Individuality Equals Greatness

It was always said that "siblings are so different."  Expect that "they will be complete opposites" and they will "not be doing the same things at the same time so, don't compare them."  That couldn't be more true for these two.  I still stare at them, in wonder, trying to figure out how they both are so vastly different, but I've come to find out that their differences are truly amazing.

 



 

Gavin, born first, is the quiet, "taking it all in," serious one.  As if born to play strategy games, he analyzes every move and thinks about his plan.  Academically, he is ahead of his game as he knows all of his states, many countries and their locations, reading at a 2nd grade level and can problem solve just about anything.  He wants to always be his best and it can be a challenge as sometimes he hasn't figured out how to be a gracious loser.  It also makes it hard for him to make friends, but when he does, he's loyal and caring.  When you REALLY get to know him though, he's quite the comedian.  He can make you laugh with the funniest sayings and his little, quirky cuteness is pretty irresistible.  Here are a few pictures that capture his amazing personality:

 

Sophia, on the other hand, is all diva.  She learned at an early age (6 months) how to fake cry and wrap a few people around her little finger.  She's a genuine pro and she can turn it on like a faucet.  Although she knows that she can't pull that business around us, she'll still make attempts to push boundaries.  She's fierce, outgoing and edgy and she ADORES her brother, wanting to please him however she might.  She has a maniacal laugh that will get you chuckling and quite a few little funny tokens up her sleeve to make you adore her.  She will do anything to play princess and dress up as she believes she was sent here to earth to be one and show the world that she can rule the world. Here are a few little pics of her little personality:

 



As you can tell, they are both adorable little munchkins that will have a lot to contribute to this world. Keep an eye out for them throughout the years, they will make a great impact on the world! 

What Career Do You Choose?

 

Todd and I both have college degrees; however, we really want our children to know that they can do anything and be anything that will make them happy in life.  Even though we often will throw out the possibility of college, we do it just so they know it can be a possibility, not necessarily a mandate. 

 

On this note, we went on an ice cream field trip last night and had another discussion about what they both might like to do when they get older.  Gavin has become pretty set on going to college.  In fact, he has already decided where he'd like to attend.  Georgia Tech is his school of choice.  He has stated that it will keep him close to home and he can still go to college.  Wow, I'm pretty impressed that he has taken this into account.  We're not sure exactly what field he will be pursuing or if this choice will continue, but we find it pretty interesting that he is pretty adamant about it.

 

 

Sophia on the other hand is pretty indecisive.  We enjoy listening to her many creative ideas and we always try and foster it.  On this night, we'd been talking about what they might do when they got older and Gavin threw out his usual, "you know...where I've said before.  Georgia Tech is what I'm doing."  So, we ask Sophia. 

 

Me: "Sophia, what are you wanting to do when you get older? 

 

Sophia: "Eat cookies.  Big, giant ones."

 

Me: "I know of a cookie place that you might like to work at. :)"

 

 

 

...we'll have to encourage her to be part of baking the cookies, not just the eating process.  :)  At this point, she assumes that is a job all in itself.  The mind of a child is precious.

 



Moving Back in the World of Buses

Reality is setting in that Gavin will soon be a 1st grader, not a kindergartner any more. What in the world happened to time?  Just yesterday I was sobbing at the bus stop as he took his first steps onto the bus on his first day of school. Riding the bus seems to bring me anxiety as I've come to realize that there is just so much a bus driver can watch out for.  This leaves my "baby" to fend for himself sometimes.  We had a few little mishaps at the beginning of the year, which had me in a frenzy, but we are now comforted that he sits a little closer to the front in order for the bus driver to have "closer eyes" on him.

 

An excuse, that works for now, is that he is in kindergarten and he just needs some extra watchful eyes.  However, soon it will not be the case and he'll be allowed to sit in different seats.  He has also come to realize this, but he has also processed that there is one spot he is just not able to enter at this time.  This is his statement of the night...

 

Gavin: "I want to be in 5th grade so that I can sit in the back of the bus.  It will be enjoying.  They talk loud and put their feet in the aisles and I want to do that."   

 

Wow, is this what we get to look forward to?  I'm beginning to see why more and more parents choose to drive their children to school and pick them up.  So many things to "let go" as a parent.  Wish us luck!

 



 

Twinkle, Twinkle A Little Surprised

Each night, I snuggle up with the kids and sing a song before they go to sleep.  It allows me to have some individual time with both of them and to just enjoy a little time with them alone.  Sophia, in particular, is adamant about having a song each night.  It is usually Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and she will make attempts to sing with me, some times, but often she will just sit back and listen and smile. 

 

On this particular night, she wanted to sing this song and this time she joined in.  This is what she sang...

