Recently Mac and I signed Kate and Avery up to play flag football this Spring season. It is our first experience with field sports, and I thought - hey, they get to run around a lot, it's non-competative (right, because it's just FLAG football, not tackle) - perfect! Well, I was right about the first part - they get to run around a lot. The girls get to be very active, and I can see how good it is for them. They are just beaming all the time now. They love being a part of flag football, and they exhibit a real sense of pride and self-confidence being part of a team. It's easy to think that your boys need to be active, but I've realized it's just as important to have your girls be active, and just as beneficial for them as it is for boys. So I am really happy that we decided to do this. However, I was wrong about the competative part. I was totally overwhelmed when we went to the first day of practice with all the teams gathered together for skills and drills. There were several coaches whose techniques were aggressive and in-your-face with the kids. There were also tales from parents and some coaches about other coaches who were in it to win all the time, and wouldn't let the girls play offense at all. Now that got me really concerned, so I've been watching carefully at practice to see how the coaches deal with my girls and to see what they say about their approach. So far, Avery's coaches are golden. I couldn't ask for better guys. They give everyone a chance to play equally in all positions. They are strict but kind, and they seem really welcoming and glad to have Avery on the team. They have expressed repeatedly that their main purpose is for the kids to have fun. I'm afraid Kate is not so lucky in her coach. So far, he seems really focused on winning, and it looks as if Kate might get stuck on defense with a minimal role in the game. Mac tells me to wait and observe some more before I go jumping to conclusions, but I have a hunch that this coach's style is going to rub me the wrong way, and I'm already planning out what to say to him if my hunch is right. Something like, "When is Kate going to play offense? When will you give her more direction than just "watch the ball"? How can she improve if she isn't given a chance to play in that position?
I get mad just thinking about it, but Mac is right. I'm making assumptions now that I don't know to be true . . . yet. I'll be watching closely, and I won't be afraid to voice my displeasure if my kid doesn't get fair treatment. That's right. I'm one of those moms now. And that coach better step up his coaching or watch out!
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By Chivalries as tiny, A Blossom, or a Book, The seeds of smiles are planted - Which blossom in the dark. Emily Dickinson
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
We didn't sent out a Christmas letter with our cards, so I thought I'd do the update here on the blog.
2011 began with Mac accepting a job for Isagenix in Chandler, AZ. He wasn't done with his MBA yet, so he transferred to being a part-time student and was able to go to class at the UofA extension center in Scottsdale. The job was a great opportunity for our family, but the kids and I were still in Tucson, and our lease wasn't up till May. At first I thought we'd stick it out so Kate could finish school in Sahuarita and so we wouldn't lose any money on our contract. Mac had a couple of different places he could stay until we moved permanently - with his Uncle in Mesa and with my sister in Queen Creek. However, after less than two months where we only saw Mac on the weekends, if that, I changed my mind. So one weekend while I was visiting my sister, Mac and I decided to look at houses. We found a great house in SE Chandler and made an offer. We closed in about a month and then moved a few weeks later. It was a whirlwind of change, but we love our house and the area that it's in, and we feel very blessed to have everything work out so well so quickly.
Moving meant saying goodbye to our friends and neighbors in Sahuarita. Even though we hadn't known them long, they had been great friends and we were sad to leave. Kate had to change schools, but the transition was not as difficult as I had anticipated. She attends a nearby CTA school with an advanced curriculum and immediately loved her new teacher and class.
All our girls learned how to ride bikes at the beginning of this year, even Lilly who was still 2 when she could ride without training wheels. We have to give credit to the strider bikes, which helped our girls practically teach themselves how to ride a bike. Other highlights of the year include the following:
Kate learned how to swim and was part of the summer swim team.
Lilly was in a ballet dance class with her cousin.
Avery started Kindergarten and promptly got in trouble for kissing a boy!
The family vacationed in Ogden, Utah for a Larsen family reunion.
Julie & Mac went to San Diego for an Isagenix convention. It was work for Mac, but play for me!
I took a quilting class and made my first quilt!
Mac got two ipads from work - one for him and one for me. They are awesome! Our kids love them so much that they each want their own.
Mac finished his all of his courses and now has his MBA! YEAH!!!
