Zeke is Eight!

It seems so appropriate that Zeke was born in March.   The month when winter ends and warmth comes in the spring.   Zeke is our spring, he is always bringing such warmth and joy to our family.   He genuinely enjoys....joy.   This year has had difficulties as his desire seems to be to avoid negativity, with the pandemic and lifestyle changes that I referred to in Vi's birthday blog.  He has had less stress but more clinginess.   He has wanted to stay close to mom and dad which has been a bit of a new thing for this adventurous boy, but he seems to be getting back to his adventurous self as warm weather approaches. 

Ezekiel is full of surprises.   He consistently catches us off guard making us laugh hysterically with his faces, phrases, exuberance, or his daring and silly ways.   He's not even trying to be a clown, he's usually just enjoying his own life and if you are lucky enough to catch him in action you are in for a treat.   

He is a really content kid.   Very rarely does this kid need something to do, he is generally off in his own world.   There were a couple of times in winter when he got restless, but usually he will spend hours using his story telling skills creating worlds with his Legos, or animals, or Pokemon, or really...anything.  He will also look at books for hours, he is still learning to read but that has not hindered his love for books.  He will usually give me a list of ideas for books he wants me to pick up at the library.  We are just a book loving household I guess.  

In the rarer instances that he is discouraged, he is the most easily encouraged child I have ever seen.   A simple "hey, you're smart and kind" gets him up and going.

He is brave and adventurous.  He always has been, it's something I know I touch on almost every year.  He loves new thrills, challenges, and incorporating that with his imagination.    Just now I asked him to let the dogs outside, somewhere between the back door and coming back in, he got distracted by his imagination as I can now see him out front with a tube he must have found in the garage.   He has looked through it, wielded it as a weapon, and has yelled through it to some imaginary character.  He was supposed to come back in to do some reading, he isn't sneaking around to get out of things,  he just gets caught up.   Don't get me wrong, there are definitely times he just doesn't listen, but you can distinguish his motives pretty easily.  

He has a strong ornery side.   I mean, he is a little brother.   He has ornery parents though, so we are working on the balance between something funny or just being a pest.   He not only has a big sister to bother, but neighbor girls and cousins, and hearing their voices yelling "ZEKE!" reminds me of dealing with my own little brother growing up, with a similar naughty smile on the face as he runs away.  

He is still the most snuggly one in our family, I don't know why but I keep expecting him to outgrow it, but am exceedingly grateful he hasn't.   I will never complain about all the snuggles he gives.   Every night at bedtime he asks for an extra minute of snuggles, and I more often than not will give in to this request.  

He likes to live big.   Big laughs, big adventures and big snuggles.   What's not to love about that?  
Alright, I gotta go get that boy to come in to read.

Genevieve is Double Digits?!

 Seriously, how do I even begin my yearly birthday blog this year?  A month into her ninth year we were put in quarantine and have been living in a pandemic ever since. A year of civil unrest, uncertainty, a total change in our way of life, and then there's this girl, now hitting double digits, and making me the proudest mom through it all.     

Genevieve has always tended to lean towards the slightly anxious side of things, she wants things to be done well, and right, and she has ALWAYS presented the "what ifs?" in any given situation.   As a mom who wants to protect and guard her children, I was especially concerned for her when we entered into the pandemic.   We have had HARD days.   But you know what, this girl has blown me away with her resilience and willingness to grow in this season.   The girl who fights change and loves structure continues to impress me with her willingness to not only go with new structures and changes but coming up with creative approaches herself. 

The couple months after her birthday were rough, she was anxious at night, losing sleep, and longing for life to be just be...normal.  I couldn't give her that or even promise that.   Instead, we shifted attention from the unknown to what we do know.   She is very loved, she has lots of people around her who love her, we serve a God of peace, and there is always good to see if we look hard enough.   She wrote and memorized John 14:27 which reminds her not to be afraid, and to have peace, and hung the verse by her bed.   She said it and said it, and then she believed it.  It took a lot of time, but the girl persevered.  She shifted her perspective, and loved family game nights, movie nights, and more time together.  She has worn her mask without complaint and understands living in such a way that cares for others.   I love watching her shine.  

She still reads non-stop, and still loves those fantasy books.  She has begun and finished so many series that at this point I couldn't list them if I tried.   All I can say is thank God for the library!!  I have told her on more than one occasion "don't you dare start another series before you finish your last!"  She didn't listen, I don't know how she keeps it all straight.  The good news is that she uses that love for reading to always learn more.  This year she got really into survival techniques.  It was tied to the anxiety of the pandemic, but she has read several books about how to survive in the wild and is now asking for at least a pocket knife.   She's pretty confident she could live in the wild now.

While nearing 10 we have seen a bit more sass and attitude coming from her, I also see glimpses of the amazing young woman she is becoming.  All growth has challenges, and figuring out who you are becoming is hard work.  I'm pretty optimistic about the outcome, but not gonna lie, the double digits has me the slightest bit anxious about the process.   Not necessarily her process but my parenting abilities as she enters adolescence, I don't have a lot of experience with tween years.   So this will be new to us both, and I hope I can be the encourager, wisdom provider, and the stability she will need and have the patience I may need.    

She is dreading 10, she does NOT want to be double digits.  She says "once you're double digits you're never NOT double digits again! And you can't stay a kid!"  I've been trying to encourage her, but if you see her, make sure you encourage her about being 10, she's gonna be great at it.    I love that she loves the magic of childhood, she has fully embraced it, and she's not quite ready to let it go.   I'm just thankful she doesn't really have to.  She radiates magic and wonder, and I love it.