Grandparents

We are blessed to have Yaya, Baba, Mimi, and Pops all here and actively part of our lives in Dallas. You spend a lot of time with your beloved grandparents and have real, true, lasting relationships with them. Sleepovers, dinners, swimming, field trips. These grandparents do it all. And managed to still find time to spoil you too!

Here is a slap-dash but heartfelt poem about these four amazing people, based on one short weekend's adventures with them

Grandparents are great for holding your hand to get lemonade from a stand

Grandparents let you feed their fish over and over again:

Grandparents buy you ribbons, and trinkets, and markers:

Grandparents play ball, and don't try to win:

Grandparents come with you on a moment's notice to go (again) to the aquarium:

Grandparents have change and, if you ask, it's yours:

 Grandparents hold you hand as you walk to feed the manta rays:

 Grandparents may be slow, but they're full of exciting nights and days:

 Grandparents love crocs and plaid, and care about what you care about:

Grandparents don't mind being silly, just for a laugh:

And grandparents will always, always give you a smile:

They're with you when you bike:

And they still treat at the Popsicle shop (and get one for their sons too):

The world is a better place because of grandparents ... and you!

Aidan at 7: A Snapshot

Aidan,

Being 7 is tough. Being 7 with a bunch of challenges thrown in your way can be even tougher. You've got to contend with sensory processing disorder, mixed expressive responsive language disorder, and occupational or speech therapy 2 - 3 times a week. Your brain is just very special and works differently than others, and sometimes makes it difficult to figure out what people are saying and why they're saying it.  And yet, you persevere. You always have been a strong, resilient, amazing boy, and you're growing more and more each day. You have progressed so much in the past few years, and you are a testament to what one can do with enough will power. 

You. Are. Amazing. 

Nature Boy/Whisperer

You persevere with a smile on your face. You're quick to be sympathetic to others, you truly, deeply care about a lot of people and are passionate about your interests. 

Determined. You sewed this Baby Groot all by yourself!

It gives us great joy to just soak you in and watch you grow into yourself and be just a boy, as you begin to triumph over the hand that was dealt to you. 

Spooky and Loving

You love animals. You are almost a bug and critter whisperer with the way you can easily catch and pick up critters that would slip away from others.

You are a lover. You love your sister. Your Mama. Even old stinky me.

You are a dreamer- you get lost in books, and legos, and mazes, and find-its, and stories, and movies.

Proud

You are a story-teller- you love to tell stories to anyone who will listen and you exude creativity.

You love music and have quite a singing voice and a helluva lot of dance moves.

Sweet

You are strong. You are growing. You are amazing. And we love you. To the moon and back. And we are so proud of you.

Big Brother

 

Helper

"I'm a Spy" 

Sewing

Fearless

Method Actor

After-Dinner Theatre

Some days, after a long day at work and school... just after dinner... and prolonging the inevitability of bed...the two of you get very, very creative...

And put on amazing theatrical productions.

The following is the act from September 2017.  There's dancing, music, extortion, reading, merch, and so much more!

And now...without further adieu...I present the evening's entertainment!

And of course...it ended in partial nudity, as your theatre tends to do...

Ears Pierced- Mommy Daughter Day

Well, young lady, you've been talking about it for weeks and months and years. But recently you got serious about it. We told you it would hurt, and you said "but only for a little bit." You love sparkly stuff, and thought there was one area in particular on your body where sparkly stuff just won't hang by itself. So, on the eve of your fifth birthday, you, and your Mommy, Aunt Sham, and Yaya went to the mall.... went to Claire's...and....well...see for yourself.

Before

After

Notice anything different? That's right! You - with the support of these lovely, wonderful, important, strong ladies in your life- got your EARS PIERCED!

There were some tears. There were lots of smiles and hugs. There was LOTS of shopping!

You were SO enchanted with the store...

you were so BRAVE....

and you are SO SO happy with your decision.

The only problem, for you, is that you can't CHANGE your earrings for ONE month! You want to try on a different pair everyday! 

You are also so responsible! You have taken charge of the cleaning and turning of your earrings. You do it twice a day by yourself, remind us to remind you when you haven't, and are such a wise young lady beyond your years!

This day was also amazing because it was a "Mommy and Me Day" (with some company from your Aunt and Grandma too).

You had especially told us that you were missing Mama a lot ever since the school year started, and that you faked a headache with the hopes that Mama would stay home with you and take care of you. We figured this out all together that you were just missing your Mama! So you had a special ladies day all to yourself. 

And now you and Mama get to share earrings too!

Daddy and Son Day Sunday

While Mommy and Julia had their "mommy daughter day", you and I had a Daddy Son Sunday!

We spent the morning doing just whatever you wanted, which just so happened to be wrestling and playing Legos together for a long time!

Then I had a treat for you, which you really really liked a lot more than I thought you would!

We went to a drive-in place- Jake's- and I let you sit in the passenger seat while we ate greasy delicious burgers and fries. You LOVED sitting up front more than you loved the burger (and let me tell you, you ate all but one bite of that dang burger!)

I gotta say, I loved sitting side-by-side with you in the car and eating burgers too! Your joy for pushing buttons and just sitting up front next to me was infectious!

Then we went to JumpStreet, your choice, and bounced, hung, climbed, dodge balled, shot baskets (you made one and were so proud!) and sweated until we couldn't bounce any more. 

I love you son! And even though we didn't do anything big or monumental, sometimes it's the little things that count. And this little, lazy, burger filled, bouncy afternoon counted, for sure, in my book forever.

Songs of the Summer

Aidan and Julia,

You both have songs in your hearts, and that makes me happy, because singing and music make me happy too!

We sing a lot- whether it's rocking out to some of our favorite 'jams' in the car, our Beatles/Ben Folds (or even Kenny Loggins) lullabies each night, or working on our Michael Jackson or Les Mis during the day, or even channeling our inner Weird Al and making our amazing parodies, we sing at least once a day!

It's good for the soul!

And it's so good for me and your mom to see how much JOY music is bringing both of you!

So, what song exactly is in your heart? 

Here's a snippet of what's been spinning on our records in the summer of '17.

Rock on, my children. Rock on.