Project 19 to 19: Day 9

Color Shift
I've shared before that Wonder Boy has long had a signature color of blue. He loves all hues, especially the darker part of the spectrum. Since the first days where we encouraged the Boy to select his own clothes, he has just naturally gravitated to blue.


If I close my eyes and picture my Boy, I have always imagined him covered in blue.

But in recent months, there has been a noticable shift in color. Gone are the blue hues while maroon no dominates his wardrobe!


I admit it - I love it! He still looks awesome in blue, but he is rockin' the maroon as well! And since I know that this is an outward expression of his excitement over starting classes at TAMU, I'm even more pumped to see him covered in maroon!

Project 18 to 18: Day 9

Canción Bonita

I highlight it every year because it is truly an integral part of Wonder Boy's life and this year is no different. Today we're talking about music, of course!

From the very earliest of days, long before he even realized he was listening to music, the Boy was instinctively drawn to a catchy tune. We would catch him bouncing along to some melody coming from the television while he played with his toys. I recall a day when the Boy was still barely a toddler; we were looking at speakers in an audio-video store and the Boy put on a one-man dance show while we sampled the various options in the shop, completely oblivious to all of the adults in the room. He was in his own world, engulfed by the music used for the demos!

In our look back to 2009, we see our Boy getting into the swing of things as part of his elementary school's sing-along program! We found a cowboy hat at Goodwill that fit, a western-themed bandana, and a snap-up plaid shirt in his favorite color (blue!) and sent him off to school. I was so thrilled to see him with a paper guitar for the show! He and his classmates strummed out some good, ole fashioned country tunes that afternoon and put on a show I am not likely to forget any time soon.


Catching up to today, we see the Boy picking out a tune before school to the delight of myself and the dogs! His guitar is rarely far from hand when he is at home. It has become his go-to instrument and I have noticed that he puts not only more time into honing his skills on this instrument, but more of himself into each piece when he practices his guitar.

A few months ago, we spent a lovely Friday evening listening to the Boy practice. And at the end of his session, he allowed me to take a short video of one of the pieces he had been working on for his instructor. It's truly a lovely piece and I am glad he let me capture it!

Project 17 to 17: Day 9

I wasn't sure what I wanted to feature today, but then, in the last few minutes before Wonder Boy had to leave for school, I caught him sneaking in a few cuddles with the Puppy Princess.


I have always loved seeing these two together. When she was small, she didn't have a whole lot of time for Wonder Boy. He was persistent though. Through his tenacious efforts, she knew if she wanted someone who was always ready to play, he was her go-to-guy. And she always hovered around at mealtimes, just in case he needed a hand clearing his plate. But she was a little reserved when it came to snuggle and cuddle time.

Fast forward a bunch of years, when Mr. Mutt entered our lives and suddenly she warmed RIGHT UP to Wonder Boy!

So perhaps the Boy should be thanking the Mutt for these early morning cuddle sessions.

Regardless of how they got here, they both seem to gravitate to one another in this season of their lives. And it sure makes me happy to see them like this!

Project 16 to 16: Day 15

Our dear Papi (my dad), passed away today.

So please forgive the lack of a photo for today or even a look back to 2015, which is what we were due to post.

Our hearts are just too heavy.

Instead, here is a snap from 2009 of Wonder Boy with Papi. We love him and miss him and ... well ... words fail.

Project 16 to 16: Day 9

Today has been a long day. We've all been battling some kind of a virus. The Boy and I are finally on the mend, but Wonder Dad is still somewhat under the weather. And even though I am feeling better, I am certainly not ALL better just yet.

But with that said, it's been a long day for us all. And to top things off, the Boy has a very full study schedule for tonight! Assignments in 3 classes and his first cumulative exam of the semester!

We are learning that the secret to a successful night of school work is the proper FUEL for the Boy's brain! Now, don't get me wrong, we make sure he eats plenty of good-for-you-foods during the day. But we don't mind indulging him these kinds of snacks if it helps him focus on the work at hand.


