Mary, age 9

 Happy birthday, Mary! After last year's bummer of a birthday (celebrating with cousins, but then spending most of the day at Pam's preparing for her funeral 😢), we were determined to give her the best day ever! She made everyone wake up early on Labor Day so she could open presents, then she worked on Legos until a couple of her friends came over to play! It was a wild 9-year-old fun time playing and harassing Eddie, which I don't think he minded too much. We had pesto pasta for lunch, then took her friends home and Nellie back to school. The bowling alley was closed for the holiday, so we got Subway and went mini-golfing before coming back for cake and ice cream. It was a chill but very fun day!

Mary has grown up a lot this year, and it's a blessing to witness her development as a person and in her relationships. She takes on life with a ferocity that's hard to explain if you don't know her. This year, she tried out basketball and musical theater, worked hard at softball and had an undefeated rec league season :), battled and defeated Lyme disease, continued piano lessons, and tried out for her first real musical. She and Eddie will be in Frozen Jr. this fall - the show that started it all for Annie and Nellie many years ago!

It's hard to be the last child standing as all the siblings become adults, teens, and tweens, but Mary certainly holds her own and makes her presence known. We love her endlessly and wish her the happiest year.

What was your favorite memory from the last year?
Probably everything from the whole Florida trip. But there's so many other things, like softball was my favorite summer activity, and going out to "the bowl" to play and sled with Eddie and DJ was my favorite winter memory.

What is one way God's been working in your life this year?
Over the last year, God's been helping me work hard, have fun, and be successful in the things that I'm doing. Like softball and getting into Frozen Jr.

How do you feel about being nine?  
Not different. But I feel like I'll be able to have new opportunities and new things to learn and do.

Now looking ahead, what are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Frozen Jr. obviously, like the actual performance, more family times when we're all together like Christmas, birthdays and just doing fun things together as a family.

What new things or skills are you learning?
Gardening, lots of new dance moves and things for the musical, math - I've been practicing a lot at home. 

Who are your best friends?

Hannah and Emma, Julianna and Abigail. Everybody in my grade are my good friends. I'd be happy to hang out with any of them.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Softball, piano, and math.

What careers are you considering?
Astrogeologist, or any kind of astronomer.

Why are you interested in those things?
I love thinking and learning about space. I really love math and science, and those are two things you'd need to be able to do.

What’s your favorite song?   
Well right now I'm caught up in the Broadway Frozen music, but I love the Greatest Showman, especially Rewrite the Stars and The Other Side.

What's your favorite food?
Pesto pasta [crowd favorite]. If I had to make it a meal, with a side of cantaloupe and maybe some good apple juice.

Favorite movie?   
The Greatest Showman, but I really like a lot of movies. I like the Zombies movies, all four.

Favorite book?   

I like the whole Vanderbeekers series and the whole Penderwicks series, but my favorites are the third Vanderbeekers and the fourth Penderwicks.

Favorite color?   
Blue, but like the color of the sky on a good sunny day.

Favorite place to be?

Sault Ste. Marie, grandma's condo, or home.

What are your favorite things to do?
Play piano; play softball; math; right now, work on my Frozen Jr. script; play games as a family; do crafts.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you as a nine-year-old?   

Guys, this is an important announcement: My favorite planet still remains as Mercury.

Wernet Fall Round-up 2024: Mary

Mary turned eight and had a pretty chill fall hanging out at all her siblings' many events. She graciously agreed to take a break from soccer to ease the family schedule a little, and leaned into playing piano, taking a fall dance class at LCS, and generally tagging along everywhere the rest of the family went! She was everyone's biggest fan. A highlight for Mary was visiting Sault Ste. Marie and playing Mary in the school nativity.

She got a whole lot braver in the water this year - it was wonderful to be back in Gull Lake.

Mary wrote a review last year for the Log Jam, and when we went in this fall, the owner treated her to a delicious dessert!

Doing a little hiking on the LCS trails during sports practices

Helping me prep for a PD day

Finding cool stuff on the St. Mary's River

The dance troupe!

Cheering on Annie at states...

then Nellie!

