Ewan's 6!

Oh boy, oh boy!!!  You're six, little buddy!  Birthdays get you SUPER excited....and your birthday gets you the most excited!  You've been counting down since you turned 5 and now it's here.  For your special day today, you requested corn, watermelon, cake and cucumber sushi....and you said 'mom, if you can afford it can I also have a twix bar?' ha!  You got it!   Dad and I were just discussing how making the decision to have 3 kiddos was probably the best thing we've done!  Who knew what spirit a little boy would bring to this family....but not just any little boy......it had to be YOU!  How lucky we are that we got you and what a huge impact you've made on us.  You are a dream kid and our party of 4 was complete when you arrived and made it a party of 5.  Here is what you were up to during your year 5....

KINDERGARTEN!  Woohooo......all summer leading up to your start at North Beach Elementary, you would declare..."i am NOT going to Kindergarten!  I am staying home with you!"  But as soon as you lined up on the first day of school (reluctantly) and met your teacher Mrs. Janzen, and saw the other cute kiddos in your class, you were hooked!  You wanted to go to school everyday from then on!  You realized immediately what a blast kindergarten was.  Your favorite things at school were lunch, snack and recess.  You learned to read and do math.  You loved going to assemblies and P.E.  You loved impressing Mrs. Janzen...in fact...if you were acting naughty at home, all I had to say was...'hmmm, what would Mrs. Janzen think of your behavior?"  and you would quickly turn it around, ha!  You got really excited on the last day of K when she announced....'you are now all First Graders!'  You're ready! 

You LOVE sports!  Soccer is probably your favorite because you LOVE scoring goals...but you also enjoy playing goalie.  A funny side note is that you love playing soccer barefoot.....and you're actually better at scoring goals barefoot than with cleats, ha!  Your feet are red when you're done with a soccer session in the yard.  Your hand/foot/eye coordination is something to marvel at.  Be it tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, ladderball, corn hole or basketball you are one coordinated little munchkin!  I looooooove watching you play sports! 

I think I write this every year, but some things never change...you are still the pickiest eater!  And you've even stopped liking some of your staples that you used to love to eat a few months ago.  Fortunately you do love all of your fruits and veggies and green smoothies so you are getting good nutrition.  But after fruits and veggies, it's basically bread, pasta and rice.   And you do LOVE cucumber sushi....you tried it at a restaurant with Mimi and you've requested it daily ever since.  

Cheese pizza from Soprano's is tops on your list too :)

Your best friends are Indy, Griffin, Kai, Duncan and Walter.  You've recently discovered video games and your favorites are Lego Incredibles and FIFA soccer.  You hate doing chores and rarely clean your room.  You looooooove dogs, especially your boy, Lucky!   You love to get in his dog bed with him and cuddle.  You love to build things and take things apart.  You love to snack.  You learned how to ride your bike this year and love cruising up and down our street with the neighbors.  You lost your first tooth and have a couple other loose ones.  Every day you ask us 'how many more days until Christmas?' You love sleeping with your sisters.  You love playing 'puppy' with Esmee and watching "Woody Woodpecker.'  You have the cutest little freckles across your nose and cheeks.  You love imitating our voices.  You hate having your hair washed, and it's a chore to get you to brush your teeth.  You have the most heart melting smile.  

Ewan Stone.....it is bitter-sweet watching you grow up.  I want you to be our baby forever.  But I know that is not what you want and I am enjoying getting a glimpse each year of who you will become.  You are pure sunshine and we love you so incredibly much!  Thanks for being our boy!!! Happy Birthday! 

xoxo

Mommy

Millie's 12!

My sweet, sweet Millie.  This last year has probably been your most transformative…I think 11-12 is probably the biggest change I’ve seen in you thus far (and can only imagine what 12-13  will bring, oy!).  The memory of meeting you for the first time 12 years ago is so vivid in my head and heart that I can still feel the weight of your little newborn self in my arms.  When Kalaya chose us to be your mom and dad she made us the happiest, most grateful two people in the whole wide world.  Her ultimate sacrifice was a gift beyond measure.  I needed her to create you…and boy did she create a magical creature.  And she needed me to carry the torch from the moment you entered this world.  An honor I do not take lightly.  My bond with her lives on in YOU every single day.  You are the biggest gift and greatest example of what the love between two mothers can forge and all that is possible in creating a family.  I admire her and celebrate her on your birthday too.   I’ve cherished these last 12 years with you, MillieBeans….you came into our lives and gave us purpose and instilled in us a love that there are no words to describe.  Here are a few things that describe your 11th year….

