To My Darling Firstborn...

One of the three cutest children ever born.

 

Junior,

 

You are 9 years old today. As thrilled as I am with the loving, funny, caring boy you are, I am trying hard not to think about how quickly the last nine years have gone by and the fact that in another 9, you will be flying the nest for a mission or college or whatever life adventure beckons you first. Mostly what I feel is profoundly grateful to have been your mommy, your mama and now your mom.

 

A year or so, you requested that I stop giving you hugs in public and you grudgingly allowed them any other time. I knew that day was coming and it make me sad, but I obliged. Lately, you have been creeping back. You sit next to me on the couch and casually inch closer until you are laying against my shoulder (I know better than to treat it as anything but normal.) You take your turn resting your head on my lap with the other kids during movie night and follow me from room to room during my chores, just wanting to "hang out." I love it. And I know it won't last long. That's the hard part about being a mom; letting your kids pick their boundaries and sitting on your hands sometimes with the faith that they are still bound to you even when they start pulling away.  You have accepted that you are always going to be my baby no matter how old you are and I have accepted that even if you are my baby, I have to let you grow and develop.

 

You are an old soul and have been delighting us all from the minute you were born. It says a lot about you that we were so sad about each phase you left behind, because we couldn't imagine what could be more delightful than where you were. You have always been silly and love to make everyone around you laugh, but you are also the child that is sensitive. You notice when I am struggling into the house with an armful of groceries and offer to help. You help distract your siblings when you can see I need a moment to accomplish something else. You speak rationally to me when you are angry instead of reacting with the tantrums that a child of your age might. I am simultaneously proud to see you step up to be man of the house and guilty that despite my efforts, you seem to feel like you need to be more than just a kid. My prayers for you are that doing so will bless you in your journey to being a good man rather than burden you with feeling too much too soon. I wish you the very best of things, even (maybe especially) when they are not easily acquired.

 

I have treasured all nine years of you...
 

At One, you were such a beautiful baby that people would stop us wherever we went just to admire your beautiful eyes, covet your eyelashes and enjoy your cheerful temperament. You would wave and blow kisses at everyone as we grocery shopped.

 

At Two, you knew your own mind, but were still cute enough to get away with almost anything. Not a day went by without one of us, at some point, saying "MAN, I love this kid!!"

At Three, I felt like you were so grown up, I could hardly stand it. You were a great big brother 3/4 of the time and a worthy foe for Bubba the other 1/4.

Four Years Old. Raffi the giraffe came into our lives and so did your love of art. Hours and hours and reams and reams of paper were dedicated to your muse. I think I still have them all :-)

Turning Five on a cruise to Mexico with the family. A big year of changes and you gained a sister. You were a big comfort to both your parents this year.

Six years old (with BFF and cousin 'EJ'). You really started writing this year. Pages and pages of your stories and comics and love/hate notes kept me constantly entertained.

Seven. The year of Raving Rabbids and plungers and Raving Rabbids and being silly and Raving Rabbids....

At Eight, you were a clown. Always trying to make us laugh and always the leader of the games with your younger brother and sister. Always drawing, always writing, always coming up with YouTube videos that I have to try really hard to convincingly laugh at :-) Legos are your muse this year. You can't bring yourself to ever take apart anything that you build.

Nine. I can't wait to meet you...

 

Happy 9th Birthday
Monkey Man!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

by: Junior, Age 8, Budding Cartoonist and Scary Movie Aficionado

My Favorite Things: Gymboree

This post is sponsored by Gymboree Children’s Clothing. Bring a friend to a Gymboree store and sign up for Gymboree Rewards together and you'll both SAVE 25% off an in-store purchase.

 

Junior was almost 2 before I was formally introduced to the highly addicting children's clothing line, Gymboree. I still regret all that time I wasted dressing him in anything else. Once I discovered it, Gymboree clothing very quickly became a staple in my children's closets. I was initially hooked by the fact that every time Gymboree puts out a line, it is all themed and mix and match style. A few months before Bubba came along, I was charmed into buying way too much of a yellow, green and brown monkey line (see below). It was my favorite to dress him in. I still have most of it because I can't quite bring myself to give it away. I figure if I keep them long enough they will be vintage. ;-)
 

I was kind of a sucker for anything with ears on it

By the time Bubba grew into the two year old clothes I had gotten for Junior, I realized that out of the many hand-me-downs he had, the Gymboree items were the ones that stood up best to frequent washings and rough and tumble of another little boy. Once Bubba grew out of the clothes, they went through at least one or two little nephews before they finally wore out. Sis also did her best to test the durability of her own Gymboree clothing. 