Mary as Mary

Mary Cate is officially eight

 For most of her life, Kevin's sang a song to Mary that goes something like:

Mary Cate, Cate, Cate
She is so great, great, great
Even though, though, though
She was one week late, late, late!
Mary Cate, Cate, Cate
She is so great, great, great
And I can't wait, wait, wait
Until she's eight, eight, eight!

And she finally is!

We 💝 Kerry Carpenter

Presents around the campfire

Birthday decorations on vacation!

I can't think of another year in which a child changed quite so much. Mary's always been nervous to the extreme about trying new things or being without her family, and being nervous makes her MAD. Then all of a sudden, Mary got brave. She started piano lessons, soccer through LCS, basketball camp, spending the night with grandmas, and softball. She has always been (understandably, I suppose) terrified of being upside down but this year she learned how to do somersaults and tricks on the bars. I guess it was just a big year of growth! I also think that she came to the realization that if she can tough out life with two older brothers, the rest of the world is relatively kind and gentle. :) After her first night of softball practice, for example, she told me that she doesn't like playing outfield with her brothers because "she's the only one out there and they're really hard on her," but at softball "there are like three other girls playing outfield and everyone's nice! It's easy!"

 Mary loves 3rd grade, her after school dance class, playing outside, and chatting. Her birthday itself was a little rocky; it was the week Aunt Pam passed away and we spent the day out of town for Labor Day weekend then funeral preparations. But we made the most of it and it was fun to celebrate with all her Wernet cousins, aunts, and uncles. Mary is still just as much her spunky self and who knows what this year will bring?

How do you feel about being eight?  

Good! I feel like I've grown 5 inches but really it's only like 3 centimeters.

What kinds of new things do kids to when they're 8?   
I don't know...I'm not a regular kid, though. [Okay...what do YOU think you'll be able to do now that you're eight?] Actually be able to reach that branch when I climb the tree next to our house. Now I actually want privacy sometimes, I don't want to be around everyone all the time. Especially when I'm outside. I'm an outdoor person.

What are you most excited about for the next year?
Playing ukulele in music. Learning and doing more advanced stuff.

Who are your best friends?

Hannah and Emma, Abigail, Julianna, Elliot, Kenzie.

Who are your favorite people to play with?
Eddie, actually. All my friends, Charlotte, Alexa.

What kinds of things are you pretty good at?

Piano, math, writing (my hand never gets tired), rollerblading, running, sports, reading, including people, being funny, kayaking.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Astronomy scientist, teacher, be a good mom. 

Why are you interested in those things?
Well I want to be a mom because I want to take care of people. For astronomy I love to learn about space and I did a project on Neil Armstrong. I like the idea of teaching.

What’s your favorite song?   
Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman, and any songs from The Greatest Showman.

What's your favorite food?
Pesto pasta or Swedish meatballs.

Favorite movie?   
The Greatest Showman

Favorite book?   

The Chronicles of Narnia or the Penderwicks series.

Favorite color?   
Blue

Favorite place to be?

At home, Fun Tyme, or Impression 5. Papa John's house in Sault Ste. Marie or Grandma's in Petoskey. Also Florida.

What are your favorite things to do?   
Math, music, playing outside, read (especially learning, so nonfiction), hiking.

What was your favorite birthday present?

The Kerry Carpenter poster

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?   
Strangely, my favorite planet is Mercury.

Full life, full heart

I heard somewhere that we should reframe "being busy" as life being "full." Well, life has been full this year. But my heart has been full as well! January and February were full of new experiences for our kids and it's been very cool to spend time with them as they do what they love.

It's concert season for Nellie, with solo and ensemble, District Band Festival, SYWS rehearsals, lessons, and auditions. She's going to have an opportunity to play in with the Lansing Concert Band in April and we couldn't be more excited for her!

Nellie and Alyssa after their flute/clarinet duet

Just a good reminder :)

Annie got to go to her first homecoming dance, and was honored to be a freshman homecoming representative! We had several friends over for dinner before the dance because it was held in GL this year and it was fun getting to know them better outside of school.

Post dress shopping smoothies, because let me tell you, dress shopping is hard work!

Such a great night!

Lots of pasta, garlic bread, salad, and fun was had by all

DJ loves all things sports, but he's also getting into the competitive math scene. He participated in the middle school math club and had an opportunity to compete with the LCS team at MathCounts at MSU. I joined the group for lunch and the afternoon competition and loved every minute I got to spend with this group of middle schoolers!

