My Special Valentine's Gift...

Brian is forever a people-pleaser by nature. He does it 365 days a year. At any given moment he could bring home my favorite chocolate, a simple flower or make me a special dinner in which he had ample help from Google in finding the perfect recipe. That is on a "normal" day. Special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries or Valentine's Day, he really does try to do something extra special. But this Valentine's Day was a little different. He actually made my gift! It reminds me of the Friends episode where Chandler and Monica had agreed to "Make the presents! Make the presents!!" I knew he was working on something because he had mentioned doing so at my dad's house. I have to say I was a little anxious as what he could possibly make for me. If you know him well, you know he stresses over the smallest details. Not really because he is a perfectionist, but because he really does care about "sending the very best!" He spent a whole day on my gift trying to get it perfect simply because it was for me. That, in and of itself, was enough to make me feel so very special. But when I actually saw the gift I was touched beyond words.




Want to know what he made me???






Sitting on the edge of your seat maybe???





Well -

here it is--


Now first, let's clear up any confusion. The actually shape of the heart is the third word of the phrase: TARHEEL AT (implied) HEART. It took me a minute so I wanted to make sure you got the message. The foot is actually HIS foot traced on the wood and cut out. He struggled to get the colors, shape and sentiment exactly right.
You would think that this is the ultimate gift for me because it has to do with the TAR HEELS. But you would be wrong in that assumption. The gift was himself. He has gotten into watching the games with me, striving to understand the rules and even knows a few of the players names. Not because that is a requirement for living with me (contrary to popular belief), but because he wants to love the things I love. He wants to be a part of the things that I am a part of. To the point that he even offered his own foot as a template, as if to say: "Here is a small part of me so that you can always remember that I forever want to be a part of every aspect of your life, no matter how trivial, because you are important to me." Okay, so that exact sentiment may not ever come out of his mouth, but his actions have always spoken louder and more eloquent than his words ever could.!!

Thank you for that, Brian! A Hallmark card or Shakespearean sonnet couldn't have said it better!! I am truly blessed to have such a loving, devoted husband that treats me as if it were Valentine's Day EVERYDAY!

A Couple of Basketcases!!

Most of my day-to-day is pretty routine....as are my kids. They get up, snuggle with me for a few minutes, eat a predictable breakfast, Kaliese goes off to school, Braedyn sets up his toys, laundry, dishes, play, lunch, DVR catch-up while Braedyn naps, Kaliese gets home and does homework, they play, eat dinner, take bath, read a story and lights out. However, there are a few moments every now and then that really catch me off guard. Just odd-ball things that make me actually do a double take as a little "?!" appears above my head.

Here's one of those times:

Now the really amazing thing about the photo, first of all, is that it shows a single moment in my life that my laundry was actually done!!! But more than that it was simply an unexpected site. I'm not even sure what they were watching, but as I walked by I just had to laugh. They weren't playing or being silly, but just simply sitting there in those baskets, snuggled up as if it were the most normal place in the world to sit. And didn't they just luck out that there was one for each of them?!

Of course, they also have so many moments of just being caught in the act doing something cute or sweet and I love those moments just as much. Of all the things I envisioned that I would find precious about my children, I never knew how much their love for each other would affect me. Don't get me wrong...they have their moments of "Battle of the Wills", but for the most part they get along very well.

I so enjoy being caught off guard by my children. Whether its listening to them come to some odd conclusion about life's little mysteries, or seeing their imagination transform the most mundane object into exactly what they need it to be in their 'land of pretend'. I frequently find myself thinking "I have never thought of it that way" as they continue to inspire me with their wit, their ability to completely pretend and their keen powers of observation. Daily I am amazed by their creativity, compassion, cunning, character and curiousity. Not only do I hope they never lose those qualities, but I pray I never cease to learn from them!

Let me 'splain! No, there is too much. Let me sum up!

Okay, so its been over 3 months since my last post. In my defense, I've been a little occupied and also less than motivated. But!! It's a new year and so (a few weeks late) a new resolve to keep updating this masterpiece of a blog! LOL!

Kaliese is still doing well at school. She brings home constant homework with an occasional project mixed in for kicks. She has completed a timeline of her long life, which was actually very educational for her. She is currently working on creating a prototype of a product, which includes drawing it, writing about it, creating it, and advertising it. And yes, she is still in first grade. She is also working on telling time and counting money which she has grasped fairly easily. She got a watch for Christmas (not digital) and does very well telling time. Her report cards communicate that she is excelling in all except for sitting still, but I'll take it.

