Summer 2011: Day 4

Baseball Dust

Packet Pick Up at Gear West

The Littles

Summer 2011: Day 2

Happy 73rd Birthday Mom!

Eleven

Dear CT,

Two ones, side by side, your age continuing to inch up the number line. With the turn of my head you grow older, get taller, wiser, your personality and being become richer and fuller as each day speeds by.

As I have had the luxury of watching you grow this past year, I’m struck by the duality that exists.  There are moments and glimpses of adulthood and then it’s as if you hop on the slide in a game of Chutes and Ladders and glide right back down to START.

Safely being able to toggle between the two worlds, I think, is what growing up is all about.

Finding your own path, in your own way.

Stretching yourself and finding your place.

Where that path will lead is every parents wonder.

How will you get there?

Will you be happy?

Will you be safe?

It’s at that point where fear slips in and, as your mom, I want nothing but to cuddle you up, hold you in my arms and make sure all will be well for you.

But, that’s just not how it works.

My boy, you are turning into an amazing person and it is a true treasure to be a part of your process.

In this next year, may you accomplish your goals, enjoy the simple things in life and be true to who you are and finding your own path.

Happy 11th Birthday!

I love you.

Mom

The skimmer

My kid’s grading system at school looks like this:

E=Exceeding the Standard

A= Achieving the Standard

P= Partially Achieving the Standard

N=Not Achieving the Standard

CT walks in last Friday with his report card an announces, “I got one P…in constipation!”

That would be Computation my friend!  Everyone knows he gets an E in constipation.

How Lucky How Thankful

Betty, my awesome mother-in-law, started this great tradition this year at Thanksgiving.  She left out a pad of paper, a pen and a basket.  Each of us was to write down what we were thankful for and then we would read them at the dinner table.

At the end of dinner, all the kids crowded around Papa to read the notes.  They were read one by one.  The kids tried to guess who wrote what.  Some of us fessed up, some did not.

It was CT who wrote this:

As it was read, he looked up into my mom’s eyes and gave her the sweetest smile and head nod.  It was as if to say, don’t worry Grandma, we won’t forget him.

I know this tells me something

While waiting for the bus, CT (the 10 year old boy) was telling me about the book that he was reading.  I wished I had a pen and paper to write down his description, because it was really something.  It was something about butts taking over the world.  In fact, the title of the book is The Day My Butt Went Psycho.

The same day, PJ (the 8 year old girl) , who can’t read much English yet, came home from school very excited with a book from the library called Black-eyed Suzie.  She thought this book was about the flower, Black Eyed Susans.  Once I read the back and the first page it was clearly about a 12 year old girl who is struggling with a sever case of mental illness.

This is not the first time that these two are so diametrically opposed and it will not be the last.

Good lord, what do the teen-age years look like?

Bring on the low Brass

I’m loud.

I have loud children.

Our house is not that peaceful place where children do puzzles.  Our house is that place where the walls are typically shaking and you can hear what’s going on inside the house out on our street corner.

So when CT came home with the very large, very loud tuba…how could I be surprised?

It’s perfect.

Ready, set, SCHOOL

As for the start of school, we had mixed reviews.

KP was really nervous and did not want to go.  Until he got on the bus and saw his buddies, then he seemed to breath a bit easier.

PJ was the first kid up, did her chores and even made her own lunch with 30 minutes to spare, standing by the back door with her backpack on.

CT eased into the morning and was fully ready to embrace 5th grade.  I think it helps that his best friend Sam is in his class this year AND he got the teacher he wanted. I call that winning the 5th grade lottery.

Here is to the beginning of a GREAT school year!

Heavenly Angels

Only one week of summer left.

How can this be?

The hood takes it to Chisago

What do you get when you have a neighborhood of adults that spends part of their free time hanging out and drinking together and the other part of their free time doing road races, bike races, marathons and triathlons?

You get all their kids wanting to do what the adults are doing.  Racing that is…I am guessing the drinking will come later.

So here are the cast of characters who participated this year.

Dunc:  He is 3 and can ride a bike without training wheels.  He stands about 2 feet off the ground, is a touch shy and is FEARLESS.  Yeah, took 4th in his age group.  Yo Yo littlest racer.

Pete:  He’s 6 and runs so fast his legs blur.  He took 3rd in his age group two years ago and is back for more.  He held the bar high for EVERYONE and crossed it, bringing home another 3rd place finish.

KP:  Clearly looking nervous here.  We walked through the transitions so he would know where to go and when it came down to it, he was rock solid.  He took 11th in his age group.

Super Cal:  With his dark eyes and steadfast demeanor took to this race and did not stop.  Coming in 6th in his age group.  At the end, when his twin brother was sad he did not get a metal, Cal gave him his.  I know…seriously!?

PJ:  Coming in strong and looking for perfection, found this year’s race a little more difficult.  Her brother’s bike got caught on hers in the transition area, which caused a little bit of an upset to say the least.  After taking a deep breath, chucking her brother’s bike to the ground and moving past it, she took 12th in her age group.  Way to overcome baby!

Ellie:  One of PJ’s closest friends came to join the fun this year.  Her parents are amazing athletes in their own right but don’t do triathlons.  That said, without even knowing what the hell to do, Ellie kicked in a 4th place finish.  Then she got on her bike and rode another 30 miles to a camp site with her family.

CT:  Wanting nothing more than get a top 3 slot this year.  He and Sam worked hard on trying to swim through the water this year, instead of walking through the water like the majority of the kids.  I think it paid off for both of them.  CT had a good race, he worked hard, tried his best and ended up with a 5th place finish.

Sam:  As one of the veterans of the race, Sam knows the twists and turns well and is extremely skilled at navigating the process.  With a swim stroke as pretty and elegant as a swan, he swooped in to take the 10th place slot.

When it was all said and done this little amazing group of athletes cheered each other on, supported one another and had a wonderful time eating pancakes at the end of the race.

Great job Team So Ty!