Once Upon A Time There Were Two Dragons

One graduated from day school and was on his way to kindergarten...

 

 ...while the other was found worthy of first grade.

 

Both could use some help with their picture smiles...

 

 

...and neither could make their momma more proud.

 

Congratulations Miles and Knox!  The Lord has blessed us beyond measure with the two of you!

Let It Go

I wrote this post exactly one year ago, and thankfully, I forgot about it.  Re-reading it was good for a laugh though as I realize how important it is for me to write retroactively.  You know, after the chill pill has worked its magic, though it seems it was starting to take effect by the end of the post. I think this rant came from a place in me that wishes our kiddos would stay little forever.  There is something in a child's innocence that helps mend the sprains, cracks, and sometimes the breaks we adults have sustained on the road to maturity and self awareness. I already know that time is passing at lightening speed, and graduation ceremonies scrape the bottom of my "Favorites" list because they remind me all too well that our children are here today and gone tomorrow.  Nevertheless, I hope I can go with the flow a little more gracefully than this during tonight's graduation (already another for Knox!).  Still, this excerpt reminded me that I need to relax and just make the most of these moments while they're here.

---------------------------------

If I could live in a place where I made up the rules and called all the shots, everyone would eat iced cookies for breakfast and grow lollipops in their backyard.  The trees would bloom with Valentine Gobstoppers and the pool be full of bubbles. You know the kind. I would call this place, Lindsayland.   In Lindsayland, there would be exactly zero graduation ceremonies until at least high school, but maybe never.

Wouldn't it be nice?

But this is the real world people.  And in my world, I'm lucky if I can snag a mushy, black banana on my mad dash out the door each morning.  Furthermore, if anything grows in my backyard besides grass in the flower beds and weeds in the grass, then I don't know about it.  

Did you know, that in this wonderful world of ours, your kids now attend a graduation ceremony for pre-kindergarten?  I guess a high-five and a trip to the sno-cone stand isn't a sufficient accolade for four year olds these days.  Then of course the next year, your child puts on the white robe and unknowingly marches their little selves out of kindergarten and into the beginning of what will be twelve years of torture.  Congratulations kids!  Enter the gates and discover the world of homework!  Team projects!  Peer pressure!  Physical awkwardness!  Mean girls!  You've earned it loves!

Well as fate would have it, all three of our kids will attend pre-k once and kindergarten twice.  That's three graduations per child (Lord willing).  Three children.  Nine graduations before high school. 

Yay.

So let's get on with the documentation of #2 and #3, shall we?

You definitely get a heaping spoonful of cuteness at these things.  That's the one thing.  Look at these little sweethearts with their wardrobe a step above athletic shorts and t-shirts!  That alone is worth celebrating.  I think Knox has a look of uncertainty as to whether or not he will be receiving his diploma.  Like maybe he never saw the results of that last make-you-or-break-you test, and he's hanging onto a hope and a prayer?  Perhaps some of you can relate.

But alas!  At age four, Knox graduated from pre-k!

His teacher is Miss McKinney, and she occupies the top spot on his love interest list.  She is by far and away the best teacher any of our kids have had up to this point.  We have been so impressed by her, and we are thrilled that she will be the private kindergarten teacher next year!  So, Knox will have her again! 

He says she is his best friend and he wants to marry her.  Look at him holding her sister's baby for goodness' sake!  A boy that's good with children will take down any girl.  He's got game.

Like every other graduating class in America, Knox's class song was Let It Go, from the hit Disney movie Frozen.  He had the lyrics memorized long before he had to sing them in front of a crowd.  As you can see, he was not afraid to bring it.

He was so excited to be graduating this year!  His eyes were always on us there in the front row.  He was so proud of himself and he wanted to make sure we were watching his every step.

Front and center, soaking it all in.  I hope he waves to me from the stage like that when he graduates from high school.

And here was his sentiment when it was all said and done.  Looks like a kid who may have charmed his way to the next level if you ask me.  #suckas 

Miles conquered his test round of kindergarten!  With his birthday falling so late in the summer, Jeremy and I made the decision a while back that we would hold onto him an extra year before officially starting him in school.  We talked to several friends and family members who are school teachers or counselors, and it was their unanimous recommendation to give him that extra year of maturity.  He will repeat kindergarten in the public system this coming school year.

Miles' teacher for this first go around was Mrs. Kaiser, and she was the perfect teacher for him.  She really helped him (and us) work through some issues that I think will leave him much better prepared for school this year. 

Miles is not one for being in front of a crowd, and during his class song (something made up to the tune of the Adams Family) he hid behind another boy the whole time.  Luckily, I was able to catch a couple of shots of his shining face when he got his diploma.

