2012 in Numbers

What a year! 365 days ago when I dreamed what 2012 would hold for us I could not have imagined the goodness that would befall us during the year.

Almost every year I vow to lose weight and save money. Seriously, almost every year. How shallow is that? I actually feel ashamed to admit it. The saddest part - it never happens...ever. Most years I actually do quite the opposite and 2012 was no exception. Then every year for the last few days of December I sit here beating myself up because I failed miserably...again. I measure the success of my entire year based on the number on the scale and the number in my bank account. I realize how crazy this is! The unfortunate thing about New Years is that with all the resolution making & goal setting we often forget to reflect on the numbers that actually matter - the moments spent with the ones you love and the time spent doing "good" work.

55 degree difference from January 6 to January 15th

3 burial attempts of the frog who kept playing dead

1.1 million dollars bringing families together

0 plates to wash at Rudy's Bar-B-Q

17 birthday candles blown out + one for great uncle Blair

10 feet away from being alligator lunch

$10,000 in 30 days

600 practice cartwheels and 1st horseback rides

2,126 snack & super kid photos

10 point bucks and 2 point conversations

8 jars of honey (from neighborhood bees) used this year

 16 seconds of pumpkin balancing 

 3 floors of beautiful library accessible to everyone

1 spoiled rotten guinea pig

 60 degrees on Thanksgiving

 3 loves of my life

 2,000 books printed

a 50 year old family heirloom I adore

8,902 listens to Call Me Maybe 

1.5 inches of pure amazingness

50 stars & 13 stripes

1 morning of unbelievable clouds

 2,398,241 summer time freckles

3 keys  

89 year old great grandma Hazel

#29 and #19 showing their triathlon muscle

6th century Knight of the Round Table 

Fancy 80th birthday luncheon for great grandma Marilyn

Infinity!

These are the numbers that I'm counting this year. The moments that make our year real and our life unique. I'm making a different resolution in 2013. One I stole from Owen. A couple of days ago when I asked him what he wanted to accomplish in the coming year he said, "To be the best Owen Stephenson I can be. That's my only goal!"

Me too, Buddy!

Last Day today means First Day tomorrow

I love how the end of one thing is the beginning of another. Today was the last day of school, which means, tomorrow is the first day of summer! For the next 104 days these guys are mine all mine.

Sophia, my 7 year old darling, is reading & spelling like a champ. She knows how to add, subtract (with her fingers), and can climb up the rope all the way to the ceiling. As old as she seems some days, she still plays babies & pretends to be our waitress while she sets the table-apron and all. She's cute as a button with a sassy streak. She chases rabbits around the yard in the mornings and wraps her guinea pig up in a blanket after school. She has 2 front teeth that have been missing since March and lost another tooth today while I was taking these pictures. 

She's my little snuggle bug and I love her so!

Owen Blair my double digit dude! This boy has best laugh ever, and his excitement for learning is like nothing I've ever seen. He is a chatterbox - ready to replay every detail of the story he's reading or the song he learned. He found a love for acting this year after seeing the musical Oliver, and being in the 4th & 5th grade production of Joust! He based his band instrument selection on his desire to play the Harry Potter theme song...French Horn lessons start in August! A couple of weeks ago he explained that he still wanted to be a scientist in the rainforest, but he wanted to live here some of the time. 

He's the coolest kid alive and I love him so.

V for Valor

Right before spring break, Owen participated in the 4th & 5th grade choir's performance of Joust! It was a really cute musical about how King Arthur, his Mighty Medieval Men and the rest of the kingdom were brought together by music. 

Owen was unbelievably excited when he was voted, along with a 5th grader named Brady, to 'star' in this very exciting & violent jousting scene! 

I love to see Owen try & enjoy new things. I hope he never loses his love of exploring...whether inside the halls of his school or outside in snake country. These diverse experiences help kids absorb information and give them a depth that even the best parenting cannot teach. 

Freckle Friday | Late Start Friday = Liver Damage

Once a month our school district has late start Fridays.  The administration and teachers use this time for professional development and team meetings that just can't happen with children at school. This time is valuable for the district to keep our, already great, teachers at their best. 

What happens at our house on late start Fridays isn't quite as positive!

My kids usually sleep in a little...which for Owen means he stays in bed until at least 6:10 am. Then he comes in our bedroom to snuggle with his Mommy and watch a relaxing horrifying episode of Spongebob Squarepants Dual Survival. His expert commentary about the snakes or alligators the two lunatic hosts are about to eat, which registers 180dBs on the Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart, usually wakes Sophia about 5 minutes later. Sophia enters the bed all snuggly and adorable.  

However, within two minutes the kids go from...

to...

Late start Fridays along with most weekends, evenings, car trips, basically anytime the kids have free time together, give us the exact same behavior.  Snuggling turns to playful wrestling...which turns into a Greco-Roman match...which leads to one of them crying, the other one whining and the whole scenario ultimately ends with me headed to the liquor cabinet at 8:16am.

I wish I was joking...so does my liver.

Freckle Friday | Velvet

Meet Sophia's new pet feral cat, Velvet. 

I tried, repeatedly, to scare her from picking up the cat. 

I threaten long needles being poked into her stomach and lockjaw.

She reacts exactly as I expect, by turning her back and mentally giving me the finger. 

Do as I do; Not as I say!

As part of my last ditch effort to get medical appointments scheduled before our Cadillac insurance runs out, recently I've had our entire family poked and prodded by anyone who owns a blood pressure cuff.  

Last week the optometrist, yesterday the general practitioner, this morning the dentist, and tomorrow the veterinarian...and I don't mean for Piper. Lately, Owen has started eating like a horse! Rather than be sorry later, I thought I'd better get him checked out now. I don't want to be surprised with a kids whose  half Clydesdale after my good insurance expires! 

This morning's appointments was early enough the kids basically got up and ready as they would any school day. It was also late enough though once they were ready, they had about 30 minutes to play before we needed to leave.  Owen went outside to kick the football around, and Sophia did this... 

Newborn photo shoot! She even pulled in a bit of nature with the flowers. She move closer or further away to get the look she wanted. Propped with pillows & blankets to make it just right. I loved watching her try different compositions with her baby. She was pretty impressed with her photos. 

I get a kick out of seeing her mimic me. Luckily, she doesn't repeat much of the vile crap that, from time to time, shoots out of my mouth...yet. She is learning exactly the way I did. 

Shooting lots of photos - of things you love!  

For her...babies and flowers;

for me...her.