Happy 6th birthday, Everly!

The evening before Cortlan turned 5, he cried.  He loved being five, didn't want to grow up, wanted to stay five forever, and, in fact, refused to acknowledge being six for a while.

Yesterday morning, Everly greeted me with a happy "Good morning!" and "Tomorrow is my birthday!  That makes today my birthday EVE!!"

Forever wanting to be bigger and more grown up, perhaps due to having an older brother, Everly has left the minor leagues - the 0-5 year old stage - never to return.  She is thrilled.  I am a bit emotional.  But I am following her lead.

Everly has only recently reached the advised weight for switching from a five-point harness car seat to a booster, but she has been waiting for this moment for years.  Last night, after she was in bed, we took the car seat that she has used for years out of the car and replaced it with a brand new booster.  This morning, when she saw it, it was suddenly like she finally made it to the big leagues.

The year of being five was a big one...getting her ears pierced, starting Kindergarten, learning to read.  And also of us figuring each other out a bit more.  I feel like I learned a lot about what makes Everly tick and how to work with her this year, resulting in more peace and more fun.  She is growing up and figuring things out, as well.

Everly makes us laugh all of the time.  She surprises us with her quick wit and timing.  Over the past year, she has wanted to be a doctor, a teacher, an actor, an artist, and a scientist.  I am loving watching her grow.

Happy birthday to our dynamo, Everly!

Random picture from my phone #2

I was so happy to have the opportunity to volunteer at Everly's Kindergarten Valentine party.  I helped with the games, one of which was a candy heart stacking contest.  Kindergartners are certainly a different crowd than the 11th and 12th grade students that I teach!

First morning after a great break

Prepping for our day

Back to our reality

The morning chaos

Headed out

Scouts and gymnastics

Day to divide and conquer 

Then cheer on Steelers

Friday Lunchtime

Making soup for lunch.

Hanging out in the kitchen -

Common occurrence.

Hardly irrelevant

Things can go along so nicely for a while and then suddenly it seems as though everything changes.  I am overwhelmed with change right now, and that somehow became very evident today as I was reminded that if I am not changing, I am irrelevant.  On some level, of course, I get that - I am a teacher.  But when nothing seems to be staying the same - from things at home to friendships to seemingly everything at work including my relationships there - it can become a little much, you know?   I truly have gotten better at embracing change.  But sometimes, I miss things that used to be.  And it hurts to think that I might be irrelevant.  

I so looked forward to seeing my kids today as they got off of the bus.  Despite how they are changing, they are still willing to give me some good hugs.  It is hard to feel irrelevant when I am with them.  And I do love the fall leaves changing.  And running.  So today I decided to forego our usual after school routine, and instead loaded the bikes in the car and headed to the park.  

It is hard to not feel a little better when I can go for a run on a beautiful fall afternoon with my kids riding their bikes alongside me.

First Day of School

This morning, I dropped my little girl off for her first day of Kindergarten.  Her proud big brother led the way, confident and smiling.  Everly was thrilled and acted like a pro.

There were no tears today - I think I held it together pretty well.  But it is hard for me to believe...kindergarten...really?  And second grade?  Sheesh.  They look so grown up.

I thought about them all day.

I left work early so that I could be sure to be at the bus stop on time.

The bus was 25 minutes late, but I stood there in the blazing sun, camera ready.

And my baby girl was the first one off, and she ran right to me with a big smile and gave me a big hug.

And I felt happy.  So happy.  I wouldn't have missed that for the world.

Cortlan was next...

Guess who he sat next to on the bus?  Yep.  Everly.

And they seemed somehow bigger to me after 4pm.  More mature.  Taller, even.  But definitely more grown up.

I try not to say "Can time please stop?"  I try not to want old moments back.  I know every stage can be a good stage.  But I just want this one to stay for a while.

In the books...

Well, week one of summer is already in the books, and I already feel so refreshed.  It was a productive week, and a fun week, with a lot of silliness thrown in.

We started the summer learning ticket system again, which the kids were really excited about this year.  In fact, whereas last year, Cortlan hardly banked any tickets (he would earn just enough to use for the TV shows he wanted to watch), this year, he has caught on to the idea that he can earn more to do more things.  And now that he is a reader, he has a whole new way to earn tickets.  In the first week, they were able to earn enough to get a movie and ice cream.  We will see how things continue.