A big leap from elementary school to middle school!  I wasn’t prepared for the difference a grade makes….it really blew me away and had me trying to catch my breath at all of the fast changes that occurred in such a short amount of time.  You were nervous and excited about going into 6th grade.  You went from a grade of 50 kids to a grade of 250 kids…a big jump.   You made a lot of new friends….really good new friends….and you grew stronger with your old friends.   You had a friendship explosion! In Middle School, it’s tough for us to know all of the new people you’re meeting…but we trust you so much to make good choices because you just always have….you associate with good people and it was really fun to watch.  You fit right in and got the hang of changing classes and dealing with a much heavier school load.  It wasn’t always easy and the subjects were much more challenging…but from a Mom’s point of view, I feel like you came out of sixth grade unscathed, happy, excited and ready for 7th grade.   I was beaming.  

You juggled 2 soccer teams this year….we were a little hesitant to let you do both….but you made both the club team and the Whitman Wildcat’s team so you decided to give it a try.  You had practice most nights each week and 2 games each weekend….and you crushed it!  You were captain on your club team and you were a starter on both teams.  And to my amazement you managed your time so darn well!  You made every practice for both teams, you made almost every game (except for the couple of times they overlapped) AND….you still managed to get all of your homework done, your home responsibilities taken care of and you had great grades throughout the year.  I was tired just watching you…but you thrived with a full schedule!  

You took the babysitting course and pretty much got jobs right outside the gate.  Friends and neighbors were on the edge of their seats waiting for the day you could officially babysit.   You have quite the little money making gig going!  It’s impressive to watch you manage the money you’re making and purchase things you’ve had on your ‘wish list’ with that hard earned money.  And you’re really great about saving your money too!  I love seeing the responsibility that comes with all of this….you’re nailing it :) 

Just as you were at the height of your social hangouts and a little more freedom to roam the streets with your friends, the pandemic hit.  Not being able to see your friends, school ending abruptly, soccer coming to an immediate halt and a new fear of the unknown….it hit us all like a ton of bricks.  But I think it hit you especially hard because you are such an extroverted, social butterfly and you were forced to limit that social interaction that you thrive on.  It’s been tough on you and you’ve been really great at letting us know how hard it is.  I love that you open up to dad and I so easily…especially when you’re sad or mad…you wear your emotions on the outside and you don’t hold things in……a quality that will serve you well in life because it allows you to feel all the feels and move on.   You’ve graduated to outdoor hangs with distance and you’re managing it well.   Not the same as before, but you’re cherishing whatever you can get!  

Your best friend for the last 7 years has been Soleil and you two are as strong as ever!  You are the healthiest kid I know…scratch that…the healthiest HUMAN I know!  You drink daily green smoothies, eat walnuts for dessert, get your 10,000 steps daily, you value sleep, and you know how to calm your stress.   You favorite dinner is beans on toast.  You prefer vegetarian to meat dishes.  You love Gray’s Anatomy,  Fuller House and too often ask me if you can watch R-rated movies (lol!).  You can now wear my shoes and often do.  You are always dancing…always….you know every tok-tok dance and you’re really, really good at them.  You love shopping at Brandy Melville and you love wearing sweatshirts and jeans.  You win at almost every sport you play….you’re a damn good athlete.  You spend more time in your room to the heartbreak of dad and I (but we totally get it). You love playing around with make up and fake nails.  You wear your hair in a top knot all the time and it is the cutest thing!  You always ask me if you can have a hug (melts my heart).  You love your family and friends so much and are so loyal to all of us.  You’re cool….I think that now as a 46 year old, and know that my 12 year old self would have wanted to be Millie Keegan! 

We are so grateful for you and pinch ourselves daily at the joy you bring us.  You are a superstar….you are all things beautiful and golden.  I love you so incredibly much, Millie  and I hope you have the best birthday and a year of learning, loving and fun beyond measure.   

xoxo

Mom