At home, she enjoys playing with her brother, but also likes some alone time. She reads and draws a good bit, as well as continues to expand her skills on the computer. She received little Barbies and Littlest Pet Shop creatures (both with several accessories including a house and shopping center I found cheap on craigslist!) She loves to play with those by herself or with Braedyn and Kadyn. She continues to grow in beauty and spirit and I continue to be a proud parent and am so grateful for her.

Braedyn is not necessarily growing by leaps and bounds, but has moved from 6% to 10% in his growth chart. There's a lot to be said for PB&J!! He continues to be my faithful companion in cheering for the Tar Heels and once in a while allows us entrance into his make-believe world (where he seems to spend most of his time). Brian and I have been working with him on letters and numbers and such. He is grasping it slowly but surely. While we remain impressed with his ability to name most any superhero, transformer, etc. and his uncanny memory for the weird and obscure, we know that he needs to move into the realm of traditional academia. If only Indiana Jones could take him on a quest for knowledge through the alphabet jungle, we would be set!

He received Indiana Jones and Star Wars action figures for Christmas, to add to his growing variety of heroes of all kinds. He plays with them constantly and never tires of cracking his whip!! You would think after 8 months, he would tire of the IJ theme song....but no, not even close! He, like his sister, is just a joy to know. He cracks me up daily and is such a little entertainer!

Brian and I are doing well, in spite of the unemployment anvil that's been weighing on us for 6 months now. We have really been challenged spiritually, but God continues to be faithful on a daily basis. We have received prayers, encouragement, support and gifts from friends, family and even anonymously without which we never could have survived. It is amazing how God uses people to touch our lives in so many ways. We hope we are as effective in the lives of others. Brian is scheduled to begin training in a truck driving job on Feb. 4. We are not sure where that will lead, but trust that God has a plan.

So....this has been a lengthy summation of the past few months. The next one, which will be soon, will be a little more specific and hopefully a better read!!

My silver (or blue) lining

This week has been particularly trying in so many ways. But on Thursday, I picked Kaliese up from school and we drove down to the tag office. I had been informed that my "specially made for me" license plate had arrived. With screwdriver in hand, we proudly walked out with our lovely addition to the van.
A man walked by and casually asked, "You're not a tarheel fan are you?" To which Kaliese, not seeing the question as rhetorical, promptly answered, "Yes she is, my mom loves the tarheels!"
Today I rented two movies at the little dollar vending machine at Kroger. One was for the kids and the other was Made of Honor. Braedyn was excited about his movie, but asked what the other one was. I just told him it was a movie for mommy. He said, "Its a tarheel movie?" LOL! You may think I overdo it a little with UNC, but so many children are far worse. They are taught to hate the Bulldogs or the Yellowjackets. I don't encourage enmity against other teams, just positive vibes for our team!!

Another notch on the growth chart...

It's been awhile since I've updated, but that doesn't mean the children haven't secured a few more accomplishments on their growth chart.

Kaliese looks and talks more grown up everyday! We've started a new hairstyle of growing her bangs out, which at her rate of hair growth, could take a while. Meanwhile, it just means we have to pull her hair back every day. But she's still just as beautiful and as a bonus I get to see her eyes!

She has also started riding the bus home from school. I still take her in the mornings, but to save on gas and allow her brother a nap at a reasonable time, it has become convenient for her to ride the bus home. She enjoys it mostly. Its a big kid thing! However, she does come home with just a wealth of knowledge, both useful and not so useful. She is doing really well at school!

Braedyn has also grown by leaps and bounds (almost literally!). He still enjoys having his sister read to him from time to time, but now shares that joy with his best friend. A darling sight if ever I saw one.....

He is gaining ground on learning ABCs and 123s. It always helps if Spider-man is your tutor!!

But still he mostly enjoys dressing up as superheroes/villians (sometimes both at the same time - hey, you do what you have to do when playing by yourself!), playing with his transformers and spending time in his new "big boy room" layout.

Oh yeah... and he is also now potty-trained (except for at night). It was one of those things where he wasn't going to bother with it until he was ready, but once he was ready it seemed like an overnight success story! So he is officially a Big Boy!

(No, I don't have pics of that!)

They both now have a chore chart. They check off the items as they do them and earn money at the end of the week. We are taking the Dave Ramsey approach and they each have a giving jar, spending jar and saving jar. So far, they really seem to enjoy it!

Although I am so proud of all they accomplish on a daily basis, time is flying by just a little too fast!

A Story About a 6 Year Old....

