Charles Christmas Card 2010

Digital greeting created with Smilebox

Find Joy and Laugh!

First snow and these boys set the priority to go and pick the broccoli leftover from their summer garden. They laughed so much yesterday in the snow. Running around, throwing snowballs, snowfort, snowslide, angels, the works!

The other night, Cole and I were laughing about words that sound silly...like nipples! (He wanted to know what his were called.) We kept laughing about it for awhile until I sighed and put back on my Mama hat. I stopped laughing and lay quietly trying to induce sleep for Cole. He asked me, "Mama, aren't you going to laugh anymore?" To which I responded, "It's time to sleep, Honey B." Unphased, he said, "I think you should keep laughing." A whole new fit of giggles began.

Little Boy Wisdom #66: Just laugh, it feels so much better than crying.

God's Image

Today Cole and I were discussing the issue of present-giving for Christmas. I reminded him the reason why we do that is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God's son. I love to tell Noah and Cole the story of Jesus for many reasons, not the least of which is that Jesus was also adopted by Joseph. As the discussion progressed, he asked, "Mama, what does God look like?" To which I answered that we don't really know. I told him that some people think he's like an old man with a beard, thinking of Michelangelo's painting. I started to worry that he might associate that image with Santa Claus. Surprisingly this was his response, "Oh...cause I don't remember...it was a long time ago that I was a baby." I guess he was implying that before he was born he lived with God. I promise I did not give him this idea through any religious talk. Amazing thoughts from such a young boy, who really is growing up so fast. He can even ride his bike now without the training wheels!

Little Boy Wisdom #65: Trust the faith that is already in your heart, without any doctrine or teaching. It is there, you will find it, if you listen to your own heart. Which, by the way, Cole says, "God is in there (pointing to his heart) we just can't see him."

Happy in the Sunshine

Each day when Noah and I pick up Cole from preschool, we park in the lot and walk down the long sidewalk just the two of us. We are usually quiet and tired, both of us at the end of our school day. But yesterday, he took my hand and I started to skip which he was quick to join in. He started giggling and this HUGE smile spread across his face. There we were skipping and holding hands in the bright autumn, late afternoon sun. Like a dream, completely spontaneous. He said one sentence..."I just know this is gonna be my favorite part of today.

"Little Boy Wisdom #64: Skip with someone you love.

2nd Grade Starts!

Here is Noah on his first day of school. Asked how he feels about his first week he replies nonchalantly, "I don't know..." So the verdict still out. But Cole also started preschool this week and Noah said he was jealous of Cole because he gets to play at school. It's proven that kids do learn more through play than any book can provide. Maybe our schools need to remember that when planning their curriculum. We can all be more motivated by a little play in our day.
The boys are motivated by real life! They found a woolly bear caterpillar and adopted it. They have been feeding it milkweed and love all week. The first day of school, they ran home to check on him and the first thing Noah said was, "He pooped a lot...that's a good sign!" So funny because it reminded me of how I thought about the boys when they were babies.



Little Boy Wisdom # 63: Find motivation by taking breaks to play and spending time outdoors, pondering the wonders of life.

Good News, Folks!

Ever since Cole saw "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" last Christmas, he likes to play good news/bad news. It started with Santa walking in to say, "I've got some bad news folks...Christmas is going to be cancelled." For the longest time Cole would simply say, "Bad news folks..." whenever something went wrong. Now he is coming around to see the other side and really liking it! The other day we went on a walk and we had a big hill to go over with bikes and scooters. Then he got this big smile on his face and said "Good news folks! Now we get to go DOWN the hill!" It was so fun to see his eyes sparkle with the realization that with the bad, there always comes some good!

Little Boy Wisdom # 62: Remember the sun on the other side of the clouds!

Crazy Camping Trips

So we have been on three camping trips this summer and all of them ended with rain...lots of rain! The first was in May for Cole's gotcha day; just one heavy rainstorm then during our special dinner with Boomie and Papa. Cole and I hung out in his grandparents tent working on his Jr. Ranger book (he can earn a badge for completing several state park activities and logging them in his book). Thank goodness for the distraction! We did have a great deal of fun! Cole lead the pack on a geo-caching adventure, we lit sparklers on his special day, saw a naturalist show on reptiles and another one on bird watching.

The second trip was to Blue Mounds State Park in the SW corner of Minnesota. The boys loved climbing on the rocks and trying out the new hammock...still working on their Jr. Ranger Badges. The last night of our trip we were just about to have our last campfire and the ranger told us to go to the showers for shelter in 4 minutes! As we waited with the automatic flusher going off and complete (but thankfully nice) strangers, a vortex of wind and rain went right over our heads! It landed just south of us. We left that night feeling soggy but happy to be safe.