 

"Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high.  There is Jesus in disguise.  Twinkle, twinkle little start.  How I wonder what you are."

 

Okay, I have to admit that I chuckled for a minute and even asked her what she sang.  She just said it so naturally as if these have always been the words.  Did she even know what she was saying?  That night, Todd and I had a laugh about it and I even talked about it the next day.  But, now I'm really thinking of what she has said. 

 

We often talk about our beliefs in our household.  We are firm believers that God is love and that he shows us His love in so many ways and through so many people in our lives.  We've talked about how we can be quick to judge others appearances and not discover the beauty that God gave them on the inside.  We've talked about how God is everywhere and you never know when you'll encounter Him.  We've discussed acceptance and loving others as He would want us to. 

 

I'm not sure if it is her understanding that she is sharing through her song or just a misinterpretation of the words, but I do appreciate the opportunity to take her words and count them as blessings that we might be on the right path.  I pray that these opportunities will lead to an understanding of a bigger God and a greater love than either of my children can ever grasp.  We are so blessed.

 

 



 

Let's Learn Spanish

Gavin is enamored with a girl in his class named Brittany.  She came in as a new student, to his kindergarten classroom, before Christmas and we hear nothing but wonderful things about how amazing she is.  A tidbit to know that makes it all interesting is that he can't communicate with her as she speaks nothing but Spanish.  He thinks this just makes her more incredible and it forces him to show what he refers to as his "handsome face" so that he can make her laugh and smile at him. (It involves his left eyebrow wiggling up and down with little shooter hands next to his face...it's hilarious.)

 

Here is something similar and shows he is pretty dashing...

Recently, he has made attempts at learning her language.  Occasionally he'll ask for a new word and show off that he has learned something new, but it usually is just a new number or a made up word.  Tonight, as we were chatting again about her, he said that he wanted to learn a new word so that he could talk with her...really talk to her.  In all seriousness, I know he is getting a little frustrated with the language barrier and he is super excited that she is also learning English (he thinks she is doing it for him, and him alone and not because she is immersed in an English only speaking school setting). 

 

So, I asked him, "what word would you like to learn? If you could learn one word and say to her, what would you say?"

 

His response... you won't believe it... never in a million years will you guess it...

 

 

"HEXAGON," he said matter-of-factly.  As if that word makes the most sense to say in the whole wide world.  Who wouldn't say "hexagon?"  Duh.

 

"THAT is the word you are choosing to say to her?" I say. "Hexagon? ...Hi Brittany...hexagon.  What do you think she is going to do or say back to you?"  He laughed so hard and couldn't even stand up straight.  Like it hit him like a ton of bricks how crazy it sounded.  Then, he stopped and looked me dead in the eyes and with all seriousness said, "Actually, no.  I think I'd like to say tetrahedron." 

 

There are no more words.  I am dying of laughter inside.  I think I'll need to talk to his daddy about teaching him some better pick up lines! 

"Lice-Capades"

Does every family go through this one time in their lives?  Maybe more?  I thought we could dodge it...certainly it couldn't happen to us!...right? Well, it did.  And, now that it has happened to us, I'm believing that it probably will happen a few more times before our lives are through.  How easy it was to get and spread.  Whew.  "Lice-capades," as we've been referring to it, was a doozie, but we got through.

 

Here's how it all started...

Gavin's hair was getting a little "moppy" and needed a good cut.  We'd been chatting about it at the dinner table just the night before.  Almost every night I plop some dermatologist-prescribed medicine on his scalp for a scalp condition that he has that causes itchiness.  This particular night, he was itching and requested the medicine.  For us, to see him scratch at his head is just a sign that he needs the medicine, not that he has bugs crawling around. 

Well, I went to put on the medicine and was paying a little closer attention under the light and noticed nits (these are the clearish looking eggs on the hair shaft).  Um, what a shocker.  It hit me like a ton of bricks and it was 8:30 at night.  Next, came a look at Sophia, yep...she had it too. Somehow, Todd and I both managed to dodge the bullet as we looked at each other's scalps and saw nothing. I had to convince myself that we were in for a wild ride and that this was really happening.  I think we just couldn't believe it.  We sent them to bed and set up a game plan for the next day. 

 

After some googling on what to do, we decided that we would take the kids to the pediatrician the next day.  Some have asked why, but we weren't sure that the over-the-counter medicines were ok to use on a 3 year old and, honestly, we wanted someone to tell us this was a joke and it was something else.  So, we woke up early and Todd went to work as I shuttled the crew to the doctors for a confirmation.  Yes, it was, indeed, true.  I asked the doctor to check me again and she seemed to think I had a few nits as well.  This changed my whole mindset as I, originally thought I was in the clear and now I'm not so freaked out at touching my own kids (I think God did this on purpose so that I would get the job done). 