Once upon a time (August 17, 2002 to be exact) a beautiful blue eyed princess was born. From her earliest years, books were a favorite hiding place for her. She would meet the strangest of characters and quickly become the fastest of friends with a Cat in a Hat who spoke in rhyme and a curious little monkey with an uncanny perspective of the human world. She met a mulitude of bears, pigs, girls in capes, princesses in castles, brave knights and even ferocious monsters and dragons. Some would lull her to sleep while others would spur her imagination into action!
After 6 years, we decided to throw a huge party for her and all her friends (both real and thought to be real). So, we gathered all the best books and characters from across the land and appropriately displayed them around the room.




All who were gathered were invited to create a storybook of their own using their imaginations and a few necessary tools provided(you know: crayons, stickers, markers, stencils, etc.).







A game filled with cunning, strategy and skill was played by all with the grandest of prizes awarded to the champion! (Ok, so it was a literary bingo game and the winner got to call out the next game - but still filled with adventure.)




Afterwards, a great war broke out! Brave knights wielded their weapons against mighty foes! There were many casualties and only the most courageous were left standing. (Who knew balloons could be so much fun!!)





Her friends brought extravagant gifts of every shape and size - gifts befitting such a princess. Each came with a greeting wishing her well on this momentous occassion. She read each with care and treasured the sentiments of her loved ones. (It was the first year I didn't have to help her read her cards!!)



There was cake and goodies for everyone as the festivities continued. And each special guest received a bag of treats as they headed out the door on their long journey home!



And the princess lived happily ever after...




View complete birthday photo album
here

No Kangaroo attacks....Whew!

Well for all of those who immediately thought of the mishaps of Billy Joe McGuffrey on Kaliese's first day of first grade, I can happily report that all went well! No pencil box obstacles and certainly no kangaroos pulling out hair (however, she was closer than you might think to such an atrocity as her school mascot is a wallaby!!)

I must say she really, really loves school. She got the perfect teacher. She's young, fun and full of sass which fits Kaliese to a tee. But she's not a softy, she's got a firm handle on the class. We spent some time in prayer about her teacher for this year and God certainly came through.

Watching her thrive in school just means more to me than you could ever know. Every parent wishes to impart some of themselves into their children. Just a little piece of me that creates a special bond with each of my children individually. And I can see where this has taken place to some extent. Kaliese loves to read, loves classical music, and even musicals! She enjoys watching Jeopardy with me and as I answer the clue, she repeats my answer just before the contestant rings in. She gets such joy from being right!! Of course she has my eyes and resembles me in appearance, so you can definitely tell she's my child in more ways than one.

However, there are pieces of me that I would never want her to experience. My memories of school were filled more with fear and shyness. I was forever self-conscious and worried about everyone's opinion of me - certain it was never good. It was mostly just a severe case of being shy, but it felt like a prison. Once I got to know a few friends I could be very social and have a great time, but there was always that lingering sense of discomfort.

I was afraid of everything: the dark, shots, snakes, public speaking, the public in general, new places, new faces, etc.

I overcame a lot of this when Kaliese was born, as I did not want her to experience any of the fears or uncertainties I had. If she ever felt that way, I had to make sure it wasn't an inherited trait from me.

Well, today I talked to her teacher briefly and her principal. I just wanted to let them know how much Kaliese enjoys school and how much that meant to me. The words used to describe her? Miss Personality, Social Butterfly, Charismatic! They used these terms in the most positive sense. I was assured she was not one of those "in-your-face" children and she was not a distraction in the classroom. The teacher said Kaliese sat down on the carpet with a book and her peers gathered around her, so she "took over" and read them the book. The teacher was impressed because it was a lengthy book, but she also noted Kaliese's personality in the situation.

What that says to me? Love of learning, love of school, and self-confidence to conquer all (without being overbearing). That was priceless information to my heart.

The principal asked where she got that personality, because I had made it clear that Kaliese was the opposite of me at that age. However, I do have a tendency to act like that around one person: Katie. For those who know us, Katie and I share a unique relationship that tends to take 10-15 years off our age. She makes me laugh. I mean, at our age, we still cannot be trusted to sit together in church without causing a distraction. Katie is full of fun and sass and uses that in her job, which is why the girls she keeps LOVE her! Well, Kaliese got a nice healthy overdose of our combined personalities the entire first year of her life. Apparently that was enough to stick! So thanks my sista!

I count my blessings daily and this one (Kaliese and her blooming personality and self-confidence) is more than just a blessing - it is a most treasured gift!