Speaking of reading, Everly is picking up on reading at a surprising pace.  Her interest in doing what her brother can do is so high, it is amazing.  Yesterday, she read to me Buzz! Said the Bee, Cookie's Week, and two beginning reader books based on the nursery rhymes Hickory, Dickory, Doc and The Cow Jumped Over the Moon, all with very little help from me.  It is exciting to see her excitement in learning both reading and math.

Between the four of us, we had several appointments, including an allergist appointment for Cortlan.  Lucky him, he began allergy shots this week.  His allergies have been so bad, we are hopeful that these shots will help in the long run and he won't need to be on three medications per day (that are already losing some effectiveness).

We went to the zoo with friends, which was awesome.  Seeing the elephants get a bath was a highlight, and watching the polar bears play under water was awesome.

We also went ice skating for the first time, thanks to a friend who is taking lessons and invited Cortlan as his buddy for "bring a buddy day."  We stayed after the lesson for a bit so Everly could get a chance to try it out, too.  The experience was comical to say the least, but the kids would love to go back again some day.

As I always try to do during the first week, I did get my windows and screens cleaned, thanks in part to my kids, who did pretty well with the whole teamwork thing.

We are excited to see what the rest of summer has in store.  I am certain we will get a few more items checked off of Cortlan's bucket list.

You know what's awesome?

Falling asleep to a good book...

...and being able to read it on your own.

My, how much has changed this year.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was fantastic.

I got to sleep in.  And then when I was laying there about to get up, Everly popped into my room, as excited as could be, saying, "Don't get out of bed!  Don't get out of bed!  We want to bring you breakfast!"

So they did.

And then they left me to eat my pancakes by myself in my bed.  Which was a little weird, I have to admit... Never having had breakfast in bed before, and having no TV in my room, and eating pancakes by myself, that is.  But it was super sweet, and the pancakes were great.

Once I was done, I headed to the kitchen where a beautiful planter with flowers for outside was sitting.  And cards, one of which was from Cortlan and contained clues for a scavenger hunt:

I loved searching for the clues and the treasure of artwork that I found at the end:

I had been wondering what they were going to do with the tracings of my hands that they asked for...

I think that Everly was motivated to make this after seeing what Cortlan had brought home for me.  She did it with absolutely no assistance.

I opened another gift - some candles and a couple of things for the kitchen, and then headed out with a friend for a run.  It was a beautiful morning.

And a beautiful day for a picnic and a hike at my favorite place:

And then an impromptu get together with our moms at our house:

It was a perfect day with a perfect combination of my favorite things.

My poet (?)

Cortlan has really been coming into his own this year at school and I have been impressed with all he has learned this year.  But, the same is true for Everly.

We get daily reports e-mailed to us about Everly's day, and this was part of yesterday's:

I have to admit, I was a little impressed by the poem she wrote:

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Love you lots!! :)

What I am loving right now...

• That the sun is finally shining and the weather is warming up, which means windows rolled down, fresh air, and not needing five layers to run outside.  (It has seriously been the longest winter...it was snowing on my run two days ago.)
• That my little girl is coming home with words like onomatopoeia and equinox and entomologist and that she knows what they mean and is excited to tell us.
• That my little boy picked up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday and read out loud for a solid hour on Sunday just because he wanted to.  He needed help with words here and there, but I was happy to oblige as I worked in the kitchen, listening.
• That Everly is ready to ride her bike the minute we get home.
• That Cortlan was so proud of himself after completing his first gymnastics meet - he did a fantastic job!
• That even after 12+ years of teaching, I am still finding ways to improve every day. 
• The "I love you's" I hear from my kids.
• April Fool's jokes.
• And this: 
  
• And this:
  

Happy 5th, Ev!

There is something about turning a whole hand full of fingers that makes things seem so different.  My baby girl is now five years old.  And she's not much of a baby anymore.