Though it's never fun to be reminded that time is marching on despite my efforts to slow it down, I am incredibly proud of these two precious souls.  And truth be told, I would attend a hundred graduations for the chance to sit and soak them in a little bit more.

I guess Lindsayland will have to wait until Alzheimers sets in.
 

   

Knox Talks: To A Bully

In the car on the way home from school today...

K: Mommy, this boy was really mean to me today at school.  He kept pushing me.

Me: Did you ask him to stop?

K: No because I'm kind of scared.  He's a third grader.

Me: Well, tomorrow if he does it again, ask him once nicely to stop.  If he keeps doing it after that, tell the teacher that he's bothering you.

K: How 'bout I say this to him.  Then changes to his sweetest voice - his "kind" voice if you will.  Colton, please stop pushing me you lazy fool.

So, he might be coming home with a black eye tomorrow.  Keep you posted.

Knox: Five

His big day started off like most birthdays do around here... a new mega book to study throughout the year.  Courtesy of the sibs.

Next, the birthday boy's choice of breakfast.  With Knox, it's always donuts.  On Lakey's birthday, the donut lady overheard us talking about it and brought Lakey a donut with a candle.  Knox was all over that like a rash, so on this day he burst through the door of the donut shop and announced that it was his birthday.  Luckily, the donut lady did not disappoint.  

Nino came up for the day and took Knox to Legoland.  At home, a bigger bike and some new walkie talkies finished out the day.  We let him go around the block and radio us on his journey.  Big kid stuff! 



And to end the day - ice cream cake!

And now for some things I want to remember about a newly turned 5 year old Knox:

1.  He's a natural leader and it's crazy to me that you can detect it at such a young age.  He doesn't worry much about what others think, or if he has the right answer, or if he does anything perfectly.  Being basically the exact the opposite of this myself - it thrills me that Knox is who he is!

2.  He's the teacher's pet.  Ms. McKinney actually writes that on her weekly notes she sends home!  He loves to be a helper, he thinks on his own, and he gets things easily.  When he draws a picture of our family he sometimes includes Ms. McKinney in the rendering.

3.  His favorite color is green, like his momma, and he says he wants to be a Baylor Bear, like his momma.

4.  He is full of ideas, animated in his stories, and he reads!  One of the coolest, most unexpected joys has been to watch the boys learn to read this year.  They have unlocked everything now.

5.  Knox's favorite person is Miles.  His second favorite is his daddy.

6.  Sometimes he shortens words.  I don't know if it's laziness, but I tend to think it's awesome when he says things like, "Mom, can I have some more ketch?"  Such a cool cat.

7.  He's tech savvy and smart.  He works until he figures things out.  He has memorized all the different passcodes to mine and Jeremy's phones, iPads, our garage door, and even the code to my parents' alarm system.  Mental note to lock away my debit card PIN and throw away the key.

8.  He says the darnedest things.  I'm thinking of the time when Miles was lamenting the fact that Santa brought him a bouncy ball on top of his popcorn tin instead of a sticky hand thing like he brought to Knox.  To which Knox replied, "Well you should have asked God to make you Knox and then Santa would have brought you one."

So thankful for this kid.  Happy birthday my darling Knox!

Knox: Four

It's gut wrenching.

Last night I asked him to please stay three years old and he said to me,

"I can't.  This is the way God made me."

Indeed.  

Knox is one of a kind.  My kind, according to my mother.  Which might explain why he sometimes makes me the most pull-my-hair-out crazy.  But then sometimes, dare I say it, he makes me the most happy?  

He is as ornery as the day is long.  He charms, he jokes, he sticks out his lip and fills his big eyes with tears just before telling me that his heart is really sad that I've lost my patience after telling him six bazillion times to brush his teeth.  His stall tactic at bedtime is to fake cry (but somehow summon real tears) and tell me that he just needs one more hug, sugar, and a high five so that he can sleep better - only to admit the next morning that he was just kidding with the big dramatic production of being scared of the dark.

Oh this boy. A few weeks ago I caught him giving Miles a quarter from his piggy bank. When I asked what he was doing, he said,

"I'm giving Miles a quarter to clean up the toy room by himself."

That was shortly after he had brought me a sack of toys he wanted to sell to earn money for his piggy bank because he "didn't want them anymore."  Upon inspection, I noticed that the sack contained toys  that specifically belonged to Miles. 

Sneaky Pete. 

But then, what do you expect from a boy who saves a cereal bar for The Joker in the mornings?

