Nellie, age 12

I'll be honest. I don't know how to raise a 12-year-old! But WOW is this a fun and exciting age. Middle school! Band, choir, musicals, softball, babysitting class, youth group--and probably lots of things I'm not thinking of. Nellie remains her clever, reading, singing, and activities-directing self. But she's increasingly independent and thoughtful. We love her infinity, as Eddie would say!

Nellie at the ledges with a turtle in the background!

Good friends from LCS

What was your favorite memory from the last year?
I guess going to Michigan Adventure. That's the thing I remember most--it might not be my favorite.

What is one way God's been working in your life this year?
Helping me through trying something new this year--going to a new school, making new friends.

How do you feel about being twelve?  

Happy, I guess. Nervous about middle school.

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Being in band and choir--I've heard both teachers are really nice. 

Who are your best friends?

Avery, Leah, and Emma.

What are your strengths?

Swimming, reading and writing, math I guess. Making iMovies.

What careers are you considering?

Being a writer or an English teacher so I can write. Or a marine biologist.

Why are you interested in those fields?
Because I love marine animals and I want to swim all day! Maybe that doesn't actually happen if you're a marine biologist, but you get to be around the water. I love writing stories because you get to make things up. 

What’s your favorite song or type of music?   
Hamilton music. That's really all we ever listen to, so...

What's your favorite food?
Carrots and celery with Aunt Pam's dill dip. Herbed chicken and tomatoes. Blueberries, obviously (as she eats the whole carton.)

Current favorite movie?   
That's hard, I have a few new favorites. Captain Marvel, or Aladdin--that was a good one.

Current book you're reading?

The Lunar Chronicles--right now, Scarlet.   

Favorite color?   
Blue. [Mary: No, your favorite color is PINK!]

Favorite place to be?

At home or Aunt Pam's house.

What are your favorite things to do? 

Read, swim, find a spot where it's cool...sleep in the basement. It's so hot.  

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

I just got a turtle for my birthday! His name is Petoskey (Peto) because he looks like a Petoskey stone. If you have a pool, please invite me over. I'm dying over here. [It's 86 degrees and humid and our air conditioner is broken. Please, invite me too.] 

Fourth of July, 2019

It was another fun long weekend with this crew!

We swam for hours and hours, ran a 5K, went to the parade, did sparklers and poppers, watched the fireworks from the boat, relaxed through a few rainstorms, celebrated Allison's birthday, read lots of books, saw family from out of town, camped out all over Pam's house, and made happy memories! I'm feeling very fortunate to have another year in such a beautiful place with some of my favorite people and all the kiddos. Although, as many people pointed out, the average height of our little group is growing every year.

Annie, age 10 (two hands!)

I can hardly believe Annie is 10! She is, as always, a ray of sunshine in our lives. She loves baking, fashion, caring for others, and narwhals. For her first-ever "friend party," Annie and five friends took a baking class at Flour Child Bakery and she was totally in her element! 

Annie has grown so much this year as she went to a new school. She was a loyal friend, participated in the LINK program to partner with children with autism in her class, learned double dutch, played basketball for the first time, and became a fierce tetherball competitor. But let's see what she has to say!

What was your favorite memory from the last year?
I don't know...I've had too many good memories! I think about how when we changed schools, we made new friends. Bringing together my old friends from LCS and my new friends from Beagle.

What is one way God's been working in your life this year?
Even though we changed schools, God helped me make new friends, get used to it, and have fun during the year.

How do you feel about being ten?  
I feel older and more mature, and excited because it's double-digits!

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Well, for school I'm excited to be in 5th grade, because it's almost the end of elementary school. I'm excited to spend time with my family and stuff.
What new things or skills are you learning?
I'm learning more about how to play my ukulele...lots of different skills! Learning how to play Mario Kart, because I'm terrible at that. I'm working on diving and swimming without plugging my nose. I'm excited to bring my baking to the next level, making bigger things.
Who are your best friends?
I'm pretty much friends with everyone, like especially my family. For my school friends, Lael, Kylie, and Bree, and from Beagle Chloe and Ronin and McKenna.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Baking, ukulele, swimming. I'm good at doing the bar for gymnastics. I'm good at math. [What are some things other people would say you're good at?] Solving problems.

What careers are you considering?
Teach, or be a doctor. Or teach at medical school! Or own a bakery or work at a bakery.

Why are you interested in those things?
Well I've kind of always wanted to be a doctor or a teacher because I want to help people learn, grow, or feel better. I want to work in a bakery because I really love baking and it would be fun to take that farther and maybe work with Avery and Nellie or something.

