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.  

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! 

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!

growing time

wow. those shoes are BIG!

how did they get that big- are you sure they fit?

yes. I growed.

When? When did you grow?

well, it was in the growing time.

When is the growing time?

Well, member when you did all that laundry? that is when I growed.

Wow... good to know, Hap.

laundry=growing.

Silly Happy Girl

Love my Princess A she wakes up running to me with her blonde locks all over the place. "Good Morning, Dandelion!!" I tell her as she jumps up into my arms all excited about the day. First order of the day is a bowl of cheerios- it's not breakfast without Cheerios

she still uses her baby towels when she can find them and surprisingly they fit! She finds everything funny from a silly dance her siblings make up, to running in place to saying the word "poopy". She is so very 4.

conquering fear

after a full day of learning. evening game. all boy. then the sunset and no lights came on. Mr. T was asked to be goalie. He had played goalie in our backyard but never for a game. I was all excited hollering for him to get the ball when it came down to him... forgetting his fear of the dark. and it got dark. and he was waiting for his teammates to come back towards him- even if they were trying to get the ball past him, at least he had people by him. After the game when we were safe at home he told me of his fear and how he didn't like being back there. all by himself. Put the big L on my forehead for LOSER! oh man. I felt awful.

soccer season has begun!

love this toothless grin!

Each time one of my kiddo's tries a sport I get a little tickled inside. I know the anticipation of trying something new and the courage it takes to step out as an athlete is huge!

 I have to remember I am NOT the one playing but the one cheering them on, hoping they find the joy in the sport they have chosen.  I love seeing my kids look over at me with a HUGE grin on their face and wind blowing in their hair- that is priceless for sure!

Girls on the Run Practice Race

Girls on the RUN! My girls have once again been training for a 5K and they are ready to rock it! I'm so proud of my girls for taking charge of their lives in this way!

after getting bibs on they were ready to stretch with teammates and get ready to run their hearts out.

All the different running shoes really showed how unique each of the girls were. 

They both ran their hearts out for the practice and are really ready to set their "personal best" on race day!! I am so excited to see how much they have grown to handle situations that arise as they become young ladies.

Sweet V

my kids love that I love to learn. They get excited to see me excited about learning new things, failing, picking myself back up, dusting off and trying again.
I have a lot to learn and from them mostly. yep. they are the greatest teachers that teach me not to give up and continue trying- even after taking a breather and trying to find my direction or path that God is pointing me to at that time.
Well, I follow a great photographer from down under, Sue Bryce- she really knows how to teach and inspire!  I found her via Creative Live where I have learned so much about photography and myself. I am grateful for the moments I have gotten to spend a quite moment just for myself- although while learning I am always thinking of how it can apply to a friend and her or his business.

chin.shoulder.eyes.
each person is beautiful in their own way.
I think Queen V is beautiful and have since I saw her for the first time.
She takes my breath away.

love in the midst of a shoot

messy summer hair
comfy clothes
warm sunshine
unconditional love
yep, that just about sums up this moment in time lovely, isn't it??
Princess A has no clue I am there watching and loves with all of her heart while Queen V sees me and pastes on a quick smile.... they played for hours together this hot summer day under this pecan tree
I still have the buckets, cars and shovels under the tree to remind me of this moment while I ran around getting pictures for a client and her moving cards. All in the midst of my trying to get a little work done there is love of my children that pulls at my heart. I think I will leave the buckets only for the girls to have a moment under our pecan tree again when the weather gets a little cooler.

boyfriends and girlfriends

I have a best friend.
He has a girl friend.
She likes me more than she likes him.
So she sits next to me during lunch.

and yet they are still best friends....
gotta love this logic of kindergarten boys. wonder if his best friend knows all this?

tactile learners

So we need to learn again.. Mr. T is now in school... I can't believe it. I am doing some research to understand where he is and where he needs to go. We already knew he was a boy on the go. He even told us so. "Dad, I just like to go and do." Out of the mouths of babes, right? He knew and told us. Why don't we listen more to our children?? Makes me wake up when I hear it again from an adult. Anyway, so this post is about learning a new way- tactile or kinesthetic. Here goes what I have found so far. I am sure there will be more.

Micheal Farris: some children retain their strong tendency toward learning through their sense of touch. These children are known as kinesthetic, or tactile, learners.

If your child is a kinesthetic learner, he is active and hands-on about everything, including learning. He is probably very athletic, energetic, and uses lots of gestures when talking. Of all your children, he's the one that just can't seem to sit still. He's in perpetual motion and touches almost everything he sees.