In our look back for today I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite snaps of our sweet boy! I wanted these photos to use as a special gift for Wonder Dad. But by this age, Wonder Boy was very tired of me pointing my camera at him at every opportunity. However, I was in for some serious luck this afternoon! The Boy was in a mood to tell me knock-knock jokes. And while he really needed to work on his delivery, just the act of telling the jokes had us BOTH in stitches throughout the little photo shoot!

This is one of those afternoons that I will never forget! Just the sight of his smile in this snap and I can literally HEAR him giggling as he tried to surprise me with the punchline for his next joke. He laughed before he ever got the words out and that made CERTAIN that I too would double over with laughter!

Sometimes looking back on these photos is bitter sweet, but with a memory like this one, it's just plain sweet!

Project 15 to 15: Day 9

For Day 9 of our count down to Wonder Boy's 15th birthday, I wanted to highlight his love of music with this snap I took during his viola practice of the day:


I've shared it many times here, but the Boy has developed a real love of music, especially classical music over the past 4 years or so. His dad and I are both music lovers and have played all manner of music for him since he came into this world. But things really took off when he joined the orchestra in 5th grade. He enjoys orchestra. It's his biggest social activity. But it's also a means of expression for him as well as a personal challenge. This morning on the drive to school, he was telling me about some of the advanced students in orchestra - those that he admires and aspires to emulate. I have been so pleased that he made the commitment to stay with orchestra into high school and hope that he will continue with it as long as possible.

In looking back to 2009, I stumbled on this photo of the Boy at a judo belt test:


Oddly enough, as part of this yearly project, I haven't shared many judo photos. For many years though, judo (and other martial arts) was the Boy's biggest confidence booster. What he lacked in size and strength, he made up for with determination and dedication. There were/are so many gifts from being involved in the martial arts for so many years. But for me, seeing the Boy grow in self confidence and in his ability to focus on a desired goal (like earning a new belt or mastering a particular technique) was the best part. I am thankful to every coach, sensei, instructor, and partner he had during his time in martial arts. I hope they all know that he carries a part of them with him where ever he goes.

Project 14 to 14: Day 9

Today I want to highlight something that has been a TRUE blessing when it comes to having a teenager in the house:


You don't hear it mentioned very often, but having a teenager in the house can be down right USEFUL!

The Boy is capable of all manner of help these days! He can run a load of wash - and I mean from start to finish. He grabs clothes from all around the house, sorts by color, etc., and when there is enough, he runs them through the washer and dryer, folds and hangs them, and then puts them away!

I got VERY spoiled this summer as this was one of his main duties (when he wasn't away at camp). He also helped out with dusting, vacuuming, care of the dogs, and many more household duties.

It has been such a blessing to ask for his help and know that it will truly be HELPful!

Our look back today is a bit more lighthearted though:


This image, taken just after the start of 2nd grade for the Boy shows off one of his many creative pursuits: balloon twisting!

During this phase, he filled our home with all manner of balloon animals and structures. I loved all of the animals, of course, including the above featured octopus. But my favorites were the structures. And specifically, his "pyramid of Giza." That one led to all kinds of interpretations! He made it once with green balloons to which we then tied smaller, multicolored balloons and used it as a Christmas tree centerpiece for our Christmas Eve celebrations!

I love this aspect of Wonder Boy's personality. He likes to learn new things, to use his hands and raw materials to make something new.

I can respect that.

Project 13 to 13: Day 8

It's Day 8 of this little project and today Wonder Boy let me snap a photo that is SO ABSOLUTELY Wonder Boy ...
Of course, it's hard to say "no" to mom and her camera when you're asleep.

For those that don't know ... Wonder Boy isn't what you would call a "morning person." In fact, from Day 1 the Boy had his days and nights backward. He wanted to be up at night, cooing and playing when we most wanted to be asleep. It took almost 3 years to get him on a good sleep pattern, but to this day, he is much more alive later in the day than early.

Looking back to 2009, we see the Boy with his puppy princess:


Not much has changed between these two since 2009. Wonder Boy adores his sweet puppy girl. She seems to thinks of him as a litter mate, just another puppy in the pack. They play and cuddle and otherwise really seem to enjoy one another. I hope they have many more years together!