What’s your favorite song?   
I don't have a favorite. I hate choosing favorites! [What do you choose to listen to right now?] Kidz Bop, the radio.

What's your favorite food?

Pretty much anything sweet. Pasta with alfredo sauce, cheese. Anything with cheese.
Favorite movie? Or just a movie you like. 
Some I can never get tired of are Disney movies, like the live-action Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. Back to the Future and old movies.

Favorite book?   

I love the Harry Potter series and one of my favorites is the Penderwicks. I love graphic novels like The Babysitters' Club.

Favorite color?   
Purple.

Favorite place to be?

The beach, or somewhere calming. Reading in Aunt Pam's yard by the lake.

What are your favorite things to do?
Pretty much the same things every time. Baking, reading, playing ukulele or other instruments, having fun with family, swimming, making plays and iMovies.

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

I'm not nine any more. 😜

Summer kickoff 2019

As with the past couple of years, the school year ended with a sprint toward the finish in what had felt like a marathon since about February. The last few weeks of school saw all the normal craziness of May plus chaperoning the 8th-grade trip to Chicago, grading exams, and planning the final day of professional development.

Anyway, it's taken two full weeks for me to settle in and get used to the slower pace of summer break. We're into our new "routine," if you can call it that. Kevin and I get up early to run, then maybe get in a cup of coffee and devotions before kids start waking up. At that point, I pretty much enter a cycle of getting drinks/meals/snacks - cleaning the kitchen - breaking up squabbles - shooing everyone outside - thinking up activities everyone will enjoy - managing screen time - repeat - repeat - repeat.

And like muscle memory, we're doing all our favorite summer things again--playing at playgrounds, taking walks and riding bikes, visiting the library, planning birthday parties. As one of our favorite books says, "We like the things the summer brings!"

They made this for me. Mary watched this and said, "That's me and my sister!"

Summer library program kick-off+

This video pretty much captures my summer life. Hello, summer!

Eddie, age 5

How do you feel about being five?  

Mmm--sort of like when I was 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4, but now I have a Luigi. 

What kinds of new things do five-year-olds do?   
GO TO KINDERGARTEN!

What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
Playing games and now I'll be able to say I'm five. Like playing house.

Who are your best friends?

Maxwell and Ellie [the friends he had over for his birthday party.] 

Who are your favorite people to play with?
Mary Cate, Maxwell. Ellie again. DJ and Otto. Colin and Avery.

What kinds of things are you good at?

Video games! Riding my new scooter. 

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Run on the treadmill. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up yet.

Why do you want to run on the treadmill?
Because it's fun!

What’s your favorite song?   
"Jump to the left and jump to the right." [A preschool song. He made me guess, though.] 

What's your favorite food?
Cheese, of course.

Favorite movie?
The Lego Ninjago movie

Favorite book?   

Knufflebunny Too

Favorite color?   
Green.

Favorite place to be?

District 5!

What are your favorite things to do?   
Play games. Playing house.

What is your favorite birthday present that you received?
Art supplies.

Spring brings change

Between the end of the school year and the ability to finally get outside and go, I'm acutely aware of all the growth and change happening with the kids.

They're trying and learning all kind of new things, they're more independent, more on the go. I think I'm still getting used to not having a baby/toddler in the house, but with the exception of a few fleeting moments, I don't miss it too much. I am loving the fun and interesting phase of having kids at all different ages saying and doing fun and interesting things.

Mary's chattier than ever, still highly spirited but the better she can communicate, the happier she seems to be.

Mary rode her scooter all the way to the park by herself!

Eddie graduated from preschool and can't wait for kindergarten. And he's finally five!

DJ got a new, bigger bike and is enjoying his neighborhood-wide independence. He survived and ended up thriving in 1st grade at his new school.

I guess it's not a change, but Annie has continued to be a fantastic help with Mary Cate and in general. She made a good friend this year and finished her year with sharing her Laura Ingalls Wilder project with hundreds of parents and students.

I showed this to Mary Cate and she said, "That's my big sister, Eenie." So sweet! They made me this for Mother's Day.

And Nellie! She graduated from elementary school--again. She performed with the ukelele club, ran cross country this spring, is mowing the lawn and babysitting for us with regularity, and played flute for a second year and performed a spring concert at the high school auditorium. Nellie is more than ready for a long summer break.

Life goals

Once in college, I was in a small group and we were asked to share our 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year goals. I remember my long-term goal was to be such a good mom that my kids' friends would want to hang out at our house.

Can we just pause for a moment and think about what a weird goal that is for a 21-year-old collegian?

Anyway, 16 years later, GOAL ACHIEVED. It turns out that all you need to do is order pizza then let your kids eat it in the front yard, and the extra kids will come to you.