Ezekiel turns 7

As I sit down to type this out, I can look up and see Zeke outside jumping and dancing, singing to himself and throwing his toy cars across the porch.  In the time it took me to type that sentence I looked up again and could see his hands now two inches deep in dirt seemingly unaware of the 33mph wind gust kicking the dirt up in his face.   I could pretty much be done typing about Zeke now, I feel like that pretty adequately sums him up.  This kid is in it to have a good time.

I have never met a child so easily entertained or content, quick to forgive and move on, to give affection, and try to make you laugh.   He will do whatever it takes to avoid boredom, which is almost always how he finds himself in trouble.  He is completely confident in just being himself, and has no problem incorporating his imaginative world into the real world. 

He tends to try to avoid negative emotions and conflict, he doesn't mind having a show down with his sister or neighbor about who is the strongest or has the most magical powers, but he is often the one to give in first.  If the conflict doesn't involve him, he runs away from it.  A few days ago I watched him straight up just cover his ears when his sister made a bad decision in an effort to avoid experiencing whatever would come from her actions.
The other day I handed him his soccer ball that he was told several times to pick up the day before, he didn't and subsequently his ball got ran over and was ruined.   He sat looking very disappointed for awhile, he was disappointed through breakfast, and then we went out to run errands.  Upon returning his dad was holding the ball and asked him "so you didn't pick up the ball like mom asked you to yesterday did you?" to which Zeke replied "I know, but I was already disappointed all morning."   I laughed at realizing he was NOT interested in dwelling in those negative emotions or learning any more from it, he was done, lesson learned, moving on.

Zeke is incredibly goofy, energetic, and crazy, but don't be fooled, the kid knows how to focus and work hard.   There is a focused quiet side to him that often goes unnoticed if he is around people.  But on his own he may disappear for an hour just to look through book after book.   He is still learning to read but the boy LOVES looking at books.   He also is often focused with his creative play.   He will build entire cities and living areas with his blocks for his toy animals.   

He works hard to learn new things in karate.   He wanted to try to go from a 2nd stripe blue belt to a green belt this last semester and asked to go to kata class.   I have seen him sometimes being too silly in class and wasn't sure he had the focus required, but he proved me extremely wrong.   With each belt there is a kata to be learned and each belt level increases in difficulty.  Kata is a Japanese word meaning literally "form" referring to a detailed choreographed pattern of movements.   I watched him week after week focus on the instructor and the steps, working hard to memorize each movement and practice on his own initiative to show us what he could remember.   In the end he nailed his kata and got his green belt.  

He has an ability to make friends wherever we go.  I think it's part of his being laid back, but he doesn't care if kids are big or small, friendly or shy, well behaved or naughty, he will go right up to anyone and get them to play.  At the playground this week we showed up and there were 6 kids already there.  His sister stood back and said they were "too crazy", it seemed like they were mostly playing in pairs, but within 5 minutes Zeke had the entire playground (including his sister) involved in a massive game of 'tag'.  

While his middle name is Gambit and we like the idea of speaking "calculated risk" over him....he definitely lives up the risk...he is working on the calculated.   We hope that comes in time.  He loves adventure and going at it full speed.   There are often times we see him crash or wipe out and he either gets back up or run screaming as loudly as possible like he is probably dying, but ALWAYS is quick to go back to play.

His joy in contagious, and we are so thankful that we get to have him be part of our family.  I wouldn't trade that mischievous, rascal of a boy for anything. 

Genevieve is turning 9!

As many of you may know...Genevieve is a very...proper child.  I do not mean proper in the sense of sitting up straight or sipping tea pinky up, but more the definition of "correct".   In a sense, it makes parenting her easier; she doesn't lie, because either a thing IS or it isn't, and only what IS makes sense.   She also always follows safety rules, she always buckles up and wouldn't dare cross the street without looking both ways.   On the other hand, it makes parenting her a bit of a challenge...because both of her parents would be considered anything but proper.

Earlier this year she confessed she heard a "bad word", and she needed to tell me because her conscious couldn't hold it to herself.  She also pointed out when she heard me say a bad word...(mother of the year right here, but in my defense I was panicked thinking the dog was going to kill the mailman and it just slipped out).    On another occasion she was out with her aunt and Nana and when I was tucking her in that night asking if she had the best time, she said "well...mostly...except they broke a lot of laws and that made me uncomfortable".      BROKE A LOT OF LAWS?!   They jaywalked (looking both ways of course) but there was a crosswalk down a ways, AND....they drove from one parking lot to the one next to it without their seat belts on.

While this child strongly desires things to be black and white, and her dad and I have tried to point out how often life can be gray....she has taken that correct way of doing things and grown in responsibility SO much this year.   She takes more initiative to do things, she is more confident in the things she does.  She steps up to help others (sometimes slightly bossy but from a place of trying to help!)  and is over coming so many fears and anxieties that we had seen her struggle with before.   Small things, but this week I asked her to go put something back in the store for me, and she did it, when last year she wouldn't have felt comfortable stepping out of sight from me in a strange place on her own. 

She is uniquely herself.  I mean, I believe we are all unique...but she is the ONLY 8 year old I have known to ask for a juicer for Christmas.    She invited all her neighborhood friends over to make juice for them after trying a couple different recipes and wanted to share what she had learned.  They VERY politely declined any more after trying a sip....so she and her brother got to share what she had made. 

She is growing in her reading and has much to her fathers delight become an avid fan of fantasy books.   I tried influencing her with lots of fictions I have loved or historical fictions, but magic, mythical beasts, supernatural powers and realms beyond our world captivate her and we have found her up before the sun with the little lamp above her bed on so she can read until the rest of us wake up. 

She has always loved outdoor adventures, and since Tyler and I always strongly encourage this, it only makes sense to see her love for the sun grow as well.   We experienced the beach for the first time this summer and Genevieve LOVED the waves, she body surfed, she loved jumping over and through waves, rolling in the sand, and everything about the beach, who knew this Kansas girl could be such a beach lover?

She loves her friends, as most kids do, but between you and me, I think her best friend is actually Charlotte.  She has started to get the dog to sleep with her a lot of nights, and claims she sleeps better with her company.  Whenever we are out she is polite to people but as soon as she sees a dog, she squeals and asks to meet their "puppers", but I mean, obviously I understand. 

It's crazy watching your child grow and become more and more their own person.  We hope she continues to be the funny, unique, kind person she is but not matter who she becomes, she is everything to us.