The last and final trip of the summer was closer to home at Bunker Hills Regional Park. 80 mph straight line winds greeted us a couple of hours after we arrived. We found shelter in the Archery Building amongst the John Deere gators and ranger equipment. Our tent made it through still dry when we came back to it. We stayed the night and had our campfire in the morning. Through it all Noah said, "I don't care about the camping, I just like being with my friends."

Little Boy Wisdom #61: Enjoy the company you are blessed to have and don't worry about the details!

Garden: Part 2

Here Cole is really taking pride in his pea pods. He has a mission to try a new recipe. So he cut them, pulled off the stems, washed them, and made his own stir fry! It was amazing to see them grow from seeds and then bring them to our dinner table to eat! Boy were they fresh and good!!

Now that we have eaten them once, he can hardly wait for more to grow!

Little Boy Wisdom #60: Try growing your own food. At least learn how to make something from scratch. It gives pride a whole new meaning.

Garden: Part 1

This summer we decided to plant a veggie garden.
Here are the boys planting seeds on May 15th, 2010. We had no idea what we were doing. But with a little faith and love we forged ahead.

Now the sunflowers are over Kevin's 6 foot body! We still have yet to see the flowers though.

Noah and Cole are very good at weeding and watering and they watch for every change as it happens.

Squeals of delight came from Noah as he discovered a gourd growing under the large leaves and yellow-orange flowers. "Oh... I LOVE my little gourdy!"

Little Boy Wisdom #59: Adopt a plant and find joy as it thrives on your attention.

My Brother, My Friend

Ultimately, they love to spend time together. They fight, they scream things they don't mean. But they really care what the other thinks. They desire approval and understanding from each other. Whether discussing the reality of dragons, how to spell 'f-r-i-e-n-d', what happens when people die, or the physics of legoes...it seems they are comforted by having a companion even one who may not always agree with you. They often say, "How about we not fight? Then we can get back to playing faster!"


Little Boy Wisdom #58: It's okay to fight with your loved ones, but always forgive and get back to playing and loving and laughing.

Success!

Cole and Noah have been very anxious to earn their own money by having a lemonade stand. On Saturday, they made their dream come true! They juiced fresh lemons, added boiled water with sugar to make a syrup, and lots of ice. It was yummy. They popped popcorn and put it in bags for serving their loyal customers. In the end, they made thirteen dollars which they immediately took to Target for a new Spy Watch (Cole) and an iguana Webkin stuffed animal (Noah). On the way there, Noah said, "You guys are the best parents in the world!" It sure is nice to be recognized for being supportive. :)

Little Boy Wisdom #57: Enjoy the path to your dreams and honor the people who help you along the way.

Feel My Heart

Wednesday was Noah's last day of 1st grade! Here he is with Luke, his best friend at school. Together they have made stories about dragons, formed a club at recess, traded lots of tiny toys, gone to birthday parties, taught each other how to draw cool vehicles and how to be a good friend. Funny thing...on the first day of school they stood right next to each other in line while waiting to enter the school. They had just met and already Noah was making Luke laugh with silly backpack antics and funny faces. Soon after, they became fast friends. Luke is a kind, bright, loyal friend. We are so happy they have each other as they move on to 2nd grade.
A couple weeks ago we went camping. Here is Cole trying out the new hammock. It was a tough trip at Wild River State Park. Lots of ticks and mosquitos. We are still learning but we have lots more trips planned for this summer. Perseverence and love will make us happier campers as time goes by.

Yesterday Noah and Cole and I went swimming and after Noah swam through the deep water, I noticed how hard his heart was pumping from all the exercise. I told Cole to feel to feel his heart beating. Cole's eyes opened wide as he placed his hand on Noah's chest. Today they were running around outside and when Cole came in the house he asked me to feel his heart. Sure enough...boom, boom, boom.

Last night Cole and Noah came running in the house with the first ripe strawberry from the patch in our backyard. They were so excited. They washed it and cut it in four pieces so everyone in the family could enjoy and savor it's sweetness.

Little Boy Wisdom #56: Be amazed by life! Even the simplest things. One single, perfect strawberry...the beating of your own heart. As the world spins around you and life gets crazy, find comfort in the beauty of life.

Camping soon!

Cole just keeps getting smarter and bigger every day! I make sure to remind him of how intelligent he is several times a day. His typical response is, "Don't tell anyone!" but he still smiles a BIG smile. He knows he's smart but he doesn't feel the need to make that public knowledge. Wouldn't that be great if we all felt like that? We would be so much happier if we didn't need approval every time we do something outstanding.

Little Boy Wisdom # 55: Smile quietly to yourself when you know you did something fabulous. Let pride wash over you privately. Celebrate you!