     

Oh, but then he can be as sweet as sugar. Like when he saved some candy for Miles and Lakey from a treat bag he got at a birthday party only he was invited to. All on his own. He can be really thoughtful and generous.

Sweet Petey.

Either way, I love my darling boy. Happy birthday, Knox. You are a rich blessing from our glorious God!

Knox Talks: Missing the Boat A Little

"Daddy, when are we going to take Lakey back to China?"

A Different Kind of Mother's Day Poem

Today is Mother's Day, and I praise God for my wonderful mother - Sue Ann Lakey.

I also celebrate being mother to these three wonderful children.  It's hard to believe.  Mother's Day has taken on a new significance for me this year.

Lately I've been thinking about Lakey's birth mother.  There is so much about her that I wish I knew but never will.  It's inevitable that some day Lakey will want to know more about her too.  Maybe it will be some Mother's Day in the future that will trigger the question in her little heart,

Why do I have a mother AND a birth mother?

Moreover, it only seems natural that Lakey might one day struggle with where her identity lies.  With her mother who has raised her and is all she knows, or with a ghost of a woman on the other side of the world who gave her life?

The following is a poem by an unknown author that was printed in the Dear Abby column.  A friend of Jeremy's clipped it and passed it along to us.  I wanted to post it so that I'll always have it.  It might just help Lakey understand better than I'll be able to explain, though I will always do my very best.

Once there were two women
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember,
The other you call mother.

Two different lives
shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
the other became your sun.

The first gave you life
And the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love
And the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality
the other gave you a name.
One gave you a seed of talent,
the other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions,
the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
the other dried your tears.

One gave you up -
it was all that she could do.
The other prayed for a child
and God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me
Through your tears,
The age-old question
Through the years:

Heredity or environment
Which are you the product of?
Neither my darling, neither.
Just two different kinds of love.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers both far and near!

Apples and Oranges

Adoption: What M&K Think

Q:  Do Miles and Knox know that they have a sister?

Yes!  Though it's hard to tell the depth of their understanding. 

We were totally honest with the boys about everything right from the start.  Before we were matched with Lakey, we told them that they had a little brother or sister who lived in China.  You can probably predict the number of questions this kind of news prompted, and most of them started with the same word.  Why?

Why do we have a brother or a sister?

Why does our brother live in China?

Why could his mommy not take care of him?

Why am I going to be his big brother?

Why he doesn't live in our house?

Can we fly a big jet to China?

Most of these questions came from Miles.  A boy who wants to know everything about everything.  Initially, he wanted a brother.  I tried to prep him for the possibility of having a sister, but he insisted, "No, I will have a brother and Knox can have a sister."

But once we submitted LOI and introduced the boys to Lakey, they were as smitten as we were.  Their teachers tell me they talk about her at school.  They love to go into her room and sit in her rocking chair or play with her stuffed puppy that they lovingly named Lulu.  Almost once a day I catch them dumping 10-20 of their own stuffed animals and blankets in her bed.  "We are sharing with Baby Lakey," they say.

They expressed much concern that I didn't paint their sister's room pink.

Sometimes I wonder if they really grasp that Lakey is a real person who will soon be a permanent presence in our family.  We've talked about her for so long, yet she never shows up.  Sometimes it's hard for me to grasp that she is real.  I need all my senses to take her in.  Soon.

A few months ago, Jeremy was talking to the boys about their role as big brothers to Lakey. 

Miles lovingly said, "Daddy, I'm going to protect her." 

Knox followed up with, "Well, I'm going to scratch her."

This is going to be fun.

Knox Talks: Elf-Elf

For the very first time this year, one of Santa's helpers showed up at our house.  Miles and Knox named him Elf-Elf.  They are a creative bunch.

A few days into it, the boys woke up to Elf-Elf in the exact same spot as the day before.  *If you're new to Elf on a Shelf, the gist is that the elf flies to the North Pole each night to report to Santa.  When he comes back he lands in a new spot and the children have to wake up and find him.  In our house, Elf-Elf only goes to the North Pole when he has good things to report to Santa.  At least, that's how it's working this year.

It was Miles who first noticed that Elf-Elf hadn't moved that morning.  As the questions started rolling in as to why Elf-Elf had cancelled last night's flight, I noticed that Elf-Elf had written a note to the boys.  I read it to them as follows:

Upon hearing this terrible news, Knox's bottom lip jutted out and he remarked,

"But...but he's smiling about it."

Try to explain that one to the kids.

Miles and Knox, Meet Lakey.

I introduced Miles and Knox to Lakey (or her picture) way back in August, just before bedtime one night.

I had two means of capturing their first, honest reactions:

1.  Video camera.
2.  Digital camera - our good one.

Both died right after I opened the computer for the big reveal.  Wop, wop!

