chocolate chip cookie crumbs

Keeping Daniel’s face clean remains a hopeless endeavor. I can’t imagine there ever will come a day when his face will be clean. But I do have to admit that nobody in this circus wears chocolate chip cookie crumbs as well as he does.

For Daniel’s fans, you’re welcome!

HIS choice for Halloween

It would seem that Daniel is not so much my Little Man anymore as this year he made it very clear that he wanted to choose his costume for Halloween. Fair enough I thought and I took him to the “Halloween Store” a couple of weeks ago to make his selection. While he walked through the store occasionaly marveling over the awesome and gruesome decorations and carefully considered his costume options, mom couldn’t help but recall the past few years of Halloween celebrations for Daniel and how much he has grown and changed.

There was that first Halloween where I really felt comfortable with taking him out trick or treating and how it just was not meant to be.

And then that year even Johnny Depp just couldn’t measure up to his awesomeness.

And last year, as a young, dimpled, Anakin Skywalker, he clearly defined what Trick or Treating was. ..oh, and yes, he did get lots and lots of candy!

But this year it is clear that my Anakin has grown up…

Because I would LOVE to win a Flip (please pick me!) go check out SITScation sitsta and fellow mom of five and circus, Angie over at her Wordful Wednesday edition of the Seven Clown Circus. And to answer Angie’s question:

Why do you want a Flip?

Why? Oh my goodness! Angie! Like you I have five kids and I have a grand-girl. All of them are doing such funny, amazing things that I just HAVE to be capturing with a Flip. It would be sooo much easier than begging hubs to borrow his camera with the video and then cussing over frustration as I try to upload and edit my efforts. I know that Bill is over it. Waaaay over it.Also Jen Hinton totally inspired me at SITScation to give this vlogging thing a try. I NEED the Flip! That’s why!

keep our secret

Okay, no one, and I do mean NO ONE tell Daniel that his niece is wearing his hat and getting her girl germs all over it. Perhaps he shouldn’t have just left it lying around the Big Top for her to find it. But then again, Hazel’s G’ma should have put it up and away from Hazel’s reach. Let’s just keep this a secret, mmm-kay?

perception

Daniel age 9 weeks/31 weeks adjusted age

“When I was born I was teeny-tiny, tiny. I was REALLY tiny. Even tinier than Baby Hazel was. I lived in the hospital. My mom says that even though I was soo very tiny, I was the strongest baby ever. And now I am not tiny at all. I am big!”

I am quite impressed with Daniel’s perception of his beginnings. As he recalls and shares with others his perception of the beginning of his life it is easy to see how impressed he is with it. Although I do believe that sick, premature infants do have memory of the NICU experience on a subconscious and primitive level, I doubt he can recall how tiny yet how strong he was 7½ years ago. But it is clear that he is beginning to understand how scary and amazing it all was.

And again I find myself in awe over just how amazing this child of mine is.

his selection

I love to read. Always have, always will.

Over the years with each of my children I have read to them since they were tiny babies in my arms. Some would scoff at doing such a thing. I mean, how much really does a 2 month old understand “I love You Forever” some might question? Regardless I still would read to my babies all the time and as they grew 4 of them grew to love books so much that I would catch them reading in their beds in the wee small hours on a school night. While I wanted them to have a good night’s sleep part of me understood their need. I was and am the same way. It made me all warm and happy inside knowing that my girls loved books and loved to read as much as me.

But Daniel, well Daniel is different. As an infant he was my captive audience curled in my arms while I read to him. As he grew, I am not ashamed to admit that sometimes I took advantage of his being tethered to his kangaroo pump and tube feedings to read to him. But then as a mobile, active preschooler he seemed to want nothing to do with books or mommy reading him a story. If the story wasn’t a part of computer animated graphics, he wanted nothing to do with it. As he started school he struggled. Reading high frequecy word lists, easy readers sent home in his weekly homework packets and the massive library of family favorites here under the Big Top just did not appeal to him and it showed as we pressed on in spite of the protests, tears and frustrations. It was a small victory last year when his education team saw what we saw and agreed repeating the first grade was in his best interest. His successes so far into this new school year prove to us all, especially to Daniel, that this was the right thing to do.