 

Off to the store we go and spend close to $100 to get rid of this.  The whole house got bagged or washed and I spent the entire day washing heads and picking through hair strands of Sophia, equaling close to 4 1/2 hours.  It was unreal.  At that point, it was decided that we would just buzz Gavin's head.  Todd had come home early and did the job, noticing that the hair was, literally, moving as he buzzed.  Ok, freaky.  When he came upstairs for the shampoo and pick-through, we saw how many bugs he had.  Oh my, how did I miss this?  How did I not know?  You could tell that eggs had already hatched and this is a time period of 2 weeks, oh my.  Not a good feeling.  If you are a mama, your heart will sink when/if this happens to you. 

 

We're past it all now.  At first, I was embarrassed.  I felt like I just failed as a mama.  How did I not prevent this?  How did I miss this?  How could I not know and help?  I've come to realize that it just happens and it happens to the best of us.  I'm hoping that, one day, this story will comfort another mama and ease your worries that you feel so alone.  Take it in stride and know you are not alone.  At first, I asked "why us?" and then I realized, "why not us?"  We are not more special than anyone else.  This is a normal part of life and it has made me a better person, and we are a better and stronger family because of it. 



Do I Look Pretty?

Recently I've been hearing a daily, "Do I look pretty?" question from Sophia.  Some days I just smile and think that she is such a doll and how cute she is as she twirls and bounces around like a little Disney wanna-be.  Other days, however, I cringe as my mind begins to spin thinking about all the little nuances behind the question itself.  Why does she need to ask this?  Doesn't she already know that she holds so much beauty, both inside and out and it's bursting from her?  Doesn't she realize the impact she has on others?  Does she see, in the mirror, what reflects to us every day? 

 

I, as her mama, feel extra protective as I just want her to know the beauty that lies within each of us.  Our world can sometimes skew our understanding of beautiful and I'm particular about making sure that she knows that outside beauty can be of all shapes, sizes, and colors and that we are all beautiful in our own way.  So, why is it that she feels the need to ask?  Is it that I haven't made myself clear?  I can tell you though, this girl has love in her heart that oozes out of her.  This is truly what makes her beautiful.  It blows my mind when I gaze upon her that I was part of the effort in bringing her into this world and that she contributes so much to our happiness.  Never could I imagine life without her, now that we've had the opportunity to have a glimpse of what life can be with her in it.

 

I reflect on all of this through our conversation one evening..

 

"Am I pretty?"-Sophia

 

"Yes, you are beautiful in so many ways, both inside and out." -Me

 

"Daddy, do you think I'm pretty?"-Sophia

 

"You know when I find you the most beautiful, Sophia?"-Daddy

 

"No." -Sophia (disappointed as she was hoping for a generic "yes, you are.")

 

"When you first wake up in the morning and your hair is a mess and you are staggering into the bathroom half asleep, because you look like YOU and you are so beautiful." -Daddy

 

"Oh" -Sophia (clearly processing this deep statement and a little confused as to how this could be so beautiful.  This is the point during dinner where I am completely and utterly in love with my husband as he boggles my mind with his kind words and his constant and undying love for us to say the perfect thing to his girls...I love him.)

 

"Do you know when I think you are most beautiful?" -Me

 

"No." -Sophia

 

"When you go over to a friend and share with them and when you show kindness to others.  You are so incredibly beautiful when you do kind things for others.  Your face is so pretty with your smile and you are just so, so beautiful." -Me (hoping she is finally seeing what we see when we look at her)

 

*silence* (She is thinking about our words and frozen, not sure how to respond)

 

"Do you know when I think you are the most beautiful Sophia?" -Gavin (Clearly he has taken on some lessons from his amazing father...I'm quite impressed at this point)

 

"No." -Sophia (Seemingly shocked that her brother could possibly find her beautiful)

 

"When you play with me.  You are so beautiful when you play with me."  -Gavin (Ok, yes.  I was tearing up a little at this point, looking over at my husband in awe at this comment.)

 

*smile* (She looks like the point has finally been driven home...we find her gorgeous, for so many reasons)

 

Life sure does have some rocky moments.  There are some in which we feel we will never conquer.  This topic just happens to be one of them.  I haven't always found myself to be beautiful, but I don't want that for my daughter.  I'm hoping that moments like these outweigh what the world depicts as "beautiful" preying on her self image.  Next time, I'll try not to wait for her to ask.  I'll just tell her what I see and hope that others will do the same.  Maybe between all of us, we can help her to know that she is one amazingly, beautiful girl...no matter what.