10 Years Later

Greg and I are very blessed to have just celebrated 10 years of marriage on June 14th.  In honor of the big occasion we spent a week in Hawaii, just the two of us.  This was the first time for both of us to be away from Nicholas for more than a few days and I have to say that it went beautifully.  We enjoyed our time alone and Nicholas more than enjoyed a full week of spoiling by his grandparents.  He also got to spend a weekend in Branson with his cousins, and it just doesn't get much more fun than that.  Being away from your kids just isn't what it used to be thanks to the convenience of cell phones and FaceTime, but even so Greg and I were both ready to get home to him by the last few days of the trip.  I'm pretty sure it hurt us much more than it hurt him, but I'm taking that as a good sign that his vacation was just as special as ours.  Seeing Hawaii has long been a dream of mine and it was absolutely everything I had hoped it would be.  Of course that means hundreds of pictures but I decided to throw a few of my favorites together into one little video with some fun music to accompany them.  I hope you enjoy!

Progress

I am so excited to be writing this post and sharing some special video of Nicholas' swimming progress.  We've been attending swim lessons for a couple of months now and yesterday we finally saw all of the hours of hard work paying off as he finally started swimming all on his own.  During class, he's been able to manage a few feet by himself but nothing like what happened yesterday.  Our good friends next door, Mike and Emerald, invited us over for the afternoon and we decided to get in a little practice without the sacred floaties.  He started out really good and got stronger and stronger with each try.  But, that wasn't all he had in store for us.  For some reason, he's become terrified of jumping from the side of the pool and absolutely refused to do it at swim class without his coach holding his hands.  Greg and I were baffled because he had no problem with this last summer when he would jump from the back of the boat into the water at the lake.  I've just tried to be really patient with him, understanding that this fear was a really big deal to him but one that he would overcome when the time was right for him.  Well, I guess the time was right yesterday because he amazed us all by jumping not only from the side of the pool, but also from the waterfall ledge which is actually pretty high for a small guy like him.  He started out doing the jumps with his floaties but quickly advanced to doing it without any help.  Greg and I were unbelievably proud of him and just shocked that all of his apprehensions flew right out the window in one monumental day!  Way to go, Nicholas!

June 3, 2012 = 4

Nicholas is four.  Even as I'm writing it now, a few days after his birthday, I still cannot believe it.  I openly admit that this one has been really hard for me.  There's just something about this age that makes me realize he's really growing up.  Four seems like the true gateway to boyhood, the point where the baby is left behind and the need for mommy and daddy gradually becomes less and less.  Maybe I'm overreacting, but that's just me.  I'll never forget the night of his birthday as I tucked him in for bed.  I was cuddling with him and we were talking about how special he is and how much I love him when I got a little emotional and may have shed a couple of tears.  He looks up at me and ever so sweetly says "Don't worry, I'm still little".  I could have died right then and there.  But, I'm trying hard to stay focused on the positives and all of the wonderful things about a four year old.  About a week ago, as his birthday was fast approaching, I sat back and started listing in my mind the every day things he says and does that completely melt my heart.  I thought this would be the proper time to write them down so I never, ever forget our boy just as he was at 1,460 unforgettable days old. 
-Some nights, he'll sneak out of bed, crawl past Greg in the living room so his escape won't be detected, and quietly comes in our bedroom for one more hug and kiss good-night from Mama. 
-When he was a baby he reminded me of Sweet Pea in the Popeye movie so that became one of my favorite nicknames for him.  To this day, if anyone tries to call him a different nickname he demands they call him Sweet Pea, even to the point of defensive anger.
-As I've mentioned before, he's making friends on his own now.  Wherever we go, he tries to make friends with other kids and calls everyone "Buddy".  Sometimes they turn him down but he never stops trying.
-He loves to listen to music.  In the car, in Daddy's office, wherever.  And he likes it LOUD.  And if it isn't loud enough, he'll ask you to turn it up again and again until you do. 
-He absolutely loves getting haircuts. Going to Snip-Its is a form of entertainment for him and I thank my lucky stars that he's never been the screamer.
-He has a wicked sense of humor and he can make me laugh probably more than anyone else on the planet.  Sometimes appropriate, sometimes not so much.  Such is life with a boy - lots of jokes about toots and poo-poo.
-He may be a rough and tumble type of guy who rarely fears anything, including punishment, but he also has a very sensitive side.  He readily shows affection and loves to cuddle and he never skimps on the I love yous.  I hope that never changes.

Okay, there are at least a million more I could write about and this could go on and on forever, but I'll leave it at that.   Instead, let's get on with it and see some pictures. 

Birthday eggs & bacon on his official birthday Sunday morning.

And I'll end this with my traditional birthday photos - the 14:14 shots. 

Happy 4th birthday, sweet boy. I will never forget the day you came into

 our lives and changed our world forever.  We know true love because

of you and I am overwhelmingly thankful that you are mine.

