develop a very special friendship.
witnessing her curiosity grow.
seeing her compassion.
watching her encourage others.
feeling like she can stand up for herself.
realizing that keeping her in preschool was the best gift we could have given her.

and now, let the summer begin.

i'm taking friday off for some family fun. but i'll be back on monday. have a great weekend.

birthday wishes

first, let me say that it was the hardest decision going on this trip and having to miss andrew's birthday.  i thought about it, went back and forth, and talked to him about it.  in the end i feel good about my decision. i hate the fact that i had to choose. but i am secure in the fact that he knows that i love him and he told me i should go.

with that being said i wanted to wish my little monkey boy the happiest 9th birthday ever.

may he feel loved.

and have many funny moments.

i hope he eats a delicious dessert.

and is be surrounded by his friends.

to remember that his mom loves him.

and that his dad is the best.

to feel the love of his siblings.

to find adventure wherever he goes.

to never stop being silly.

i hope he laughs.

and laughs.

and laughs.

and then realizes how special he is to us.

i hope his wishes come true, today and forever.

andrew,
i love you beyond words.
i adore you without limit.
you make life so fun.
and i am so proud of you.

hugs and kisses.
happy birthday, love mom!