Allergies

A couple weeks ago, Conner came to me with a big concern. He was worried that it was not okay to like girls.... which is a big problem for him because he likes girls a lot.

We had a long talk about having the confidence to like whatever you want... regardless of what others may think. I reassured him that it was good to like girls, the color pink, and anything else that he wanted to like. Conner should be whoever and whatever he wants to be.



Conner had his first big boy field trip today.
He boarded a big, yellow school bus and smiled the entire ride to the local High School where Cars 2 was played in the auditorium for the elementary kids. So fun.


I sat on the bus and watched as he interacted with all of the girls, held their hands, and ignored any and all boys. I am not exaggerating when I state that multiple girls were fighting over who got to sit next to my Conner. He is quite the girl-star.


When I asked Conner about the boys that he likes to play with, he told me that he does not like boys. In fact, he states that he is allergic to boys. Boys, according to Conner are not beautiful - thus he is allergic to them. He then proceeded to tell me about each girl in his kindergarten class and how beautiful they are. He loves their long hair, their beautiful faces, and their smiles. Girls are simply the best...


There was one girl he talked about in particular tonight. A girl that he has been begging to have over to our house. A girl that was crying today when she could not sit next to Conner. A girl that he spent the majority of the morning holding onto her hand.

Kindergarten crushes.
So cute.
So... I don't know... am I really to this stage of motherhood already??

Hands, Hair, and Motherhood

Conner proudly declared that my left hand is "his hand" last night.
No one is allowed to hold it, look at it, or think about touching it.
The left hand is HIS hand.


Shortly after Conner's declaration, Caleb staked his claim upon my right hand. My right hand now belongs to Caleb.


Meanwhile, Colton with his best cave-man-communicating-grunts and defensive-tugs-upon-my-hair noted that my hair is now his property.


Motherhood - the act of giving everything you are and everything you have - is beautiful. I love that my hands belong to my kids, that my heart beats in four places at once, and that a little piece of me resides in each one of their smiling faces.

Connerisms

Twisting my wedding ring one night, Conner asks:

"Mom, when will I get a ring like this?"

"When you grow up and get married" I say

"But mom, I want to marry you."

"umm... Okay" I say

"But does that mean we have to kiss? Because I don't want to kiss."

Small Things

“Not all of us can do great things.
But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

It is the carrots from a neighbor's garden.
It is small garden flowers in a vase that state welcome.
It is someone remembering your name and calling it from a distance at Costco... just to say hello.

It is small bags of apples, homemade scripture bags for my kids, and helping hands that move heavy boxes.

It is a friend that vacuumed my empty house with a baby on her hip.
It is spending an entire day with a good friend.
It is a friend that maintained our yard after our initial move before our house had sold.


It is a friend who helped with kids - when you need it the most.
It is a friend who sold our house quickly.


It is the love and support from friends far away.
It is the love and support from family and friends that are near by.


Small things... really are not that small. Small things are large, life changing, and wonderful. I am grateful for all of the small ways people have loved me and my family. Your "small things" are monuments in my eyes.

Thank you.

Halloween Parade

Kindergarten is seriously the best. Conner is loving his teacher, his classroom, and his new friends. I am loving the moments to observe him in his kindergarten element. He writes love notes to his teacher nightly and invites all his friends to his house everyday.

We are loving it.
One of the best things about kindergarten is the Halloween parade.
What a blast.

His teacher and classmates looked simply amazing.














As I sat and watched my big boy parade around as a monkey - I marveled at how fast the little years pass. I want to enjoy these moments a little more.

Reflections

Conner completed his first Reflections project for the annual school art competition.

So. Much. Fun.
I had no idea how much fun this project would be.

Diversity means beauty.
Just like the coloring changing leaves on an autumn tree,
diversity provides beauty.

Adult Hangers?

Conner's clothes now hang their best on an adult hanger.

When did he grow up so fast???