Memorial Day at the Lake

We headed back to the lake this weekend for some Memorial Day celebrating with the whole family.  And since we were all together in one place so close to Nicholas' upcoming birthday, we took the opportunity to have a little party for him.  This is the first of three, so we're just getting started.  His 3rd birthday was the first time he actually understood what a party meant (presents!) so it's been a very long year waiting for the next one to come around.  Each person's birthday that has come and gone the last 12 months has included a prelude of impatient cries about when it's going to be his turn again.  So yes, he's very happy that the wait is finally over.  He was as sweet as pie during the entire party and gushed his thank you's to everyone over and over.  He may not have gotten the gene for patience but at least he's not stingy about showing his appreciation.  He got lots of great new toys but the winner was definitely the rescue boat that Annie, Bret, and Colton got him.  And it wasn't just the toy itself that won the prize, the wrapping was fantastic as well.  I just love their creativity and wish I had some of it for myself. 

The rest of the weekend was spent breaking in our swim suits for summer and trying to bronze up our sun-deprived skin.  Unfortunately, the water was still chilly - okay, not chilly, downright cold - but we still gave it our best shot.  Nicholas and Jillian didn't seem fazed in the least and swam their little hearts out, even through blue lips and chattering teeth.  My goodness, kids are made of steel! 

Their baby turtles "kissing".  Those poor creatures actually survived the weekend!

Schools Out

Friday was Nicholas' last day of regular school and what a great year it has been!  This was the year that he really fell into a nice routine and learned all the fun he could have each day.  Without wanting to sound cheesy, I have to say that "blossom" is the word that pops into my mind.  His class was really small, 4-6 kids depending on the time, and he had such a wonderful, sweet teacher that he looked forward to seeing each day.  Because the class was so small, the 3 kids that had been there since the beginning of the year all developed a really close friendship.  There are so many enjoyable things about being a parent, but I have to say that watching him build relationships with other children all on his own has been one of my favorites.  So now we're on a one week break and then it's back for summer camp through the end of July.  We're going to continue with preschool at St. Mark for one more year because we've just completely fallen in love with the staff and the tight-knit environment they provide.  I love going to pick him up each day and being greeted with smiles and warm hellos from everyone who knows and loves our boy.  I will definitely be very sad when it's time to move on to kindergarten and public school.....but I don't have to think about that right now, so I won't.  We're going to enjoy this time while we've got it.

Greg and I joined everyone for a family picnic on the last day. 

We soon discovered he is quite the ladies' man.

And who could be surprised with a face like this.

 Putting one of his friends under arrest. 

His teacher, Ms. Kristine.

 Artistic representation of a turtle. 

 I have no words...other than I see that face a lot these days.

 And a final good-bye to Ms. Kristine who won't be back next
year.  He really loved her and we'll definitely miss her.

Mudder's Day

As Nicholas says - HAPPY MUDDER'S DAY!  It was such a great day spent with my two favorite guys, followed by a cookout with Grammy, Mimi, and Papa.  Each year at this time, I make myself take a few extra moments to really thank God for the love and happiness He has blessed me with.  No matter how busy we are or how many days we feel overwhelmed by the task of living a very full life, we are lucky to have what we have.  And what I have is very, very good. No doubt about it.  But while I'm thinking about how lucky I am to be a mom, I also need to talk about how lucky am I to have the most wonderful mother in the world.  She is an amazing woman who has always loved me and been there for me, no matter what.  And if that wasn't enough, I married a man who's mother turned out to be equally special.  I only hope that I can do this job half as well as they've done theirs.  Thank you both for inspring me, loving me, and supporting me in everything I do.  I love you more than you'll ever know.

 This was Friday's school art project.  Another fabulous handprint masterpiece.

 Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week and this was the thank you card Nicholas' teacher sent home for us.  One thing I always worried about when it came time to send him to preschool was whether or not his teachers and everyone else would really get him.  Will they fully understand just how awesome he is?  Will he stand out from the crowd?  Will his spirit be dulled amongt the masses of other kids?  Well, they do get him and that makes this Mama beyond happy.  Lesson learned - Nicholas' sweet heart and loving smile could never, ever go unnoticed. 

Yesterday morning, Nicholas sat down with me to "read" the card he

had picked out for me. His rendition is pretty precious.

And while we're at it, I'll go ahead and share a few more pics. First up is Edmond Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, where the kids got to sit in all kinds of work vehicles and explore just about everything about them. They got to honk the horns, play with the sirens, talk on the PA, you name it. A little loud but wildly entertaining. Especially when the rowdy ones got a hold of the PA mic.

And last but not least, I wanted to share a special little picture of Greg and Nicholas with their police cars. Greg has finally gotten his unmarked unit, which means it was time to say good-bye to the good old black & white. And I had to include both of these, even though their practically the same, because I just couldn't pick a favorite.  The cowboy boots definitely had to make the blog!

 Until next time, y'all.  Keep it real.