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58/365: Brothers
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Category Archives: Family
57/365: Lucas’ New ‘Do
Mostly because a regular haircut (by yours truly) takes so long to get, six-year-old Lucas begged for a buzz.
I didn’t want to see all of his pretty blond hair gone, but I couldn’t argue. It’ll take so much less time to wash, dry, and keep neat.
And he looks cute as can be (catbird!) with it; it really brings out his eyes. 🙂
I took the picture tonight at Village’s (with the awesome RetroCamera Droid app).
56/365: Dinner with Grandpa & Grandma
Tonight we went to dinner with my parents, who are now mostly known as Grandpa and Grandma. Isn’t it funny how that happens after you have kids?
The boys were sweet for the most part, but wide-open. Loud restaurants like the Mayflower are great for masking that sort of thing. 😉
I was playing with my RetroCamera Droid app again.
42/365: Dum-Dum-Da-Dum (alternatively: Valentine, Be Mine?!)
Getting Valentine’s Day cards ready for Monday, Lucas helped check off the names of the kids in his class until he got check-happy and checked half the class before making their cards.
That’s when I stepped in and marked with a line each one we’d already made as he called out the names.
It was interesting watching Lucas decide which card (and which flavor Dum Dum) to give to which of his classmates. He wrote all 17 of them. Pretty neatly, too, if I may add.
Atticus picked out a few of the cards he’s taking to Susie’s (our sitter/preschool teacher) but was distracted as usual, so I got to pick out most of those and write all of them.
And by the time Kevin came home with dinner from Pizza Hut, we were done.
Lucas, pointing to the box: It says, “Dum Dum Pops.”
Kevin: Don’t say that! They’re probably pretty smart.
;(
38/365: To Mommy
I love-love-love getting pictures made especially for me!
At left is “Happy Alien” by 6-year-old Lucas, and at right is “Snake in the Water” by 4-year-old Atticus.
<3
30/365: Boys in the Woods
My boys spent some time in the woods today.
They crossed the creek, braved the briars, and skirted the snake. And they returned to me full of energy, with a renewed bond between them and bearing new “Indian names.”
Kevin is “Badger”; Lucas is “Wild Cat”; Atticus is “Stalking Wolf”; and I am “Spirit Moon Water.”
More on the Native American theme later. 😉
21/365: Way Up!
From this picture, you would never guess that two years later, Attie’d be so terrified of being upside-down. In fact, it’s pretty much his only fear.
17/365: A Child’s Vision of Family
This is our family as envisioned by a five-year-old Lucas, who is now six. He drew the picture and asked me to write the names he wanted on it.
I’ve spent a lot of time appreciating it over the last year or however long it’s been hanging on the fridge.
The main thing I love about this particular piece of art is that our family is all together. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very much anymore.
And we all look happy.
We’re not holding hands, but our arms are outstretched toward each other. (One of mine actually is right in front of Atticus’ face.) We’re enjoying each other’s company.
I also notice:
- Kevin is tallest in the picture. In reality, 17-year-old Ryan is at least an inch or two taller.
- My head is biggest … but so is my smile.
- Ryan’s hair is longest. It really is by far.
At the beginning of last summer, I went through the artwork box I’ve kept for Ryan all these years, hoping to weed out some things that aren’t so keep-worthy. But it’s so hard for me.
Seeing those little hand-print turkeys and cotton-ball Santas takes me back to a time when my firstborn was my baby. I look at him now and wonder where he went. As much as I love Ryan today, I miss that little kid.
And I know that someday I’ll look back on this picture by Lucas and all the other artwork that he and four-year-old Atticus make with a smile and a catch in my throat.
16/365: New Perspective
We celebrated my dad’s 70th birthday today with lunch at The Mayflower, birthday cake, and an afternoon (into evening) of conversation. His birthday was on the 13th, but we couldn’t all get together earlier in the week.
When they went to pick up the cake, my dad requested that they add that “70” to it, although, my mom said, he hasn’t been feeling that great about turning 70. I guess he decided to embrace it in a physical way. I’m all for that!
Notice that the cake in the picture is upside down. Kevin saw it this way on the counter and asked about the “OL,” thinking for a second somebody’d already eaten the “D.” But it’s actually the “70,” upside down.
It got me thinking about how just a little change of perspective can make a huge change in the way we interpret things. Sometimes all it takes is a tiny change of scenery to bring new life to the same-old.
Next time you’re in the midst of something you really don’t know how to handle, or something you’re really bored with, or something you’re totally resenting having to do, take a second to breathe and tilt your head a bit. Try to find a different angle to come at it from.
I think you’ll be surprised at the results.
15/365: Super Reader
Woohoo! That kid can really read!