Lillly turned 3, Avery turned 5, Joshua turned 1, and Kate turned 7.
Our baby, Joshua, is big 15 mos-old now who runs around hitting and throwing constantly. He doesn't seem to realize that he's smaller than his sisters, and he is willing to fight them if they have a toy he wants. He has been a challenge for me because he has been so different from his sisters, and because he is very moody and demanding. But we love him and think he's pretty funny, even when he's being disagreeable. He also doesn't like to go to anyone other than me or Mac, so it's hard to get a break. His first spoken words were, in this order, ball, car, cracker. He also knows several signs: milk, banana, please, thank you, cracker, dog, more, all done, and eat are all the ones I can think of. We are excited to see him grow and develop, and his sisters love to help take care of him when they can. I think Avery wishes she could be his mother instead of me!
We hope this new year is full of good things for each of you!
Much love and gratitude from,
Mac, Julie, Kate, Avery, Lilly, & Joshua
2011 began with Mac accepting a job for Isagenix in Chandler, AZ. He wasn't done with his MBA yet, so he transferred to being a part-time student and was able to go to class at the UofA extension center in Scottsdale. The job was a great opportunity for our family, but the kids and I were still in Tucson, and our lease wasn't up till May. At first I thought we'd stick it out so Kate could finish school in Sahuarita and so we wouldn't lose any money on our contract. Mac had a couple of different places he could stay until we moved permanently - with his Uncle in Mesa and with my sister in Queen Creek. However, after less than two months where we only saw Mac on the weekends, if that, I changed my mind. So one weekend while I was visiting my sister, Mac and I decided to look at houses. We found a great house in SE Chandler and made an offer. We closed in about a month and then moved a few weeks later. It was a whirlwind of change, but we love our house and the area that it's in, and we feel very blessed to have everything work out so well so quickly.
Moving meant saying goodbye to our friends and neighbors in Sahuarita. Even though we hadn't known them long, they had been great friends and we were sad to leave. Kate had to change schools, but the transition was not as difficult as I had anticipated. She attends a nearby CTA school with an advanced curriculum and immediately loved her new teacher and class.
All our girls learned how to ride bikes at the beginning of this year, even Lilly who was still 2 when she could ride without training wheels. We have to give credit to the strider bikes, which helped our girls practically teach themselves how to ride a bike. Other highlights of the year include the following:
Kate learned how to swim and was part of the summer swim team.
Lilly was in a ballet dance class with her cousin.
Avery started Kindergarten and promptly got in trouble for kissing a boy!
The family vacationed in Ogden, Utah for a Larsen family reunion.
Julie & Mac went to San Diego for an Isagenix convention. It was work for Mac, but play for me!
I took a quilting class and made my first quilt!
Mac got two ipads from work - one for him and one for me. They are awesome! Our kids love them so much that they each want their own.
Mac finished his all of his courses and now has his MBA! YEAH!!!
Lillly turned 3, Avery turned 5, Joshua turned 1, and Kate turned 7.
Our baby, Joshua, is big 15 mos-old now who runs around hitting and throwing constantly. He doesn't seem to realize that he's smaller than his sisters, and he is willing to fight them if they have a toy he wants. He has been a challenge for me because he has been so different from his sisters, and because he is very moody and demanding. But we love him and think he's pretty funny, even when he's being disagreeable. He also doesn't like to go to anyone other than me or Mac, so it's hard to get a break. His first spoken words were, in this order, ball, car, cracker. He also knows several signs: milk, banana, please, thank you, cracker, dog, more, all done, and eat are all the ones I can think of. We are excited to see him grow and develop, and his sisters love to help take care of him when they can. I think Avery wishes she could be his mother instead of me!
We hope this new year is full of good things for each of you!
Much love and gratitude from,
Mac, Julie, Kate, Avery, Lilly, & Joshua
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Sensitive Kate
This first story happend back in January, after Mac took a job two hours away, which means we only see him on the weekends, if that, because he also travels on weekends. It's been hard on all of us. I thought it was hardest on me, but our daughters are sensitive to the change too, especially Kate.
