Quinn's Second Grade Projects & Art

 2021-2022

Homeroom Teacher: Ms. Jenna Nance

Sunday School Teacher: Ms. Melanie Joison

Book Character Parade (March 2022)

Award from GFC Family Retreat (Feb 2022)

February 7, 2022

My favorite (and Dad's)

A Daily Message for My Children (at Ages 10, 8, and 6)

 Dear Banner, Quinn, & Knox,

Without fail, every.single.day, you ask Dad and me questions to which we have to continue to say no. It kills me to have to say no so often, so please stop asking me these questions. I promise I'll let you know if my answer changes. But, in the meantime:

• No, you cannot sleep in my bed tonight.
• No, I will not buy you Robux.
• No, you cannot have a sleepover tonight.
• No, you cannot stay up late.
• No, you cannot stay home from school.
• No, you cannot buy V-bucks.
• No, you cannot have that toy you just saw on the commercial.
• No, we're not giving you money for the claw machine.
• No, we're not skipping Sunday School.
• No, we're not going to the gift shop when we leave this attraction.
• No, I will not sleep in your bed.
• No, we aren't going to watch TV while we eat dinner.
• No, you cannot say "the F word."
• No, you can't stay home alone.
• No, I'm not buying you an iPhone.
• No, you don't have a fever, so no, you're not sick... so to school you go.
• No, no TikTok.
• No, you cannot play Grand Theft Auto.
• No, you cannot skip brushing your teeth.
• No, you cannot have more screen time.
• No, we're not going to a movie on a school night.
• No, I will not go upstairs/downstairs with you. You're a big boy.
• No, you can't do what I asked later. Do it now.
• No, you cannot sit up front.
• No, it's not your turn to choose what song/movie/show we watch/listen to - again.
• No, you cannot skip dinner and only eat dessert.
• No, you cannot call Grandma at this hour to stay up later - I see right through your little tactic of pulling on my heartstrings.
• No, we're not going to 7/11 - or Menchie's - or Handel's - or any other ice cream store - after school or after dinner every day.
• No, I will not get you another cup of water while you stall bedtime.
• No, we're not having a Yes Day.

I love you. Dad loves you. We know your favorite things, and we want to be able to give these things to you when you ask, but we wouldn't be good parents - or have any money left - if we said yes every time you ask - which is, as I said before, nearly every day. Please stop asking. One day when you are parents, you will see how hard it is to say no all the time. You're doing your part as kids to push the boundary, speak your mind, test our limits... but we're going to keep doing our part to do the four jobs you know we're here to do: keep you safe, keep you healthy (both physically and mentally), keep you kind, and keep you learning. We know we sound like broken records (you know, that's the thin plastic spinning disk that used to play music; when scratched, it tends to repeat itself over and over again), but then again, so do you. So, let's call a truce. You stop asking, and then I don't have to keep saying no. Deal?

I love you!
Love,

Mom

And Another Year Makes SIX! (Knox's Newlsetter)

Dear Knox,

I’m writing this letter to you a few days late because we were on a cruise on your birthday. You have been very sad this morning as we got off the ship and said goodbye to an amazing week at sea. Right now, you’re sitting next to me playing Roblox on the iPad while in the airport awaiting our flight home. This past week, you spent quite a bit of time at Adventure Ocean, the kids club where you met lots of new people, played lots of games, did a lot of activities, and – your favorite – created lots of drawings! You ate pizza from Sorrento’s probably 2-3 times a day, loved being able to have chocolate chip cookies every night at the dining room, and couldn’t wait to get in the pools, especially the hot tub, every day. You said, “This is the life!” I don’t even know how many times this week!

At 6-years-old, you are getting more and more independent, and perhaps it’s because you’re my youngest, you are constantly surprising us with all you know and do. I forget you’re not a “baby” anymore, even if you are MY baby always. Let me tell you a little more about you at SIX!

-You LOVE to draw. You love to color. You’re always asking me to print coloring pages for you, and when I tell you we have plenty of coloring books, you are not satisfied with this answer. You want to color a specific character or scene. Mostly, you want me to print whatever new game or app you are into: Friday Night Funkin’, Roblox characters, Piggy, or some other crazy, creepy character from Five Nights at Freddy’s or Poppy’s Playhouse.

-You’re into “creepy,” or so you say. You watch strange things on YouTube that I’ve had to nearly prohibit because while you think it’s great during the day, at night you’re terrified to sleep by yourself.