In the middle of the boys' first "Awwwww"s, I snapped the computer lid shut and said, "Hold on!"  Then I slid down the banister, grabbed my iPhone, and hurdled two steps at a time back upstairs.

"Okay, now!" I said.  Obviously out of breath.

The quality of my pictures - menial.  Miles and Knox's reactions - priceless.

Both boys wanted to "hold her."  Each by themselves of course.  To this day Knox still tells me that Lakey is just his sister and that Miles can have another sister "by himself."

After several minutes of Miles grinning and studying Lakey's picture, I said to him, "So Miles, what do you think of your sister?"

His exact words were matter-of-fact, "Cutie-cutie!"

Then I asked Knox the same question.  His sweet two year old words, "Tootie-tootie!"

And they hopped off the couch and started playing trains.

She's gonna be loved.

Oh Toodles!

Remember this march?

Who's the leader of the club

That's made for you and me?

M-I-C-K-E-Y

M-O-U-S-E

Hey there!  Hi there!  Ho there!

You're as welcome as can be

M-I-C-K-E-Y

M-O-U-S-E

I'll spare you the rest, although you are probably now singing it in your head.  Sorry. 

If it's been awhile since you've had any direct connection to the mascot of Disney, let me assure you that Mickey Mouse is alive and well in the hearts and TVs of littles everywhere. But it's not by way of The Mickey Mouse Club anymore.

Now it's, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Oooh, Ahhhh!

Only Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and the gang in this one.  No more Mouseketeers that will grow up and bomb their way through life.  Just kidding, Annette Funicello made it through alright didn't she?  She's my fave.

Knox especially loves Mickey Mouse, so it was a no brainer to give him a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party for his 3rd birthday.  It wasn't exactly as we planned since it rained all the day long, but I might argue that the kids had more fun because of the rain.  Kids are just cool like that.

Like every other birthday in this family so far, the party was at our house.  Come inside, it's fun inside!

These are some of the goodies that went in the guests' treat bags.  Play-doh, stickers, frisbees, and Pez.  We are a Pez family.  Even Santa brings us Pez.

Chocolate w/sprinkles.  Birthday boy's request.

Mima's iced cookies.  She's a talent.

First bike!

Happy boy.

Knox got a Spiderman mask.  He had to get his fingers just right...

"So I can shoot my powers out!"  That's what he says.

It's interesting, but once Spiderman came to the party then Batman suddenly appeared too.

Like I said, it literally rained all day long.  Nino and Papa brought their bounce house for the kids to play on, and they were willing to put it up even in the rain.  Thankful to them for that!  The kids got soaked and had a blast!  Here are Knox and Miles with Tate.  I don't think Tate ever once came inside - he loved the rain.

This is a gratuitous picture of my bestie's son, Cutler.  Oh. My.

Knox got a firefighter (or fire-fire, as he calls it) costume from his cousins, Lawson and Landry.  He ran around for a good amount of time needing to "fix something," and hammering that ax. 

This little boy is Cruz, and he and Knox are in the same class at school and have been best buddies since they were in the infant class.  They are two weeks apart in age, and just connected from the start.  Funny how that happens with some even at such a young age.  Here they are singing Rain, Rain, Go Away.

Such a fun day!  So thankful for this sweet boy.  Happy Birthday Knox!

Three

Today at 12:23 pm,  my darling baby boy turns three. 

He is silly, handsome, funny, and dramatic.  Emphasis on dramatic.  His personality is BIG, and that means that every emotion is BIG too.  He is fearless, honest, and naughty.  He will often tell you that he's not your friend anymore just to see how you react.  He is slick as a whistle when it comes to accepting punishment.  He conjures up big tears, tells you he just needs a hug, and sometimes asks for a second chance.  And in the spirit of promoting grace, you (I) often give in to his requests.  Slick, slick, slick. 

*Aside:  When I first started doing time-outs with Knox a little less than a year and a half ago, he kept getting up and I would set him back down.  Over and over again until I told him that if he got up again he would need to get a spankin'.  As I walked away for probably the 23rd time, he started singing, "A-maaaaaazing grace!  How hhweeeeeet da sooun!"  See what I mean?  Slickness.

But this boy is also loving and cuddly.  And generous.  He is good at sharing, and every morning he goes to the pantry and gets a cereal bar for himself, one for mommy, one for daddy, and one for Joker.  That's right - the villain.  And Knox will cry if you try to tell him that Joker is a bad guy.  What can I say?  He loves the unloveable I guess.

Happy birthday Knox!  We are so proud of you and love you so, so much!