Going out with a Bang

Sophie was invited to her first roller skating birthday party just before the end of the school year. I was a bit reluctant to send her, as she has never skated before, and based on our experience attempting to ice skate a few months back, I was fairly certain this could turn out badly. That, coupled with the fact that Eric and I were going out of town, and this would all go down on Grammy's watch. Nonetheless, I decided it wouldn't be fair to have Sophie miss the party, and that surely she wouldn't be the only one who was a first timer. I also didn't want to impose my own worries on her to the point of causing her to not try new things. If only I had thought to buy wrist guards beforehand!

Needless to say, my motherly instincts were right on, and although Sophie did start to get the hang of it and even strongly encouraged Grammy to leave and come back at pick up time, things did not end well, and 3 days later she was sporting a hot pink and thankfully, waterproof cast. Fortunately, it was not a bad break and Sophie didn't seem to be in much pain after the first couple of days. And did her eyes ever light up when the orthopedist confirmed her broken arm - just in time to show all her friends on the very last day of Kindergarten.

Now that we're 4 weeks in, and even onto a second (this time blue!) cast, the novelty is wearing off and Sophie is quite ready to have it removed this week.

Mother's Day

I have to say that this was one of the best Mother's Day's I've had to date. And yet there is nothing spectacular to report, other than the fact that we had no agenda and a totally relaxing day.

After church we had a nice family lunch at Season's 52, followed by a very relaxing and lazy afternoon. Both Sophie and Jack presented me with sweet little gifts each of them made for me at school, which I will cherish forever. Or at least until next year when perhaps they will outdo themselves.

Sophie planted a sweet yellow marigold in a cute little pot that she hand painted with ladybugs and bumblebees, using her own little fingerprint as the body for each creature. She also wrote a special book, all about Mommy's favorite things, which was beautifully written and illustrated. According to her, my favorite thing to do is go to parties - just us girls.

Jack had his own fun with a hand print tile and a very special Mother's Day card that was handwritten - which is no easy feat for this little guy.

It really is the simple things that can bring so much happiness to one's life. I am so thankful to be a Mother!

Easter

We were thankful for beautiful weather on Easter. We started the morning with a hunt for our baskets, a leisurely family breakfast and a lovely church service.

Both kids were especially excite about receiving Marshmallow Peeps in their baskets this year - probably because they know I would typically never let them consume a marshmallow that's been dyed yellow and dipped in sugar.

Later in the afternoon, we ventured over to The Kings' house for a neighborhood Easter egg hunt and pot luck supper, and even more sugar.

I can't take credit for this last picture that Susana took. I just love it and am amazed at how the two Sophies have grown into such beautiful young girls.

Writing: Part 2

I recently received a phone call from Nickajack's Vice Principal, which you can only imagine set my heart racing when he told me he was calling about Sophie. He quickly reassured me that she was safe and sound, and not in any sort of trouble. He was calling to let me know that her writing sample on Harriet Tubman which her teacher submitted to a writing fair for the entire school district, had been selected as a winner for Kindergarten.

Last Thursday, we were invited to attend a special awards ceremony with all of the other winners in our school district, grades K-12. It was a special night for Sophie, who got to have Mommy and Daddy all to herself. We smartly secured a babysitter for Jack, headed to Chick-fil-a for a quick bite, and then to the awards ceremony.

One of the most special things about the evening was that both of Sophie's multi-age teachers, whom she ADORES, came to support her, along with the principal of her school. She was the only winner representing her school, and it was especially touching for us that her principal came to show her support.

Here's a picture of Sophie and her principal when she first realized that Mrs. Parks was there. Even from behind, you can just tell that Sophie was beaming with pride and excitement. On the left is sweet Mrs. Butler, her Kindergarten teacher.


Sophie was overjoyed. While she was initially seated with the other winners in the front of the auditorium, she managed a break-away towards the end. Instead of coming to sit with me and Eric, she went right for her teachers and sat with them for the duration of the night. At one point, she expressed her excitement for the refreshments that would follow the ceremony, and let her teachers know that there would surely be beer and wine for the adults! Which probably explains the laughter in this next picture.


They didn't seem to be too disappointed by the glasses of punch she grabbed for each of them before drinking her own. After that, she brought them to the cookie table to make their selection. It was a totally priceless moment, and a night that Eric and I will likely remember for years to come. We are so proud of her, and also so thankful for the wonderful teachers that are encouraging her and fueling her love for learning.


The next morning. Sophie was able to read her piece to her entire elementary school during the morning announcements, which are video streamed into each classroom. Such a neat experience for a 6 year old if you ask me!

See Mommy Run

I think most of my Mommy friends would agree that along with motherhood comes the sacrifice of putting a lot of your own interests and hobbies on hold. So little time and so much to get done - much of which is a little mundane yet certainly necessary.

Fortunately, one thing I've managed to grasp tightly is my love for running. Long before I got married and started a family, running became an outlet for me that simply can not be replaced, and I'm thankful I have a husband who understands my need to pursue this passion. I accomplished my goal of running a full marathon just before getting married, which was so fun and rewarding that I immediately began training for the next. While my marathon days are probably long gone - the time and dedication required is not all that compatible with mothering young children - I still enjoy some shorter races from time to time.

Last week, I ran the Georgia Half Marathon, and was happy that my family was able to cheer me on from the sidelines. Yes, it would have been easier for Eric to hunker down at home instead, but it dawned on me that I really did want them to share in the experience with me, even if it meant waking up at 5:30 am to pile in the car and head downtown. Sophie and Jack are all too familiar with my running/exercise routine, and I thought it would be nice for them to gain a little more perspective on something that has been and will remain such an important piece of who I am, aside from all of the other aspects that shape my identity as their mother.

After a quick send-off in my starting corral, Eric smartly piled them into our double stroller (that they had not laid eyes on in years) in order to more easily navigate the crowd of spectators and head to the start line. They loved the stroller so much that they even asked to play with it in the driveway for the next several days, taking turns pushing each other. Funny that neither one of them would ever sit still in the stroller as babies and toddlers!

After a quick cheer at mile 9, they even got to enjoy a Krispy Kreme donut on the way back to meet me at the finish line, so all in all I think they had a good time!