-Speaking of, you love your new bunk bed we got after Hanukkah. You love to have your brothers sleep in your room with you, and you especially love to have them tell you silly stories after we say goodnight to you. While I wish you boys would just go to sleep, I do love hearing your giggles in your room.

-You make friends easily. Your favorite friends are Wyatt and Asher E. from Anshai, Jordan from Gan Izzy, and Omar and Luke from school.

-School has been good this year! Your Kindergarten teacher is Ms. Morris, and she tells us you’re doing very well academically. She says you need a lot of reminders and can easily lose track of your things, though. She says “Knox is Knox. He’s crazy, but I love him.” You have satisfactory progress on everything except keeping up with your belongings and maintaining self-control.

-We are not surprised about this last part. We had you evaluated by Dr. B over winter break, and he 100% agreed you have ADHD. The evaluation itself was kind of humorous, as Dr. B asked you questions and you couldn’t even pay attention to the question or remember what he had asked you. We have not started medication for this yet, as most prescriptions require you to be 6, and at the time, you were not there yet. But, now that you’ve had this birthday, we will probably get a prescription from Dr. B once we visit him for your well-check in a couple weeks.

-We welcomed Tova to our family in October, and you are so in love with her! While, at this time, she nips and gnaws at your feet and your pant legs or socks, you tolerate her very well, and when she cuddles you, it melts my heart. You have LOVED having a puppy.

-Some of your favorite things include: pretzels and chocolate chip muffins (yes, at the same time); apple juice; kolaches; Emma; Lizzie; pizza day at school; Roblox; coloring; sleeping in our bed; swimming; dancing; chicken nuggets; ketchup; McDonald’s, taking baths (and with bubbles and color if I allow it), the trampoline,

-You’re a very picky dresser. You might try on several outfits per day, and if the sleeves hit the wrong part of your body or your pants are too long or short, you will fuss that they don’t fit – when really they do. I can’t put your clothes away anymore; I’ve retired from that chore, because nothing stays where I put it, and you end up with a floor covered in clothing. It drives me insane.

-You are wild and crazy, and usually in your own little world while entertaining yourself. You are so very loud, and you are so silly! You’re active – loving to climb up on things, jump off of things, and make all kinds of noises and voices while doing it.

-It’s hard to believe that a year ago you were learning from home with Emma, George, and Graham at our house. The pandemic has set you back in a few ways, but I don’t even know if you remember a world before it. Your manners and social skills are lagging just a little, and you don’t enjoy learning as much as I would like. You only recently decided you could read, even though you’ve been able to do so for a year. Your confidence has been rocky when it came to reading until the last month or so. But, again, you’ve been able to do it for a long time. You write your teen numbers backwards (17 is written “71” for instance, even though we’ve been working on this for a while). You really just don’t seem to enjoy learning. When Ms. Swearingen tested you for PACE, she said you were quite resistant to testing, even saying, “I don’t want to do this!” Your scores indicated you are a superior reader and mathematician, but you decided you didn’t want to give it your all with any other tests – getting scores as low as in the 5^th percentile, which we KNOW is not accurate.

-You’ve lost 4 teeth – two front bottom and two front top. I’m savoring that gummy grin, even though one of the top teeth is starting to poke through. This is the stage I love the most – when the top two teeth are missing. When your fourth tooth came out just last week, Quinn looked at you and said, “Woah! He looks like a first grader!”

-You pick at your bottom lip - just like I do. We have an ongoing pact that when we see each other doing this icky habit, we will remind each other to stop. 

-Speaking of Quinn, you and Quinn seem to be the best of buds most of the time. You both have active imaginations and play so well together. There are times when he gets a little gruff and bossy with you, but you hold your own! Banner, on the other hand, is usually not your best pal. You two clash quite often, and you both can be stubborn, impulsive, and crabby with each other.

-When you want, you can be the most loving, affectionate, helpful kiddo. When you want to put effort into cleaning up, there is no stopping you. You want to fold things up, find a space for everything, and make our home tidy. This is usually pretty rare, but when it happens, it’s delightful!

*Updated after your 6-year-old well check on March 4th with Dr. Berkowitz: 

-Weight: 43.6 pounds = 45th percentile

-Height: 44 3/4 inches = 40th percentile

-BMI - 15.3 = 50th percentile

*We started Vyvanse to treat ADHD. You're currently taking 10 mg, a very small dose. We will see if we need to increase in the coming weeks.