Your kinesthetic learner may be your greatest teaching challenge, simply because most traditional curriculum isn't designed for him. Workbooks provide visual learners with things to see, and storybooks give auditory learners things to hear, but you're going to have to be creative in giving your kinesthetic learner things to touch. Use real pennies or an abacus in teaching math. Don't just tell him about evaporation; put some water on to boil and let him feel it!

http://child-1st.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/kinesthetic-tactile-learner.html

Colorful Queen V

Queen V in a moment in time this summer... I love how I found her just looking so pretty.
It's like a vision of what is to come in the future...
confidence
colorful
standing out among the rest
love my Queen V

curiosity

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Field Day for Queen V

My favorite part about field day this year was being with Sadie. She is very, very funny. She makes me laugh.
Tug-of-war was my favorite sport. We won second place!!!
I got ribbons for tug-of-war, hippity hop, and golf ball search!
-Queen V.

Latin Mass at St. Mary's

I am what is called a cradle Catholic. I was Baptised as an infant- like only 3 weeks old- and have gone to Mass every weekend since that time. I have missed only a handful of times since I received that sacrament. The only times I have missed have been when I had major surgery due to endometriosis or the birth of my 4 kids. I take pride in knowing that even when I didn't "feel" like going I went. If Jesus could go into the garden hours before he knew he was going to be crucified I can give one hour of my week to Him to thank him for the gifts and graces I have received. It is how I feel and what I teach my children...

Even though I have gone to Mass every weekend I had never attended a Latin Mass. The order of the Mass changed before I remember anything going on... my oldest brother and his son offer their services up to the Lord by helping with Latin Mass at St. Mary the Assumption on Magnolia in Fort Worth. I went when my nephew was confirmed. It was quite different than how I attend Mass. I will have to go again with my brother so he can explain it all to me. My mom, of course, knew it all since this is how she celebrated Mass all through her childhood and young adulthood. It was very reverant and I can't wait for my brother to explain more to me since he understood so much more than I did.

Good Friday

I took my girls out of school today... so that they may learn about our faith, about our Lord who gave his life for them.
They were not too happy about it- they wanted to be with their freinds. I understood but asked them... Do you know what was happening to Jesus at this hour?? Do you know what happened to Jesus as we were having our breakfast?
And then started the story of our day and how we went so casually about it. I ran a timeline of our day versus what happened to Jesus on that Good Friday.. the first Good Friday. Lady G sank a little in her seat, listening intently, Queen V asked more detailed questions, Mr. T was busy checking out his new toy car that Queen V brought home from Junk Day and Princess A listened more than I thought she would... answering with "oh, no!" or a "gross!" It was an interesting ride to church to say the least but I wanted to impress upon them that the world is bigger than them.. bigger than their school where their friends are- where the fun was so they thought. This day is not about fun but about reflection. A reflection of our lives, as Jesus' life and how ours are so intertwined and it is GOOD to stop and reflect how important this day is to us, to our family, to our faith.


What do you pray as you go about the Stations of the Cross? What do you say to Jesus? My kids, still being kids, are looking for guidance as to what to say to Jesus...
This was the last prayer we said before leaving the silent church:

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus,
I cast myself upon my knees in Your sight,
and with the most fervent desire of my soul
I pray and beseech You
that You would impress upon my heart lively sentiments
of Faith, Hope and Charity,
true repentance for my sins and a firm purpose of amendment,
while with deep affection and grief of soul
I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Your five most precious wounds, having before my eyes that which
David spoke in prophecy of You, O good Jesus:
they have pierced my hands and feet,
they have numbered all my bones.

Holy Thursday

and Jesus went into the garden to pray all night..

Learning Christ
Teach me,
my Lord,
to be sweet and gentle
In all the events of life-
in disappointments,
in the thoughtlessness of others,
in the insincerity of those I trusted,
in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside,
to think of the happiness of others,
to hide my little pains and heartaches,
so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path.
Let me so use it that is may mellow me, not harden nor embitter me;
That it may make me patient, not irritable.
That is may make me broad in
My forgiveness, not narrow, haughty and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence.
No one less pure,
Less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow-traveler in our journey
Toward ETERNAL LIFE.

As I go my rounds from one distraction to another,
let me whisper from time to time,
A word of love to Thee.
May my life be lived in the super-natural,
full of power for Good,
and strong in its purpose of sanctity.

You bring back memories...

Little guy, you crack me up. I see so much of your granddaddy in you at times. You never met him but you put your hands in your pocket like he did to find your coins. You love to have coins in your pocket. Your grandaddy always had coins in his pockets.

You are quick with a smile... even when you are being bad.. especially when you are being bad.. you so have my number. When you know something like a smile will get what you are wanting. I am on to you, too, though!