Less than a week ago, I took off of work so that I could take Everly for Kindergarten registration.  We walked into the school, checked in, and headed to the room where she would be evaluated.  She was quiet, but answered questions and said "thank you" when complimented on her shoes.  She walked surely to the first station with the woman escorting her, and I heard her answer confidently when asked her name, some rhyming words, letter sounds.  She moved easily to the next station with a sly grin on her face as she passed me, and then proceeded to catch bean bags, hop on one foot, and cut with scissors.  She moved from station to station, ready to show what she knows.  Ready to start.  Ready to do what it takes to get to go to school with her big brother.

We headed home and prepared for the next part of our day - the part for which Everly has waited years and that we promised would happen for her 5th birthday.  Grandma H. arrived at our house and we headed over to Grandma V.'s house to pick her up and travel to the mall, where Everly got her ears pierced.  She was tough.  She didn't flinch when the first ear was pierced.  She didn't move until about 10 seconds after the second ear was pierced, when she curled into me with a few silent tears.  She pulled herself together quickly, though, and was ready for a picture.

Fast forward a few days, and it is time for her to officially wake as a five year old.  It is hard to believe.

These five years have gone fast, but I have loved the adventure, the waiting to see what comes next.  And you just never know with Everly.  There is no doubt that she is a strong-willed, independent-minded girl who loves to get dirty as much as pretty, though.  We butt heads occasionally, but she is my kind of girl.  She is funny and smart and she seems to be learning to use her powers for good, as we have encouraged her to do - gaining attention in more positive ways than negatives lately, as she has learned that she can make us laugh as easily as she can make us scream.

My baby girl woke with a smile on her face on March 9th, ready to face the world as a 5 year old.  And me, ready to face the world with her.

Happy birthday, Everly-Beverly-Boo.  I love you.

I love the love

100th Day of School

I was kind of thinking that finding 100 of something would be an easier feat than dressing Cortlan up as a 100 year-old for the 100th day of school, but we managed to make it happen to some extent.  I was told that the cane could be cut down to his size, and that probably would have been a nice touch for the costume.  But thanks to some leftover white hairspray from Halloween, a genuine pair of 100 year old glasses and an old tie borrowed from a very special person, our little old man had a great 100th day of 1st grade.  There was no way that we could top the little girl in his class who came with a walker, though.

Winter Bliss

There is a ton of snow on the ground.  And it is still coming down.  And the roads are awful and the temperatures are frigid.  And I read an article this morning in the newspaper commenting on the fact that people are obsessing over the weather...a fact that has not gone unnoticed as I peruse my newsfeed on Facebook.

Sure, I would love to be on a beach soaking in the sun right now.

But you won't catch me complaining about what is happening outside of my door.  Because I love it.

I don't necessarily love the cold and snow.  But I know the cold and snow won't be here forever.  Soon enough, we will be in flip flops and shorts, seeing the flowers bloom, chasing kids riding down the street on their bikes, jumping into the pool.

The cold and snow won't be here forever, so I am going to enjoy the adventure that winter brings us...the not knowing what tomorrow will bring, peeking out of the window in the moonlight, the quiet blanket of snow with the tiny footprints from the rabbits that skimmed the surface covering the ground.  And the shoveling...I am feeling that from yesterday.  And the sled riding.  And the flannel sheets on the beds.  And the cuddling on the couch for movie time.  And the two-hour delays and snow days, even though they may put me behind a little at work.

This was Cortlan's week to bring home Milo from school.

Yes, there is such a thing as stir-crazy and too much togetherness.  But there is also the blessing of slowing down and relaxing because everything was canceled and I don't have five places to be and I have enough food in the house to feed us for a few days without needing to go to the store for a thing.  There is no go, go, go.

Yesterday, I didn't spend a cent.  We all bundled up and played in the snow.  We had hot chocolate.  I read several chapters of a good book.  I got some laundry and cleaning done.  My niece came over for a sleepover.  They built marble runs and tents of blankets and colored pictures and watched movies.

Today, I actually got a chance to sit and write a bit.  The kids got walkie talkies involved in the tent building and adventure making.  We had pancakes with strawberries and homemade whipped cream.  And some more hot chocolate.

Sometimes, it is nice to be forced to have nothing to do and no where to be.  We will be on the go again soon enough.  In the meantime, I am loving this.