Still the reading has been challenging. Good intentions to read more during the summer fell by the wayside. But then again, few selections in the family library appealed to him. He would sit with me every night to do the required reading time but he still struggled recognizing and recalling the expected high frequency words. He has been trying but it has remained a struggle. And then one day while roaming through the book section at Target a light bulb went on in  my head.  Sponge Bob Square Pants easy readers….Scooby Doo…Star Wars…and more. No, they are not classic, award-winning children’s literature treasured by generations but…Daniel LOVES them. He wants to read them with me over and over and over again AND he is recognizing and reading out loud parts of the books we read together. The cherry on top is HE is reminded me that we need to read tonight.

It is a simple enough solution which is why it probably took me so freaking long to realize it. The family library is growing and my boy is falling in freakin’ love with books! Life is good!

play it again: Yo-ho!

Ahoy, because it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day, because he was the cutest Captain Jack Sparrow E’ER and because Me am a gi’er, Me gi’es you this post from October 29, 2007. Aye, me parrot concurs.

…a pirate’s life for me!

In Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Johnny Depp will be replaced. I know, the thought is absolutely scandalous. But this replacement is amazing and (dare i say) cuter than that sexy beast, Johnny Depp.

Daniel Quinn IS the new Captain Jack Sparrow. Just ask him. He’ll tell you as he swings his sword and declares, “I am Captain Jack Sparrow!“

OMG, I can’t believe he agreed to wear this. Hopefully this Halloween and trick or treating won’t end up like last year’s.

wonder no more

Just in case anyone was wondering if my son was really a superstar, I offer photographic proof. Oh yes, he is a superstar!

banished doubts

So you know those decisions you make where deep in the dark of the night you find yourself perhaps having second thoughts? I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to such thoughts about our decision to hold Daniel back to repeat the first grade. Let’s just say as Daniel tells us it is time to do his homework and sits down and confidently goes for it, those thoughts are banished. Just like every other developmental milestone he has met it, I swear I can see the light bulb turn on just above his beautiful head.

True, the school year has just begun but to see the eagerness he has as he works on his math (naturally), his writing, his spelling and his reading I know we made the right choice to hold him back and repeat first grade again. He is a confident, eager learner rather than distracted and just a little bit frustrated and demoralized. Let’s face it, he is smart enough to know he wasn’t getting this last year. But this academic year, so far, he does get it.

Trust me. This is one decision which I have no dark of the night waking up in a cold sweat regrets, no second thoughts, no doubts.

today at school…

…anyone care to guess what book Daniel read at school today?

Meanwhile, at the high school, Zoë is making her fortune in the stock market in Econ while Abby is making hers panhandling in the student quad during lunch.

I couldn’t be prouder.

picture thoughts

• I can just imagine what y’all are thinking: Good God, is she going to put up yet another blog post about that wedding?
• As a matter of fact, yes I am.
• But you are rewarded with this picture of my five beautiful children with the Pacific Ocean in the background.
• Lucky you!
• I look at this picture and I can’t help but reflect on how lucky I am to have five beautiful, healthy, happy children.
• How the heck did that happen?
• Then I take a moment to feel gratitude for being so blessed.
• I look at Daniel and I feel just as proud as he looks. He was the cutest and best little ring bearer ever!
• My sister in law told me that at the rehearsal he took it upon himself to go up to the wedding coordinator and introduce himself. As he shook her hand he looked up and said, “Hi. My name is Daniel and I am in the wedding.”
• The bride was gorgeous but next to her, my girls were the prettiest ladies there.
• Jodie looks so much like my mother as a young woman it gives me chills.
• I have to say while looking at Jodie in this picture, that I don’t ever recall giving her permission to grow up.
• Holly just glows. Young love does that to a girl. So does a pretty dress.
• I look at Zoë and find myself hissing, “Stop slouching!”
• I did the same thing when I was her age.
• As always, Abby strikes a figure flattering, pretty pose. She really needs to teach me that.
• I like this shot so much of my kids I am thinking that this will likely be the Big Top Christmas card. I know last year it was just the kids and folks complained that next year Bill and I should be in the picture but this shot is perfect. Get over it people. Trust me, we haven’t changed too much except to get older.
• Which brings me to one more thought…
• Why must time fly by so damn quickly and our children grow up so fast. Really, why?