5am. been awake for a while now... 

guess that's how it's supposed to be with my mind not shutting off. 

My oldest, Lady G, is graduating highschool.  

 Lots of dreams and aspirations I had for her and now it is time for her dreams and aspirations to take off! A very good friend of mine recently told me that he saw that his kids lived in his world, his dreams up until they left their home to dream thier dreams.
 

I do so hope her dreams are bigger than mine!! I hope she pushes those walls and barriers down!! 
So here's to my girl's last week in school.  
Here's to my girl who already was living in her dream.  
Here's to my girl who will conquer her dreams only to build bigger and better ones!! 

Awards! Awards! Awards!

Queen V surely worked so hard on so much this last school year. There were some nights of lots of tears but she learned so much how to balance her time, she struggled through what she didn't know and learned so very much!!

She was awarded a medal for JuniorVase, an award for her Art class, an award for being in Young Entrepreneur Academy and an at-a-girl award from her teachers called the Colt Award.  This last word  is not just for grades but for showing pride in their school, themselves and others.  I love that my girl stepped out and tried so many new things.  

Is there a Prince Charming in there

Following a month of rains we have been bombarded with these itty bitty frogs around our house.  Princess A and Mr. T have been bringing them in and collecting them in random tupperware.  Why wouldn't we keep itty bitty frogs? We have a tadpole growing into a frog on our kitchen counter.  (Thanks Mrs. Duke, for letting Mr. T "win" that prize!!) 

So when one went hopping by and Queen V saw it of course she had to pick it up.  I asked her to kiss it to see if it turned into a prince. ha! One could hope, huh?  Can't you tell she was excited? I'm such a funny mama. One day she will appreciate my humor I am sure. :)

Hopefully all these frogs around our home will eat up the summer mosquitos are sure to come after all this rain!! 

Run! Run!

So the beginning of the year started with Princess A learning about her new school following a gingerbread man to see what is in each hallway and where the important rooms are- like music, art, PE and the cafeteria! She came home so excited and telling us all about it.  She even had a little black and white reader with the story of the Gingerbread Man saying, Run! Run!

Well, here we are at the end of the semester and her entire class built gingerbread houses together. Can you imagine 22 kids creating gingerbread houses together?

Each kiddo got their own bag of icing to glue the candy pieces on and create their own masterpiece! She was a happy girl for sure getting to be in charge!

 It was quite fun and one of my favorite memories of each of the kids.  They each have a photo as a momento of the occasion.  Each one of my kids is proud to show what they did as they were 5 or 6! 

tears of not believing

natural beauty.
this girl has it but doesn't always see it.

we bought each piece of her outfit without having any idea how exactly it was going to turn out. we had to go back and pick out the shoes because my head wasn't on straight while we shopped for the dress. I surprised her with a trip to a boutique to pick a pair of earrings. She picked the perfect pair.

I told her to try it all on together so we could show Dad. She was not too sure about it since she had just run during her athletic class right before I picked her up from school. I told her not to worry and just put it on… just for a minute. She did and looked beautiful just like I thought!

I grabbed my camera and asked for just a few pictures. (my kids will never learn.. it's never just a few! ha!) I showed her the back of the camera and she had tears in her eyes. I asked her what it was about and she told me that it wasn't her. I shook my head and said it most certainly was. She said I had photoshop in my camera! ha! no such thing… this is her inner beauty shining through! Her tears of disbelief had me really taken back. Why would a 13 year old girl feel this way? What happens to kids that they turn from fearing nothing to not being sure about anything?

Always.

As a little boy I knew he learned differently. 

I would try and teach him his ABCs and 123s and he would fight me every step of the way.

I knew it was more than his German stubborness and Irish temper that would both hinder him and help him.

Last year we finally got him tested. There were some bumps along the way but he is now getting the help he needed and will need to get him headed in the right direction.  

We found out he has dyslexia. 

I know there is more but for now we are dealing with this roadblock.

He cried today when we sat to do his homework.  

It's just so hard, Mama.

I try so hard and my brain doesn't work.

My brain scrambles it all and I just don't get it.

These words kill me.  

Yet at the same time I understand.

He hurts so much from trying to keep up and show that he is smart. 

that he can do the work.

that he does want to learn.

I know he is in there.

Do you see it, teachers?

Do you see a little boy who could design and race race cars like his Daddy?

Do you see a little boy who will windsurf around the globe?

Do you see a lego master who wants to invent a spy car?

Do you see a reader? a writer? a little boy wanting to learn?

A friend sent me this link about learning disabilities: 

2 minutes in Your Kid's Shoes

Always believe in your kids.

Always be your kids advocate.

Always protect your kids. 

Always just be there for your kids.

Always.

Queen V takes it on a run!

First day of school was the "best ever" said my Queen V! She had a great time and couldn't wait to tell me all about it. Even though she is not in class with all of her friends (living in her perfect world! ha!) She said it was all good since they all get to sit together at lunch and chat!!
We went for an afternoon swim and then followed it by dinner and a run!
I am so glad that I figured out how to make quick little stills with my phone for a fast post.

At any rate, she ended her first day with a run to one of her favorite songs... love it!