*We had a birthday party for you at Altitude with a few friends on the first day of Spring Break. You wanted the theme to be Friday Night Funkin', something most people were unfamiliar with. You wanted microphone cupcakes, and they turned out pretty cute I think!  :)

Oh Knox Morgan, I love you so very much. The past couple years have been rough with COVID and changing our normal routines, but we are slowly getting back to living life as we did before the pandemic. You tried soccer last semester, and I think because of ADHD, it was hard for you to really participate to your fullest potential. You have grown so accustomed to being home and just doing whatever you want on your own time, listening and following directions can be rough. You're quite impulsive, recently cussing and using inappropriate language, forgetting how we've discussed this kind of talk is unacceptable and not allowed. You are loud and silly. But, as we round out this trip we've been on and you've been holding my hand and wanting to cuddle, I know how much you love our family, even if you often feel frustrated by us. I'm hopeful that medication might help you feel more in control of your impulses and inattention so you can make choices that make you feel better about yourself. You are such a sweet, kind boy with a loving personality - you're just in to creepy stuff and bathroom talk! :) 

I love you so much, Knoxy! I hope this birthday has been awesome for you! You are a spirited, wild little kid, and I can't wait to see you do great things - and maybe "calm down" just a little bit. 

Happy Birthday, Baby Love!
Love,
Mom

Technically taken 2/13/22 before we left for the cruise

Last photo as a 5 year old

In St. Maarten for your 6th birthday!

Dinner in the dining room on Harmony

Hanging out in On Air on the ship

"I hope you had a great birthday, Knox!"

Microphone cupcakes

With Asher E.

Missing George, Isaac, and Luca who had run off to play

You always say you're a wolf, so Grandma got you a wolf costume!

FORTNITE gift card (from the Waltmans) made you so happy!

Wanting to LIVE in your wolf costume.

Capturing 2021

I sit here in bed on the last night of 2021 - struck with COVID, the coronavirus that has taunted and annoyed us for nearly 2 years now. My legs are achy, my temperature is slightly elevated to about 100.3, and I don't want to do much of anything. Yet, I'm still fortunate that this is the extent of my symptoms because I am fully vaccinated and boosted. This omicron variant seems to be everywhere. I'm annoyed that we got it after avoiding it so well, while at the same time, I'm proud of us that we made it 22-months without any kind of sickness in our immediate family. 

So, while I sit here just reflecting on this crazy year, I wanted to jot down some notes about what this year brought us. It certainly sucked a whole lot - the politics, the division among people in our country, the entitlement so many people have been feeling and exhibiting nation-wide,  the constant weighing of pros and cons about so many decisions we've made for our family and our kids (school, camp, play dates, screen time, vaccines, sports...). The world has been an ugly place a lot of the year, and I've been really down and angry about how disgusting humanity can be. The burn out from work and from my family life has been real and unending. Feeling like I want to throw the towel in nearly daily but having to push through it and give whatever I have left to give - it's been exhausting. I'm truly hopeful we can see brighter, easier days ahead.

But it hasn't been all horrible. Our family is lucky to be as blessed as we are, that we are in much better shape financially, physically, and emotionally than so many others. Here are some things I want to remember from this year:

• January - Inauguration Day - a day of hope and return of love of our country and its flag. 
• February - our snowy trip to Broken Bow where we celebrated Valentine's Day and Knox's 5th birthday during a snow storm that left so many at home without power; we came home and were able to house and help our family who were without heat or electricity for days; the fun in the snow on the Hightower hills, snowboarding for the first time with the help of Aunt Mischelle; Sam and I getting our first vaccine
• March - while it was sad to say goodbye to Emma, Graham, and George, we were more than ready to end virtual school and return to face-to-face school. Sam and I were fully vaccinated. We had a virtual family seder for Passover that was overall a success.
• April - we had our first Yes Day... and although I don't want another one for a very long time, the kids loved it. Banner also got his June 2024 Bar Mitzvah date!
• May - Knox graduated from preK. Saying goodbye to Anshai was not easy, but saying goodbye to preschool payments was very much a highlight! 
• June - Knox returned to Emler to finish out swim lessons. We celebrated Banner's 10th birthday and had a party with his friends at Urban Air and then a swim gathering with family. I got to spend some quality time with Banner & Quinn - Six Flags and Perot Museum - while Knox finished his one week at Anshai camp. Then, the boys adored Heritage Farmstead camp for two weeks. 
• July - Quinn and Banner went to GFC, and we got some extra special time with Knox. I had toe surgery so I won't get blisters on my baby toes anymore. Quinn got his top expander put in.
• August - Knox started Kindergarten, and Banner started his last year in elementary school. Quinn got his bottom expander put in. We went to see Wicked. Knox joined the boys at Sunday School which was finally back to face-to-face! The boys started piano lessons. And I got the courage to speak at a PISD school board meeting to voice my anger at even thinking about lifting a mask mandate.
• September - the boys returned to sports (Q - basketball, B - tennis and volleyball, K - soccer); we celebrated Sukkot in our usual themed fashion. Banner ran for Student Council president at school and did an amazing job! We celebrated our 12th anniversary and then Quinn's 8th birthday with a fun party at Crayola. 
• October - The boys and I spent a fun-filled couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge. We welcomed Tova to our family! We celebrated Keaton's bar mitzvah at what Banner called "the best party ever!" 
• November - we had a great Thanksgiving break, and we got to see Hamilton at Music Hall. 
• December - it was a pretty good month overall; we celebrated Hanukkah and spent time with family. 

There are some other things this year brought that weren't as great - like the constant treatment of plantar warts on four feet and one finger around here, a very long power outage, a superintendent resignation that I don't believe was really what she wanted, Banner spraining his wrist, Quinn getting a bee sting on his ear, and Knox having a black eye for months after a fall at Quinn's birthday party, trying out new medications from Ms. Sonia with little success, holes in pants and socks and ties from a nipping puppy, the horrible decisions of our governor and the Texas legislature (prohibiting mask mandates and the heartbeat bill), Mom struggling to recover from hip surgery, two friends losing their moms, and our own sadness in losing Mamaw. 

The things that brought us joy through it all: Ted Lasso, Sukkot, being able to be with family for holidays and birthday celebrations, The Great British Baking Show, rewatching the entire Friends series, Squid Game, Yesterland Farm, Handmaid's Tale, new shutters in our living room, going to Temple for Hanukkah and Sukkot celebrations, Million Little Things, the circle swing, Epic Waters, KidZania, Cheeky Monkey's, taking silly selfies with the Colgate toothbrushing app, time with Ms. Kim, bunny-sitting for Tucker, Fontina letters when all three boys lost teeth this year, "candle lit" showers, time in Grandma & Papa's pool, Minecraft, KreekCraft, Flamingo, Piggy, Friday Night Funkin', Roblox, Fortnite, and all the other screen things I can't remember that the boys were obsessed with this year, jumping on the trampoline, sliding down the slide at Big Boss's pool, Nerdvana, Schitt's Creek, hoverboards, scooters, bikes, a new storage shed in the back and finally being able to park two cars in the garage, the Hamilton soundtrack, true crime podcasts, Knox learned to read and to say his "s" and "th" sounds correctly, Medieval Times, telling stories late at night in a new bunk bed, Nerfies, drawing and coloring, Walking Dead, Crumbl cookies from NaNa, Workin' Moms, Candlelight, Tova losing two of her razor sharp teeth, when Emma or Lizzie babysit, the Van Gogh exhibit, Caden getting college acceptance letters, color baths and LED showers, playing in BeeBee & Zaide's backyard, finally being at face-to-face school with Levi, walking home with next door neighbors Anya and Caden, a Friends Night reunion, trick-or-treating, Dad volunteering at Cultural Diversity Day, and lots of puppy cuddles. In addition, Sam took some huge risks this year and joined a new program to help him grow his law firm, and his partnership with Max has been a really great transition. He's working more and more, which is both good and bad, but man, the firm is taking off! I'm really proud of all the work he has put in and the patience he's had all along. 

Overall, it was a good year for us. My frustrations have been with politics, school boards, selfish parents, and other people who just don't seem to care for others or have patience during a global pandemic that is still raging and changing. I'm hopeful the coming year will help get us back to civility, but that's a big ask. 

My goals for myself in 2022: to take better care of myself - physically and emotionally. That means lots of different things, but I'm going to keep it vague on purpose. 

Wishing everyone a very happy 2022! 

The Kind of Cuddle...

