Happy 7th birthday, Ewan!

 

Year 6…..the year of the Mature Monkey…..sort of.   Such growth in you little man…..and not just in your long, skinny legs….but in your spirit and your responsibility and your outlook on life.   But…..you still hate to brush your teeth, you are still the pickiest eater I’ve ever met (although you are taking very, very slow baby steps to maybe sometimes try something new…sigh) and you very rarely pick up your room…but hey…nobody’s perfect and I absolutely adore your absurd imperfections….even if you drive me bonkers most days!   

BASEBALL!!  I knew you were athletic from the time you started walking…..but I had no idea you were a wicked good baseball player until this year!   Watching you slide into home plate (even when it wasn’t necessary and no one was there to tag you out) made my day!!!  You loved watching that dust swirl up around you and the rush you got diving across the base.   So cool!  You seemed to excel at pitcher and 2nd base and pretty much hit your target with the ball every time you threw to get someone out.  Your team was known for dog piling each other at every field play….at times taking your focus completely off the game and the outs you were supposed to be making just so you could all get a good tackle in with your own teammates…even if this meant completely abandoning first base for the outfield to get in on the action…..I’m realizing this is far more important to 6 year old boys than the actual rules of the game.  And you know what…..awesome!  Plenty of time for ‘getting it right’ when you’re older.  

You were in virtual school for pretty much all of first grade and I’d say after you got your wiggles out each day (by doing somersaults on the couch) and getting up to get a snack every two minutes, you were able to focus pretty darn well…until it was time to do another somersault!  Needless to say, you were ready to go back in person!  Seeing your friends and Mrs. Niemeyer in the flesh was just the thing you needed to make first grade a hit.   You started out the year not really enjoying reading.  You didn’t want to do it for fun or for assignments.  But one day, we were driving around and you just started reading every sign and billboard like a champ!  You had been learning to read all along…you just weren’t quite ready to share it with all of us.  Now you can’t stop reading, which makes me so happy!  You love ‘Piggy and Elephant’ books and you love nonfiction about sea animals, monster trucks and you are absolutely obsessed by the Titanic!   You really excel at math.  You turn everything about your day into a mathematic word problem.  It is so fascinating to me to hear how you come up with numerical solutions for everything you’re doing….you are one smart little boy! 

You love monster trucks and building with magna-tiles.  You probably built a dozen lego creations this year.  You love to bike and go to the beach.  Your buddies are Lincoln and Griffin, Robert, Duncan, Kai, Walter, Drake and Charlie.  You love playing soccer or tag at recess….you are always in motion.  You howl and you growl when we ask you questions.  You love dancing the Kokopelli.  You are always happy and only have small outbursts to protest something you don’t like….and you recover from them quickly.  You love to annoy your sisters and disrupt things in their room.   But you’re so lucky, because the two of them adore you and usually let you get away with it!  Your favorite food is cucumber sushi and pasta with butter and parmesan.  You are a picky little eater still, but your options are slowly expanding.  You looooooove Lucky Boy and go for walks with he and I down to the beach.  You are really into Sponge Bob and Fineas and Pherb.  You cut a mullet this year and you rock it! 

You’ve taught me so much this year, Ewan.  Having a boy is something I had no clue would be so fun and rewarding.  You are the cutest thing with your freckled nose and long skinny legs.  You put the biggest smile on my face.  I have loved your 6th year and all of the growing your body and mind have done.   You are so fun to be with!   You teach me so much.  You are the best addition to our family and we adore you, Sweet Ewan.  Happy birthday my boy….you’ve been waiting for this day for so long!!  7 is going to be a fabulous year!!  Love, Mom xoxo

 

Happy 13th, Millie!!

 My Sweet, Sweet Millie Beans……I have sat this entire evening trying to reflect on all things Millie and it’s done nothing but bring me the happiest tears……the amount of joy and excitement and pride and fun you have brought into our lives is just immeasurable.  And on this eve of you becoming a teenager I can’t help but get the biggest smile on my face thinking of all that you are and all that you have achieved in 13 years.   Before you set off to enjoy what I think will be the best years yet, I want to tell you all of the things that made you YOU during your 12th year.  Here goes……

A pandemic during middle school!  Surprisingly this did not slow you down!   School was done from the comfort of your bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets and lounging in your favorite sweats….you actually enjoyed it!  While you missed seeing your friends daily, you thrived in online school.   You got all A’s and B’s and great reports from your teachers.  When it was time to go back in person, you were excited…..you are a social lady and you love being around people.  