Figuring out some systems of linear equations patterns together at lunch.

The whole crew

Meanwhile, we started a math enrichment program for 3rd-5th grades called Math Challenge on Fridays. So I also get to spend time teaching and learning with Eddie and several of his buddies each week. It's been a learning experience mostly for me. :) My first time teaching an elementary class! Eddie also had a chance to participate (last minute) in the Grand Ledge Musical Theater Workshop. It was totally new for him and we weren't sure how he'd like it. It was a long, tiring weekend for him, but he loved it and wants to go again!

Math Challenge

Big stage, bright lights!

And finally, Mary started piano lessons last summer and got to play in her first recital! She takes it very seriously and really likes playing piano. I was a little nervous for her...but she was confident and excited.

Mary Cate, age 7

Happy birthday to Mary (about a month and a half late...)! She has had an amazing year - she's learned to do so many new things and grown in so many ways. This was the summer of new skills: a) Riding a 2-wheeler, b) tying her shoes, c) rollerblading, d) swimming, e) started piano lessons, f) played on a soccer team, and g) spent the night at Grandma Linda's. At least those are all the things I remember!

Mary is also becoming increasingly helpful, generous, and thoughtful. We're always getting encouraging notes, kind words, and hugs. Of course, she can also hold her own with her big brothers and sisters. Mary does not like being told what to do...as you'll read in her interview. :) 

I'm so excited to have a front-row view of her next year. We love you so much, Mary Cate! Life would be waaaay more boring without you!

Still loves rainbows and pandas!

Sporting her new helmet and padding

Birthday hike at Woldumar

She was the only kid who wanted to go camping for Labor Day, so we set up the tent in the yard.

First time tying a shoe - Dad's shoe made for good practice at a soccer game

How do you feel about being seven?

Awesome. You get less presents that are more fun and more that are useful.

What kinds of new things do seven-year-olds do?

Well like I said, you can get presents that are more useful - like my locker accessories for writing reminders and notes. Now I'm braver about things, so I can do more things like piano and soccer.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Turning eight, because that's my favorite number to pretend to be when I'm playing games. And I'm excited to get more useful things for Christmas and my birthday. When you're older, useful stuff is more fun. I'm excited to go on vacation and swim now that I learned how to swim.

Who are your best friends?

Hannah, Emma, Lydia, and Abigail.

Who are your favorite people to play with?

I like to play with Anna and other friends at school. I like to play by myself sometimes, and I like to play with my siblings when we can be together all at the same time.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Well, first, climbing. And then piano probably, running, teamwork even when I don't want to play with someone. Definitely reading, writing my name in cursive. Art and science. And that's pretty much it!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A teacher and a doctor. An engineer or a scientist, either one of them. Maybe like a famous artist.

Why are you interested in those careers?

Well like a scientist or engineer, I like to test things and guess what's going to happen. I would like being a teacher because I already have some lessons planned that my teacher does. And now I'm better than when I was four at being kind. I'm good at crafts so even if it's not a fun thing, like in high school, I think I can do a good job teaching art.

What’s your favorite song? 

I don't know because I always hear new songs and then I like those and my favorite song changes to that. [Can you tell us a song you like right now?] I like to listen to soundtracks from any movie and then I find new songs I like. 

What's your favorite food?

Pesto pasta or macaroni and cheese.

Favorite movie?

It depends on what I just watched. It would have to be a numbered movie, like Zombies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Back to the Future.

Favorite book?   

Any of the Ramona series.

Favorite color?   

Blue, teal, or blue and purple mixed together, or a very hot pink.

Favorite place to be? 

Home or someplace really fun, like Defy or a restaurant with a play area or a jukebox.

What are your favorite things to do?   
What I really like to do is run like running a race. Play piano, play Switch, play outside by myself because no one tells me what to do and then I can practice things like soccer, challenging games, races, and no one tells me to stop. I like to play school and go places but not with my siblings so they don't tell us where to go next, I can just go where I want to go.

What is your favorite birthday present that you received this year?

Okay, well, it's a really really really really hard decision. But I liked the fly fishing coloring book, the locker accessories, and getting my ears pierced and going to the arcade.

Is there anything else you want us to know about you?

No!