 

Sis wearing her goldfish romper and some melted M'n'M's

 

As I looked over my old pictures to find documentation of some of my favorite outfits, I realized how often I turned to Gymboree to dress my kids for special occasions. For instance, Sis came home from the hospital in a Gymboree outfit (and blanket). The boys had been referring to her for months as 'baby sister.' When I came across this onesie, it was perfect.  

 

 

My boys waited for Santa in their new Gymboree jammies...

 

More than once...

 

 

 When my best friend found out she would be having boy/girl twins, we hit Gymboree (frequently) for the outfits from the matching lines. I can't honestly say that I ever craved twins, but I was tempted when I saw all the adorable matchy stuff she found for them. Gymboree was one of the only places she was able to outfits that matched without being identical. They have many themed lines that have both boy and girl versions. This works particularly well when you need coordinating clothes for family pictures.

Aren't they cute?

Over the last five or six years, our kids got pretty used to being dragged into Gymboree when we would take them to the playground at the mall. We will both go through some serious withdrawals when our girls are too old to be dressed by Gymboree.

 

Speaking of shopping with friends, take one of yours into your local Gymboree. Bond, buy cute and durable clothes for your kids and spend some time helping each other justify that skirt/sweater/hat/matching shoes. While you are at it, sign up for their rewards program to save yourself 25% on your purchase. Your kids need clothes, right? It's like you are practically saving money (see how easy it is? Call me if you get stuck. I can help you justify any purchase.)    

 

Gymboree Rewards Program Highlights: you will get a $5 credit for every 250 points you earn (I have one sitting in my email inbox this very moment.) You will also get Members only discounts, direct mail offers and early access to events & promotions.

Sometimes...

 

Sometimes my oldest son hides the math homework he doesn't want to do in the bottom of the garbage can underneath the gross chicken fat from dinner and hopes I won't notice.

 

Sometimes, my second son slaps a full cup of ginger ale across the dining room and kitchen during a tantrum and then vents his frustration at getting in trouble for that by taking apart his room.

 

Sometimes my daughter cuts her own hair for the third time in less than 4 months, paints on the wall all the way up the stairs and empties a full package of mini wheats down the stairs (because, of course the vacuum is clogged and I haven't had the chance to take it apart yet today).

 

Sometimes I really miss my cuddly, uncomplicated babies... ;-)

Sister's first date

 

A month or so ago, J asked if he could reserve Sis for a date night to take her to a special Princess Dinner that was held at a local reception center (that looked like a castle). We chose her most "twirliest" dress and curled her hair and piled it up.  J showed up in a suit and tie brought her flowers to match (on her wrist).

She still talks about that night and "her castle and Prince Daddy" and her pretty yellow flowers.

Over all, it was kind of adorable.

Bubba turns 6!

 To be fair, Bubba has been 6 for over a month now and it still kills me! He will always be my baby boy. Bubba's party was pretty low key this year. I was in the middle of the "holy crap!! What have I gotten myself into???" phase of a really brutal semester, so I was overjoyed when he requested cupcakes and a party with his friends at Classic skating.

He did ask for an Avengers party, so I tracked down all the Avengers stuff I could (which, surprisingly, wasn't much). He got cake for breakfast....

...and a whole yard of bubblegum (which is almost gone). His favorites were; a pogo stick, laser tag guns from Aunt Kate, Heelies from Aunt Bek and a Captain America shield from the Bradshaws.

Pizza, friends, soda...

...sort of pathetic cupcakes, which were marbled red and blue on the inside, but not super impressive on the outside...

...and a sleepover with our BFF's: the Bradshaws.

My little man is growing up way too fast, but I am so proud of him and always so happy to be his mom!

Riding shotgun

A few months ago, we went to a rodeo with Gma and Gpa W.   Sis loves horses and the cowboys "with the hats" and since then, has put many miles on the old rocking horse. I put together a cowgwirl (Sis speak...) outfit for her one day and the boys got into the spirit of the game. It was unbelievably fun to watch. If you can't tell, Sis was the sheriff and they were the outlaws who had just taken over a wagon full of "gold and jewels." Junior is riding shotgun.

And also because I am a major history/trivia nerd, I educated the kids on what riding shot gun means (which they thought was cool at the time, but is probably not information they will retain. However, these are the boys who remembered that the dangly thing at the back of your throat is called a uvula and used it every day when they were 4 and 2. In fact, Bubba was using the word before he was speaking in full sentences.) We'll see. If they lose on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' someday, it won't be my fault. :-)