Speaking of social….you and your friends made it work!  You guys would meet outside rain or shine, masked up and distanced just to keep up with your friendships.  It was not uncommon to see you guys dancing outside in the rain in the pitch black of night, bundled up in Gor-tex!  My favorite was watching you and Soleil on multiple occasions knitting outside in your winter parkas  huddled around the fire pit, laughing your fannies off!!  Despite the lockdown, you strengthened your friendships ten-fold……Soleil, Ellie, Anya, Elsa, Stella, Caroline, Olivia (x’s 2), Rachael, Addy, Eva, to name a few!   And once you got your vaccine, the power of a hug (especially between you and Soleil and all of the family members outside of our house) was never more evident……you hugged as if it were your last!   You value your relationship with others above all else….you are loyal and kind and emotional and faithful….we are all so lucky to have your commitment to us! 

You and your best friend, Soleil, thought up, designed, advertised and executed an outdoor PE class for kids ages 4-9.  ‘Rain or Shine.’  You saw the cancellations in kid activities during the pandemic and seized on the opportunity to offer something safe and fun for parents in need.  You ran this business for a full school year and became famous amongst parents in the neighborhood!  You guys made incredible money and both earned other jobs with the families that  participated.  We were so proud of your leadership and entrepreneurial spirit!   It was a glimpse into the success you will have in your future careers and endeavors!   Your bank account grew and your business skills grew :)

You took soccer to the next level this year!  You were given the opportunity to try out for a newer, more elite club…OL Reign.  You were torn because throughout the process you ended up loving both OL Reign and your original club, Celtic.  You found out that you made Celtic team first.  Hooray!  You loved this team.  OL Reign was a mystery….you were told there would be several cuts and not everyone would make the team.  There was a lot of talent at those tryouts from all over the state.  You were content to continue to play for Celtic, thinking you might not make Reign.   And then, sure enough, the letter arrived and you made it!  You made OL Reign and you were ecstatic!  You accepted with a semi heavy heart leaving your beloved Celtic.  But you had a goal to improve your game and branch out to a more elite level of play.  I am blown away at how your skill-level has increased in just a few short weeks with your new team.  Your self esteem, courage, leadership and of course ball skills…..i’ve said it before, but I absolutely LOVE watching you play soccer, Millie!!! 

As if soccer and a part time job weren’t enough for a 12 year old, you also eagerly ran for Treasurer of Whitman Middle School and you won!   You committed to ASB with gusto, making weekly videos for the student body, managing the school funds and working on a team with other student council members.  You learned how to run board meetings, vote on issues and make difficult decisions……your confidence blows me away!  

I can’t end this note without touching on your personal style….it’s amazing!  While you love a good trend, you also add a Millie flare to it and it works every time!  It’s fun to see what you come up with and how you pull it off.   At 12 you are still the healthiest kid I know!  You choose broccoli over ice cream. I loved listening to ‘our songs’ on our way to and from soccer practice…’Sweet Child of Mine, Beautiful Noise, Maggie Rogers to name a few!   You love snowboarding and knitting and chocolate covered almonds.  You love high-wasted jeans, crop tops and flannels.  You love making videos with your friends.  You love to hug and you hang on tight.  You use a diffuser every night.  You are the messiest eater I know!  You ask a question and answer it yourself immediately before I have time to respond.  You are lousy at putting your dishes in the dishwasher.  You are so loving to your siblings.  Your dance skills are the envy of others.  You are genuinely happy when others succeed.  Your favorite shows areFuller House, Grays Anatomy and Gilmore Girls.  Your favorite meal is vegan sausage and white beans over sourdough bread.  

You are amazing, Millie Sky Keegan!  I love watching you grow and mature and become who you are becoming!  Thanks for being such a meaningful daughter, sister and friend!  We love you so, so much!!!!  Happy 13th!! xoxoxoxo

Mom