This boy, too

Due to some unfortunate icy weather back in February, we just barely got to the doctor today for Jack's eight year old check up. He's still a little taller than average and way skinnier than average, and healthy.

A few months back when we were coming up on his actual birthday and anticipating big life events that come with turning eight, my husband asked Jack what he was most looking forward to about turning eight. His immediate answer was, "making a car for the pinewood derby!"

Not the Big Talk that mom and dad have with our eight year olds, not getting baptized a couple of days after his baptism on the same day as his favorite cousin, not even joining the cub scout pack. It was making the car. Well, we've spent about a month on that block of wood.

Jack spent some of his own hard-earned money on a saw and a clamp so he could saw the shape he wanted. The neighbor having the estate sale congratulated me on teaching my kid about free commerce and the market system. I congratulated myself on inexpensive tools and a long project where Jack did most of the labor.

Daddy and Pa stepped in and helped him out with the sealing, painting, and finishing details while I was out of town for a sisters weekend. Last night I helped him wax the car and put the wheels on, and tonight he raced it. We did a cub scout only race and then a family race, where anyone with a car could race it on the track. Jack won 4th place in the cub scouts' race and was super happy with his car's performance. He also got an award for "Most Interesting Car." Lego driver. Lego spoiler. Lego windshield.

The adults were pretty much raced out after the first thirty minutes, but the kids would have gone on and on and on for hours longer. Girls, boys, older siblings, younger kids...it didn't matter how many times those cars went down the track. They got just as excited every single time.

Jack won one of the impromptu fun races, and the look on his face said it all. He might as well have won the whole contest with the jumping and whooping and fist pumping. So great.

I had a funny conversation with his school music teacher today. After getting his report card with the comment "Making limited progress," I called to find out what exactly that meant, and if Jack was having any behavior issues in class. She said Jack is very quiet and very well behaved, but he just doesn't participate much. She had no idea he has been taking piano lessons for over two years, that he randomly sings songs that he has only heard once, and that he is, in fact, one of the most musical members of our family. He's just flying under the radar with some hidden talents. Looks like he takes after both his mom and dad.

This boy is so great at helping out, doing chores, learning new things, and figuring stuff out. The whole time I was talking to the pediatrician today, he was up on the table playing with the examination tools, shining the light on the walls, and exploring what they can do. Mysteries of the universe, watch out. This boy is coming.

Life words

Eighth graders are really neat people.

Spring!!

The crazy cold winter followed by a super rainy February and March has made this one of the best bluebonnet seasons in a long time. We decided (this is the "royal we" here) for family home evening to scrounge up some semi-matching clothes and head for the great outdoors to take bluebonnet pictures.

I could just look at this face, and look, and look. I need to make a life-sized version and hold it up in front of me when he is telling me "It's going to take forever! It's taking forever! Why are you taking forever? You took forever!" or when he is getting his ninja on, or several hundred other moments during the day to remind me that this little boy is in there. . . somewhere.



Ditto on these smiling, happy, friendly looking kids


Ahhh, brotherly love. Look! You can barely see a scar, and you probably wouldn't have even noticed, but I just pointed it out.






She's touching my hair! She's pulling on me! She's making me hot!
We finally went for the "together but apart" look.




The kids know how to take a picture without cutting off heads.


If you zoom in here, you can actually see his awesome tongue condition. It's real, and it's called "geographic tongue."


"Family Picture"


The family that selfies together stays together!


Happy Spring!

This boy

The first time we went grocery shopping after school started and he was the only child not in school, we scored this cart. Every dream in his precious little heart was realized.

Little man discovered he actually loves tomatoes when he previously vocally and vehemently declared his everlasting hatred for the fruit. Why the change of heart? He helped pick out plants, plant them, water them, squish snails, and harvest these lovely pear tomatoes. Also, yellow is his favorite color. He is still unfortunately prejudiced against the red variety most of the time, but progress is progress.

The great thing about older siblings is that they teach the younger ones lots of neat stuff, like how to write their names all by themselves! (They teach them other not-so-great stuff also.) Since last fall, Elijah has learned to spell, write, and read the names of all of our family members. I love the kind of learning that goes on at this age.

I mentioned I got a job. It was a very hard transition for this little guy, who was looking forward to staying at home with Mommy and playing games and doing puzzles all day, every day while the kids are in school. Fortunately, the sweet lady who watches him for several hours each weekday is happy to play, do puzzles, take him to story time and play at the park, and introduce him to other like-minded friends, both adults and children. 

We still walk the kids to and from school most days. Just a month or so after last summer's surgery, this boy walked all the way to the school and back. When I say walk, I mean he ran. He has so. much. more. energy.

He has figured out pedaling! The little daredevil likes to go down the driveway, across the street, and into the neighbor's driveway. This scares me to death. Time to get a helmet and a bicycle with brakes.

Snow in Waco, Texas? What is that about? We got some quality play time in, had a day of school cancelled because we don't mess around with school buses driving on ice here, and then the sun came out and it was over. I would like to state for the record that we have spent two of the coldest winters of my life potty training. We have become friends with socks, along with our shirt and underwear.

Whaaaaaat? When did he get tall enough to pull that bubble around himself? Post-surgery growth spurt is for real.

He rode all the way around the block with just a little help up the hill.

This boy. This boy I prayed for, and have prayed so much for, and continue to pray for. He is going to do great things!