Kate: "Sometimes when daddy's gone for a month or two, and I look at the picture of him smiling, I cry." Upon saying this, she started sobbing, so I hugged her and asked her why she cried. "Because I miss him." I told her she didn't have to be sad right now because Daddy was coming home this very night. I hugged her tight some more and told her that Daddy sometimes looked at her and her sister's pictures and cried too because he misses them. She looked at me and said, "I would really miss him if he died." "I don't think he's going to die for a long long time," I said. "I know," she said, and then, "If he died, I would cry and cry until he wasn't dead anymore." More tears. I told her I would feel the same way. Avery and Lilly looked on a little puzzled, not being quite as sensitive or mature as their six-year-old sister.
This next story happened this week:
Kate was in Joshua's bedroom talking to him and playing with him when she suddenly started sobbing (yeah, this happnes a lot with her). Worried, I rushed in and asked what was the matter. "I never want to leave him!" she cried. I didn't quite understand what she meant until she continued, "He's so cute! And I love him so much!" More tears and uncontrollable sobbing.
A couple of days later, she again is playing with Joshua in his room for a long time while I do a few things around the house. Joshua starts fussing, so I finally go in to pick him up and tell her to get her pajammas on when I glance over at her and see that her eyes are full of tears. "What's the matter?" I ask her. "I'm feeling like I love him again," she says to me.
Kate's a pretty special kid. I don't know what I'd do without her!
Kate: "Sometimes when daddy's gone for a month or two, and I look at the picture of him smiling, I cry." Upon saying this, she started sobbing, so I hugged her and asked her why she cried. "Because I miss him." I told her she didn't have to be sad right now because Daddy was coming home this very night. I hugged her tight some more and told her that Daddy sometimes looked at her and her sister's pictures and cried too because he misses them. She looked at me and said, "I would really miss him if he died." "I don't think he's going to die for a long long time," I said. "I know," she said, and then, "If he died, I would cry and cry until he wasn't dead anymore." More tears. I told her I would feel the same way. Avery and Lilly looked on a little puzzled, not being quite as sensitive or mature as their six-year-old sister.
This next story happened this week:
Kate was in Joshua's bedroom talking to him and playing with him when she suddenly started sobbing (yeah, this happnes a lot with her). Worried, I rushed in and asked what was the matter. "I never want to leave him!" she cried. I didn't quite understand what she meant until she continued, "He's so cute! And I love him so much!" More tears and uncontrollable sobbing.
A couple of days later, she again is playing with Joshua in his room for a long time while I do a few things around the house. Joshua starts fussing, so I finally go in to pick him up and tell her to get her pajammas on when I glance over at her and see that her eyes are full of tears. "What's the matter?" I ask her. "I'm feeling like I love him again," she says to me.
Kate's a pretty special kid. I don't know what I'd do without her!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Just chillin'
Nap time for this little guy. If I wasn't so lazy, I would figure out how to upload the photos off our new camera so I could put a more recent picture of Joshua on here. This photo is from November, I think, and he is already a lot bigger than this. He's reverted back to newborn schedule sleeping and eating at night, so he has really really chubbed up over the last month. I can hardly believe how big he is. I told Mac tonight that I'm worried he's too big. He's about 4 months old and I think he's the size of a 12 month old! 
Again, old picture - you're missing the rolls and rolls of chub that have grown on this guy!
Aha - this is a recent photo! Taken just last week. We got to spend the week after Christmas in La Jolla with my family, and one of the fun things we did was go see the Mormon Battalion Memorial site in Old Town San Diego. It is AWESOME, and if you've never been, you should definitely go there with your kids. Talking pictures and panning for gold are just some of the cool things you'll encounter there. Happy New Year!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Kids say the darndest things!
I overheard Avery talking with Kate the other day: "When I grow up, I'm going to have five children . . . and one child."
I also overheard Avery playing with her friend Emily outside our house, so I called over to her, "Avery, don't be bossy." She replied, "I'm not - I'm being the mom." Uh oh.
Kate said to me recently, "Mom, sometimes I tell you things and you don't listen to what I say because you'll say, 'Oh, that's good'. I asked her how she knew I wasn't listening. "Because sometimes what I tell you isn't something good, it's bad." As Mac said to me when I told him the story: Busted!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Baby Boy
I traded my pregnant belly and consolidated sleep for this little 8 pound, 14 oz miracle:
Don't you just want to kiss him?
Don't you just want to kiss him?
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