Heroes

Alright ya'll. Little boys got their priorities straight. Firefighters, police officers, recycling collectors, construction workers....they are the true heroes. And don't forget that homeless guy on the corner - he's brave too. My boys make me stop and look. They ask the hard questions. As I wrack my brain trying to come up with answers that will not only educate them but satisfy them, I realize these are the most important conversations I will ever have. Where is that guy gonna sleep tonight? What is he gonna do with my money if I give it to him? How long can he stay at the homeless shelter and how will he get there? Why is there a bomb in the "things we took from bad guys" display at the police station? Noah's last question after having a tour of the police department was, "Officer, do you ever get scared doing your job?" Cole says, "Mama, I like firefighters but I'm not gonna be one cause their job is too dangerous!" Uh huh...we need to pay those people more money.

Little Boy Wisdom #54: Ask the hard questions. Maybe you'll find some decent answers.

$2.54

Today was Noah's special day, the day he joined our family on March 10, 2004. We have been celebrating for the past few days. We started at Lego Land on Sunday. Here is our resident Lego expert at work, while the Lego guys cause mischief.

Then it was off to the butterfly exhibit. Noah is in LOVE with butterflies and the feeling seems mutual.

Today in art class, he made a creature puppet with pop-up eyes.

Boomie gave him snuggles, a favorite stuffed animal, and a great card with a picture of the first time she saw him, 6 years ago. He was 7 months old.

But for him the best part of the day was buying his own plunger for $2.54. Cole got one too. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen!! They kept whamming them down on the floor to make them stick and then laughing like crazy. I laughed so hard I was in tears. People walking by in Walmart would try not to smile, but before they knew it they were in stitches too. I heard things like, "That's awesome!" "It's the simplest things!" "Cheap entertainment!" It was a fine piece of performance art. Thanks Noah and Cole, we needed a good laugh.

Little Boy Wisdom #53: Don't take life too seriously. Funny things are everywhere, maybe even in your cleaning supplies!

Ordinary Treasures

Lately my boys have been really teaching me about how to appreciate the present. Just yesterday I took Noah to buy some new shoes. For me, it was just a simple task, an errand to complete. My mind was filled up with teacher conferences, snowy winter driving, laundry to fold and so on. But as we walked into the mall, Noah stopped walking for a brief second and said, "Whoo-hoo! This is gonna be fun...I get special Mama-time." Though the tone was excited, it was almost a whisper, as if he was afraid to say it out loud in case it was too good to be true. I caught myself and realized the truth of what he had just said. And here I was, about to take it for granted. After that, we had the best time picking out those shoes! We even spritzed on some "Happy" perfume and went up and down in the Macy's glass elevator. It was a sweet moment in time. I'm so glad he reminded me to notice it. The picture above was taken for the plain and simple reason that Cole wanted it taken...of ALL of us, holding our valentines near the cookies which we had just made. You can see the strength of his embrace and his smile. It was just a simple night preparing for the holiday, but to him, it was awesome. Below is a picture of Noah and our new tradition of lighting a candle for each good school paper he brought home that day. You can see how "bright" he is! Lastly, the other night it was my turn to put Noah to bed, and as we shut off the light and laid down to snuggle he said, "Oh Mama...I wish this could last forever..." Me too, Noah, me too!

Little Boy Wisdom #52: Just when you think you are having an ordinary day, think again.

Happy Korean New Year...(Early)

We celebrated the Lunar Korean New Year today even though this year it is really on February 14th. Three families were together for this occassion and today just worked the best for everyone. Here are Cole and Noah about to bow to us to show love and respect. Noah is wearing his hanbok. Cole was too shy but appropriately picked out a red shirt. Red is worn traditionally in Korea on that day. He also has the American flag on his shirt which I thought was appropriate considering their dual country history.

Here Noah is bowing and Cole is getting his "bok jumoni" (Korean money bag) ready for treats. They each received some Korean candy, some coins, and a traditional name stamp with their name in Korean.

Cole's favorite phrase lately has been "Two more times!" I love it, he's honest. Let's face it, one more time is just never enough. So this year we will celebrate the new year two more times!

Little Boy Wisdom #51: The good times in life are worth celebrating not just once, but two or three times!

A Song and Some Snow

The boys just love snow. Bless their hearts. They get it. They get that we are blessed to be alive. It's winter, it's gray most of the time and dark. But they still smile, they get up every morning and want to play the minute their feet hit the floor. On the way home today in the car, they were singing songs together and loving the sound of their own voices. Each one, encouraged by the other's bold sound. They even took turns! One would stop and say, "Can I sing alone this time?" and the other would listen. Then they would switch. Beautiful boys with beautiful voices, in the middle of traffic and brown slop crossing my window with the windsheild wiper fluid. My heart sang quietly as I listened.
Little Boy Wisdom #50: Sing! It's almost as good as the summer sun!