Dear Banner,

I just left your bedroom after a really good cuddle. The kind of cuddle that we just don't have as much as I'd like. The kind of cuddle that made me savor every moment, that made it impossible to pry myself out of your snoozing embrace to leave your room. The kind of cuddle that, before you fell asleep in my arms, made me tear up and shed a few tears because it was the kind of cuddle that reminded me of how I would cry happy tears when you were just a baby or a toddler. It was the kind of cuddle where my chin rested on the top of you head and our arms intertwined. The kind of cuddle that I could tell you were asleep by the slight jerks of your small body and the tightening of your hands - the same way I would know you were asleep as a baby. 

When Dad walked in your room, we were both quiet. He said, "Is everything okay in here?" as he walked over to the other side of the bed to tuck you in. We said yes and that we were just cuddling. He asked if he could join us, and we welcomed him. I told him we were having the kind of cuddle that makes my eyes water. You asked me if I was okay. I said I was great, that sometimes I cry when I'm really happy, and that this is the kind of cuddle that makes that happen. I said to ask Daddy how many nights did I used to come out of your room the first two years of your life crying tears of joy and love. Dad said, "There isn't a number high enough." I said I just loved cuddling you and holding you and rocking you. You said, "And you have a mama's warmth." I just smiled and reveled in the fact that you feel that. I want you to feel that so badly. I want you to know how loved you are, how amazing I think you are, and sometimes I just wonder if you do.

As my firstborn, I never know if what I'm doing is right. You're the boy I sometimes just can't figure out because you have so many unique characteristics. You're anxious, but you're confident. You're emotional, but you often don't care. You're distracted, but then you hear everything. You're inattentive, but then you are hyper-focused. You're selfish, but then you have the most caring manners and interest in others. You are terrified, but then you're brave and daring. You're wise beyond your years, but then you're innocent and naive. You want to be so much older than you are, but then you want us to do everything for you. You are an enigma, but then I know every detail about you. And so often, you're distant and unattached, and then like tonight, you're cuddly and affectionate and connected.

When you felt my wet cheeks, you said, "Are you going to post about this on Facebook?" I giggled and said, "Do you want me to?" You said, "I donno. I guess so. Are you going to tell Grandma about it?" I said. "I don't know. Do you want me to?" You said, "Sure." And I thought about how this moment is just so powerful, so personal, so special. Yes, it's one of those moments I usually post about, because I want it to pop up in my memories years from now and bring me right back to this very moment. But, this moment warranted more than a Facebook post, it needed a blog entry. I wanted to capture it in detail. 

Uncle Brock and I had an interesting conversation about you the other day. I mentioned that I'm worried about how you sometimes have OCD tendencies and some characteristics of hoarding. I said it's hard for you to throw away old shoes or old toys you never play with anymore; you get upset when we sell or donate our old furniture or other household items; you ask the teacher for the posters or the chart paper your class is done with and bring it home; you don't want to get rid of old calendars, old homework assignments, or workbooks. Uncle Brock said, "Maybe he gets some of that from you; you're always writing everything down and documenting everything." I hadn't thought about that, but he's right. I hoard memories. In my defense, I told him I have explained to you that I'm documenting your childhood FOR you, so you don't have to keep those torn up shoes, you don't have to hold on to clothes that don't fit, you don't have to have the physical things - we can take a photo and move on, make space for new things in our lives. We can remember those things, keep it locked in our memories, so our physical space is ready for new things and to create new memories. 

So, tonight, I'm making a mental note, writing that story out for you and for me. I wish I could bottle that cuddle. Time is passing so fast; you are getting older and bigger and will distance yourself from me before I know it. . . sometimes you already do. But, I hope that "mama warmth" is always there for you. I hope we can always cuddle whenever you want, whenever we need. And when there's a day we can no longer cuddle, I hope you remember these kinds of cuddles - the kind of cuddle that you can still feel even when it has ended. The kind of cuddle that lets you know I love you - love you so much it pours out of my eyes and down my cheeks. The kind of cuddle that lets you know you're one of the most special things to me in the entire world. The kind of cuddle that reminds both of us no matter how much we annoy or irritate or frustrate each other, we are both doing something right to be lucky enough to have this much love for each other. The kind of love that reminds you and me both that our love can fix all the hurt, all the questions, all the puzzles. The kind of cuddle that reminds us you are always my baby.

I love you so much Angel Baby,

Love, 

Mommy