Mary and Mom

As we were snuggling a bit before bed:

Mary, sighing: You're amazing.
Me: No, you're amazing.
Mary: No, you're more amazing because you birthed someone amazing.

Riding the baseball ferris wheel at the Tigers game!

The other night, Mary was asking about Kevin's middle name(s). It took some explaining of family history, and it became clear that Mary didn't know Grandma Robynne was actually Kevin's mom who passed away when he was about Mary's age. I was (and still am) a little worried about her reaction. She teared up a little, and said,

"Well, I don't want you to die, but it would be nice to have some alone time with Dad."

That was not what I was expecting, but it's good to know she'd be okay.

Hand-me-downs

Clothes in a big family are an interesting thing - essential items and a shared commodity. Nellie and Annie, then DJ and Eddie, were close enough in age that I generally just shifted the clothes the older ones outgrow directly into the drawers and closet space of the younger ones. Now that the big girls and I can wear the same size, clothes kind of shift from one room and closet and laundry basket to another without much fanfare.

With seven years between Annie and Mary, we didn't save as many clothes because we didn't really think about the possibility of another girl for a good five years there. But we recently uncovered a big bin of clothes in the crawlspace that held a lot of things in Mary's size. When Annie and Mary went through it this weekend it felt like a weird time warp. Annie would pull out a dress of Nellie's (or was it Annie's, or maybe both?) and it would bring back memories of some of our favorite moments and photos from years past that can feel like another life. Bathing suits - beaches, lakes, swimming lessons, and splashpads. Pajamas - early bedtimes and Annie wearing the same PJs until the pants barely made it past her knees. Jeans, fancy dresses, jumpers, and so many leggings.

It's been fun to see the different combinations Mary puts together and what her favorites are. It's also fun to remember how different Nellie and Annie's preferred styles were! Nellie was very particular about fabrics and fit, but our "Little Miss-match" had no qualms about mixing colors and patterns. Annie, on the other hand, liked to dress up and everything had to go together just so - she's still my daily fashion advisor. Mary doesn't seem to care much one way or the other but likes the idea of hand-me-downs. Lucky girl, we will have lots!

Rocking a Dora shirt while she eats her "magic brother breakfast" from Eddie - a bagel with Nutella and sprinkles

We found the outfit to match Bitty Baby!

'Tis the season (for concert halls, sanctuaries, and gymnasiums)

This year, we attended a whopping ten Wernet-kid concerts and performances in the span of three weeks. It's always lovely to see them on stage after all their hard work, but it's also nice to have some free evenings again. We can pretty much summarize our Christmas season in photos from auditoriums, churches, and school gyms! Here they are, in order:

1) Nellie's Chamber Ensemble recital for the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony

2) Annie in Elf Jr. with the Midway Theater Company

This was such a fun show; I saw it three times! Annie played Shawanda the elf and a Macy's saleswoman.

3) Spartan Youth Wind Symphony winter concert - It was pretty awesome to see Nellie play at the Wharton Center! We were glad we didn't bring the other kids, though - it was a 2.5 hour concert with the MSU Wind Symphony playing as well.

4) Grand Ledge Bands winter concert

The kids didn't get off so easily this time, but it was a fun concert with lots of good Christmas music. Mary's favorite was Minor Alterations, which "sounds like Christmas music, but scary!"

5) K-3 Christmas show at LCS

Eddie was a shepherd this year

After a three-year hiatus, it was great to see this LCS staple again

6) Church Christmas kids' show: Psalty's Christmas Calamity! I waited about 36 years for this show...I used to listen to it nonstop on vinyl as a kid. 

After months of rehearsals, DJ, Eddie, and Mary finally got to share their singing and dancing with us. DJ's come a long way in his church performance career, playing Joseph this year! 😅

7) 4-12 concert at LCS - I missed DJ's first-ever concert (he's playing saxophone in band) when I was out with Covid, so this was especially cool to get to see. Annie did great on a percussion-heavy piece.

8) Grand Ledge Collage Concert - It was my first time seeing this unique annual show, and it was amazing! Nellie played flute in several "acts," and it was great to see her friends sing solos and sing with the choirs.

Oh, and we had the opportunity to do the advent reading at church. Everyone took part!

And finally, a bonus  picture of our annual Cracker Barrel trip: