Project 19 to 19: Day 15

I Love You More

Almost as soon as the Boy learned to say "I love you" he jumped into the game of "No, I love YOU!" vs "No, *I* love you MORE!

It's definitely one of my all time favorite games and even if I lose, I win!

This snap was taken in 2015, on Valentine's Day. Wonder Boy and his dad surprised me with this plaque and another similar one. I'll admit I was a bit overwhelmed and my reaction (bursting into tears) definitely surprised him.


I can't tell you how happy it makes me that this little game lives on today! Every night at tuck in, everytime someone leaves the house, and these days, often when the Boy notices one of us is having a rough day, he will launch another round and remind us that we have a live-in cheering section.

Project 19 to 19: Day 10

the Guys

This photo from 2010 is one of my all time favorites. I have it in the rotation of photos in my digital photo frame on my desk at work and every time it pops up, I stop and smile for a minute, no matter how hectic my day may be.


I have always loved seeing them together, but there is something simple and honest about this photo for me. This shot was snagged while the guys were both in the middle of a martial arts class. Wonder Boy had started muay thai lessons and Dad was doing a cardio kick boxing class at the same location. Here they had a break in the action at the same time and took a minute to chat and crack a joke. And their simple interaction warms my heart to its deepest core.

For today, I couldn't find a time when they were both free and willing to step in front of the camera at the same time, but I did see this awesome shoe rack/bench Wonder Dad just finished making for the boy.


This bench is another simple and honest expression of their relationship. Wonder Dad knows his boy well. And there is no greater articulation of his dedication to his boy than a project like this bench. I have caught both of them stopping to take in the bench when they enter his room. Wonder Dad is proud of his finished project and the Boy is glad to have this special addition to his room. I love that this is one more thing that they get to share together.

Project 18 to 18: Day 16

Mr. Thrifty & Nifty

It's Day 16 and today I want to mention something I don't believe I have ever mentioned before... our Wonder Boy is innately thrifty!

He was never the type of kiddo to ask for everything under the sun as we strolled the isles of the Toy Store at Christmas or reach for a special treat at the grocery check out. In fact, we have to cajole and coerce just to get him to give us ideas for Christmas and birthday gifts! It is seriously rare when he asks for something specific at the grocery store or wants to go out to eat. He just doesn't put a lot of thought into those kinds of things.

We have had to be very careful to not let him know how much something costs - if he perceives it as being excessive, then he will start making excuses for why the funds should not be spent. Summer camps come to mind. We were blessed to be able to send him to a couple of really great camps over the years. He especially enjoyed STEM camp and Mathematical Problem Solving camp. But we were very careful for him to not know the full cost of attendance because, regardless of the educational value, he would have been most uncomfortable with the price tag. And since we wanted him to focus on the educational side of things, we never disclosed the financial side.

The end result of this behavior is that when he DOES make some kind of request, we almost never answer in the negative. Case in point today - this little gadget has a hefty price tag by most standards, but the Boy had a need for class and researched the most reliable version of this thing and then you could see him physically tense up as he made the request. It is a LITTLE hard to justify this particular model, but .... it DOES have an educational value and, again, he so rarely requests anything that it is just hard to say 'no', so we didn't!


In our look back to 2016, we get to see a fun side of the Boy! This was just a particularly good day, a little family time tossing around a frisbee in the hours just before sunset. Wonder Boy was keeping Wonder Dad and I in stitches with his antics as he would chase down the frisbee. He caught it between his legs and behind his back. He acted like a punch-drunk clown when he missed or when his return toss went sailing over Wonder Dad's head. I carry the ring of our laughter to carry me through my darkest days. It was THAT good. Not some big event or major milestone. Just the perfect way to pass the time with my two favorite people on the planet!

Project 18 to 18: Day 13

Voilà!

OK. It's VIOLA, not voilà, but the Boy likes to play around with his pronunciation when he talks about his instruments and his viola is no different - so we have come to accept that any word that starts with a V and likely ends in an A probably translates to viola.

This is the instrument that really started it all for the Boy. We had tried to tempt him with an electric key board several years prior to his start in the 5th Grade orchestra, but nothing truly took hold until he got his hands on his first viola. I will always remember how after getting in his viola practice minutes one afternoon, he came downstairs and pronounced that he thought he could play his viola music on his keyboard if he knew which notes were which on the piano.

So the viola was the stepping stone to learning the piano. In addition, his time at the piano eventually led him to the guitar. And who knows if the guitar will be just one more link in a chain of musical studies the Boy entertains?

But it STARTED with the viola and I am truly thankful that it did as our house has been full of music ever since and I treasure it beyond measure!


Our picture for today is the Boy's bright and shiny viola. For many years we rented a viola each school year for him. I didn't realize this when he joined the orchestra, but string instruments vary in size based on YOUR size - it's like finding a pair of shoes that fits. And the instruments grow along with the child, up to a point, of course. And that is why for many years it made more sense to rent rather than to buy.

But as the boy started to reach his adult size and remained committed to orchestra and his viola studies, we knew it was time for him to have an instrument that was truly his own. So one Christmas he opened a very small box left under the tree with a coupon for a trip to a string shop near Houston before he was to return to school for the spring semester.

He was very excited and the whole family packed up and made the drive to check out Lisle String Shop. When we left home, Wonder Dad and I were every bit as excited as the Boy. But as we neared the shop, Wonder Boy grew progressively quieter. And by the time we stepped through the doors of the shop, he had retreated completely into some self-conscious shell.

The shop attendant brought out several instruments for the Boy to sample and get a feel for which he liked best, but the more we tried to get him to play, the quieter he became and the more frustrated Wonder Dad and I became. A drive like this is not something we do on a whim. We have to arrange care for the dogs. We have to fight traffic and in this case, had to struggle with directions to an unfamiliar place in a construction area to boot. *sigh*

Tensions rose higher and higher until at last we were able to cajole the Boy to play enough to make an informed decision on which instrument would accompany him home.

The drive home was almost as strained as the time we had spent in the shop, but eventually, everyone relaxed and the concert that we enjoyed in the days remaining in the Christmas holidays almost made the struggle worth it all.

Seriously though, this instrument has a truly wonderful sound at the hands of our favorite musician. It is smooth and warm and inviting and once we were all able to put bruised feelings aside, we have all agreed that we are glad the Boy was able to upgrade his instrument!

Project 18 to 18: Day 4

The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. ~Antoine-François, Abbé Prévost d’Exiles


I think perhaps the toughest job on the planet is that of a father. Wonder Boy is so blessed to have had this guy to provide safe haven for him for the last almost 18 years. Wonder Dad jumped into the father job with gusto from day one! In fact, while I was out of it in the hours after delivery, he took charge of the first diaper and never looked back.

One day it may change, but parenthood hasn't gotten any easier from those early days filled with diapers. These days the duties involve fewer objectionable odors, but it is no less exhausting. Since home is our safe space, we get to see the Boy at his absolutely finest, but also at his lowest.

Since school started about a month ago, the Boy's stress level is at an all time high. And I'm afraid Wonder Dad often has to bear the brunt of the Boy's frustrations. But as you can see, the Boy still knows where to find his biggest supporter (one of them anyway) once all is said and done.

Project 18 to 18: Day 1

Firsts and Lasts

Hip, Hip, Hooray! Today marks the start of my all-time favorite annual photo project - the countdown to Wonder Boy's birthday!

This year, more than any other, I often find myself lost in nostalgia, remembering so many firsts. In contrast, Wonder Boy is focused much more on all of the lasts that are looming on the calendar. He recently had his last-first-day of high school, for example! He's counting down the days until he can cross off his last orchestra concert, his last fight out of the school parking lot, his last summer at home.

Personally, as we wind down the last days of him being a minor, I am in total denial to all of these lasts that he so gleefully crosses off the calendar. And while I enjoy looking back over all of the firsts, I'm shaking in my shoes about a new set of unknowable firsts to come - the first day at college, the first serious relationship, the first taste of adulthood and freedom.


Today, however, I'm thinking about our first first - our first day together! The photo on the left was taken just a few hours after Wonder Boy made way his into this world. It has at once been SO LONG since he fit in my arms like that and yet if I close my eyes, I can still feel the gentle weight of his head on the crook of my arm like it was yesterday.

The picture on the right may well turn out to be a last - the last start to my favorite photo project of the year - since I am unsure if I will be able to continue this tradition once the Boy is out of the house. And you will note that these days I fit better on his arm than he on mine.

I know I'm starting off the project this year looking back, but while I might miss those early days on some level, I have no desire to return to that time. The young man so willing to give me a place to rest my head is an amazing guy and I honestly DO look forward to seeing just what paths he might take over the next few months and years!

And on THAT note, I will offer my last thought for this day: Let's roll!

Project 17 to 17: Day 14

Holy cow! We're already at the 2 week mark of this project! Only a few days to go!

Today I want to show you all my world:


Oh these two! These two characters are my everything!

A lot has changed since that snap from 2014. Wonder Boy now has over an inch in height advantage over his Dad, for example. But there is so much about these two and their relationship that has not changed. I love to hear them laugh and tease one another. They crack jokes at the other's expense and love to pull pranks on one another as well.

But despite their buddy-buddy attitude, Wonder Boy knows his dad is so much more than someone to pal around with. Wonder Dad is our safe space. He has always taken the job of protecting and providing for his family as a super serious endeavor. And he has never let us down in those respects. Wonder Dad sets a great example for the Boy. And every day I see Wonder Boy picking up something else from his Dad, in addition to his sharp wit and easy smile.

Wonder Dad would move heaven and earth for our Boy. The Boy, in return, is the best at coaxing those giant belly laughs from his Dad. I'd say they're a matched pair for certain!

Project 17 to 17: Day 13

OK. So the last couple of weeks, the Boy and I have had a running ... I dunno ... not really a joke, but a private conversation that made us both giggle along the way.

You see, I've been pestering him to get a hair cut. And though he doesn't like his hair long by any means (I could support that, if that was the case), he just hates the process of GOING somewhere to get his hair cut. He ALWAYS resists it and he's been that way for as long as I can recall.

So the "joke" went something like this .... I would catch his gaze and make scissor motions with my fingers when Wonder Dad wasn't looking. The Boy would then point at the calendar telling me "not yet." I made him commit to a date and then I teased him in this manner all the way up to that fateful day.

As I type it up, it doesn't sound like much, but it kept us both giggling for several weeks! I don't mind simple humor, I guess. And it was fun to have this little back and forth with him - usually that is more commonly done with the Boy and his Dad.

So the kick is this ... we were SUPPOSED to get this done yesterday, but we had several other appointments throughout the day and one ran super long, so we had to move it to today. So in the end, even though he committed to a particular day, he got a reprieve and got to hold out for yet another day. But at least it was for a good reason!

This morning, we packed into his car and he let me ride with him to the salon (so I could pay for the whole affair). I'm glad I got to tag along. He doesn't NEED me to come. I literally don't do anything but keep him company and pay the bill. And I could give him the funds to take care of it on his own. But I am thankful he doesn't seem to mind my company on these little excursions.


In our look back we see the boy and I just a few short years ago. Look! I was still taller in this snap! I'm pretty sure this is the year he passed me up though, by the time we crossed off the last date on our 2013 calendar we were at least looking eye to eye and I'm pretty sure that he was already a smidge taller that year for our Christmas photo. But this was another day when we were off on a little excursion together.

Wonder Dad was under the weather and needed some peace and quiet around the house on his Sunday afternoon. So I packed up the Boy and his favorite book of the day (a "Far Side" collection) and we went exploring the gardens near the George H. W. Bush Library. It was one of the first warm days that spring and we enjoyed sitting in the sun, finding comics that made us literally laugh out loud. The boy consented to letting me take some photos of the two of us together. And that summer, we framed a few of them for Wonder Dad for Father's Day.

It's a day that stays burned in my memory. A truly great day!

Project 17 to 17: Day 7

Safe harbor. That is what Wonder Dad and I have always strived to provide for our Wonder Boy.

It has been quite a while since I could plop him in my lap, engulf him in my arms, and provide the physical reassurance that he had a safe place to shelter. But that doesn't mean that he has lost his sanctuary. It simply means that it is not quite as tangible as when he was tiny and perhaps in the process it has become larger and easier to find.


We have attempted to make sure he has ample opportunity to find safe harbor. Our home. It's a safe haven for us all. It's the place where we can say and do and feel without worry of judgement. That doesn't mean it is free of conflict or consequence, only that we are all committed to working through both of these storms that can rock our collective boat.

The Boy knows that both Wonder Dad and I "have his back" both at home and out in the world. And as he starts to stretch the distances he will roam, he knows full well that he has a port to call home when the roaming is done.

This season of his growth is often trying for Wonder Dad and I.

We both face a mixed bag of feelings and expectations. On one side, we love watching him grow and develop into the man he will one day become. But with that metamorphosis, we also have to bid farewell to the little boy we have so long cherished. We want to see him leave the nest and soar to the highest of heights. But we do so with an edge of worry of all of the good and the bad that is out in the world, so far from our control or even influence.

Though he would never admit to it, I think Wonder Boy must be feeling some of this as well. I can see in his eyes, in the strain of every muscle how ready he is move on to the next chapter of his life. He is chomping at the bit to get started on really living!

But every once in a while I also see a slight hesitation about leaving our comfortable little nest. It is only the slightest of hesitations though.

Though I am far from it, Wonder Boy will be more than ready to spread his wings and fly. And it will come sooner rather than later.

I know he is holding his breath and counting the minutes, I am trying to hold on. Not so tight that he can't fly off ... no, just tight enough to remind him that we will ALWAYS be his safe space. That even once he creates his own little safe harbor somewhere, he'll always be able to find his way home.

Sixteen!

Project 16 to 16: Day 14

Here on Day 14, I wanted to show the Boy's stack-o-screens. And of course, this doesn't count his computer at home or the ones used at school. But at any given moment of the day, it's a pretty fair bet you'll find the boy on one of these screens. I'm actually a pretty big fan of the digital revolution (thus far). For the boy, this little stack of screens means that information is always at hand and he uses it fairly wisely. It seems he's always researching something or another.

Of course, he's not ALWAYS learning. He also loves watching videos of just "random stuff" (as he puts it) - things that make him laugh. And I'm glad he has access to THAT material as well.


In looking back to 2014, we see the Boy with perhaps his favorite family on the planet outside of our own. These kiddos are as close as family for him (and for the rest of us).

There is so much I love about this snap. It was taken on the day we first got to meet their new baby brother, born 2 months prior. We had a great meal and then made a quick stop at Buc'ees before we had to part and head back to our separate corners of the great state of Texas. It was a good day and looking back on it always brings a smile to my face.

But what I love most about this snap is seeing the silly side of our Boy - IN PUBLIC!

Everyone needs someone (or someONES) with whom they are so comfortable that it's OK to be silly, even when out and about in public. And I'm just glad the Boy chose this particular group to let his silly side shine!

Project 16 to 16: Day 13

For day 13, I wanted to hit the lighter side of things when examining our Wonder Boy. And honestly, this is something that tickles my funny bone on a daily basis.

BATH TIME!

Yes, I'm serious. Bath time. Or, more specifically, shower time.

Not a day goes by that the Boy doesn't put up a fuss when we tell him it's time to get clean. We get the stereotypical exasperated sigh, usually accompanied by an eye roll, and the ever constant question "Do I have to...". Every. Single. Time. *sigh*

But once he's in the shower, he steps into another world! We don't really know what is going on in there - some kind of one man play is the best we can guestimate - and it's probably best that we DON'T know what is happening. Even when we warn him to "be quick about it," his showers rarely run less than 20 - 30 minutes as he sings and chats and who knows what else the time away. And while I am so pleased he is squeaky clean, it's something that makes me shake my head and giggle just a little every day.


In our look back to 2013, we see they Boy and his dad on the hiking trail - one of our favorite places to be! This particular snap was taken on Good Friday that year when we visited the Huntsville State Park.

If you were to ask Wonder Boy straight up, he would tell you that he doesn't enjoy hiking. But his actions on the trail usually speak louder than those words.I find there is something really wonderful about unplugging and spending time outside. And while he may not want to leave his screens behind, he always seem to relax and have fun once we are out and about. I hope that, as he matures, he will understand that these trips are the kinds of memories that feed our souls.

And who knows, maybe one day, he'll drag a reluctant teen of his own on the trail as well.

Project 16 to 16: Day 7

Today marks the end of the first week of our big countdown. I am glad that I have this to distract me from the realization that my "little boy" is turning 16 in a matter of days!

I'll be honest, again today the photo of the day is not exactly what I had PLANNED to share today. I'm going to hope that I can work that idea in later in the week, but this is still something I wanted to highlight.


Just look at my boys! Wonder Boy simply ADORES his Wonder Mutt. And the Mutt most certainly reciprocates! This snap was taken just before bed tonight. The Mutt is funny, by the time he finishes dinner, he is pretty much ready to turn in for the night. He sleeps in Wonder Boy's room and if we leave the door ajar, he will sneak in there and try to turn in early. In comparison, Wonder Boy is NEVER ready for bed. Now, once he gets to sleep, he is a champion sleeper who can rack up more than 12 hours in the sack with ease (if we let him). But despite that fact, he never wants to concede to sleep. I'm not really complaining as he DOES go right on to sleep. It just strikes me as funny that a kid who likes to sleep so much would fight going to bed.

In our look back to 2007, we see our favorite kiddo doing one of his favorite things - creating! These neat building toys are called "Zoobs" and I can't even begin to tell you how much fun he had with them over the years! He and Wonder Dad were able to build all KINDS of cool creations from helicopters to a great white shark to these cool dinosaurs!

Eventually we passed on these toys to some friends with kiddos who also have a passion for creating. I hope they have gotten as much fun out of them as we did!

Project 16 to 16: Day 6

This is the stage of this project where, when you see the Boy in our "look back" photo, you can see at least a little bit of the "big guy" he has now become. It starts right around the time of his 5th birthday, around the time he started "grow up" it seems. It strikes a chord with me that it would be his fifth year where that he had so many milestones (the "Big 5" birthday, graduating preschool, starting martial arts and team sports) that his "big kid" personality would start to shine so brightly, but it certainly does!


I'll be honest, this was not the photo I had planned for today. I really wanted to see if I could bribe my guys into re-creating at least the pose from our flash-back photo. But in the end, I think this is the right look at today.

I snapped this right before bed tonight. The Boy had a full day. He's been helping out a whole lot around the house as both his dad and I have been under the weather. And he had a viola lesson this afternoon. And top all of that off with a good-sized stack of homework (which is certainly becoming the norm for this school year) and really, this was always going to be the photo for today.

I think it has surprised Wonder Boy that the course work has increased by SO MUCH this school year. It increases every year. He's come to accept that. But I truly don't think he was prepared for a jump in workload of this magnitude. He is beginning to adjust. We all are. But it has taken a bit longer than any of us could have anticipated.

In the end, we know this is a good thing. He needs to be prepared for when he goes off to college where the workload will be considerable, but there will not be anyone "cracking the whip" to make sure he gets it done. While I would love to lighten his load, I am thankful that working for the grades he wants to achieve will not be something new when he moves on to that next level.

Our flash back is one of my all time favorite photos of my guys together. It was taken on Father's Day 2006. Wonder Boy was at the height of his fascination with "the Incredibles" and he dubbed his daddy "Mr. Incredible" just as quickly as he assumed the role of "the Dash." We couldn't find any "Incredibles" shirts for Wonder Dad that summer, so we made our own! It became Wonder Dad's soccer jersey that fall and that made the season that much more special for Wonder Boy and for us all really. Wonder Boy really DOES have the most Incredible Dad ever!

Project 16 to 16: Day 5

It's Day 5 of our count down to Wonder Boy's big day. And today I am going to again talk about something of which I have mentioned every year, I am sure: the role that music plays in the boy's life!


For the past few months, the boy has started playing around with this classical guitar. He starts official lessons in a few days, but he had made some really incredible gains on his own. And, at present, I enjoy hearing his guitar practice more than any other instrument he plays (& that is saying something because I really love them all)!

Looking back, we see our dear Boy in 2005, conducting the soundtrack to the movie Fantasia. Even at such a young age he was drawn to classical music. As the movie began, he would take center stage in the living room, raise his hands with the conductor, and completely steal the show for all of us present. As the screen faded into the cartoonist's interpretation of the notes, Wonder Boy began to dance and sway around the room. It was a show I truly miss seeing. But more than that, I think it was a glimpse into the importance music will always be to our Boy.

I am glad the Boy has music in his life. I have seen it bring peace when he was troubled. I have seen it echo the joy and glee felt on the best of days. And I have seen it focus his thoughts when he was anxious or having trouble getting settled.

And maybe the best part is that music is a blessing that can be shared!

Project 16 to 16: Day 4

Today's photos seem very stereotypical for kids of Wonder Boy's generation. Technology has been, and continues to be, a huge part of his life!


We know, when we are not sure where to find the Boy, there's a strong possibility we'll find him in the computer room, engrossed in some program, some video, or some tutorial.

There are many reasons to limit and monitor the use of technology, but at the same time, it is an amazing tool!

When we were young, if we wanted to learn anything outside of classroom material, we needed a trip to the library or we hoped some family member had a fairly recent set of encyclopedias. Today, when the Boy wants to check out something new, he need go no further than his computer! He spends more than his fair share of any given day parked in that chair, but he doesn't just wile away his time. Most days, we find him engrossed in some new math concept. He has been very driven to learn concepts of differential calculus for the better part of the summer and continuing into this fall (despite the fact that he is just taking Algebra II at school).

He loves all things math, but he passed up Wonder Dad's and my level of expertise many months ago. So we are very thankful that he has a place to research his favorite topic!

In our flash back to 2004, we see our little guy happily enjoying a few moments of screen time. We can't see the screen here, but my guess is that he was playing a Micky Mouse alphabet game - it was his favorite back then. What I love most about this snapshot is the the look of pure joy on his face.

As you can see, the computer has been his "happy place" for many years now and that shows no sign of changing any time soon.

Project 16 to 16: Day 3

It's day 3 and today I am reminded of one of the BEST PARTS of this yearly project - when looking for my "flash back" photo, I stumbled on a photo that I had completely forgotten about and it brought a HUGE smile to my face.


Our snap from this morning is our dear Wonder Boy with his puppy princess. Neither of them are what you would call a "morning person" but the Boy has learned that the mornings are probably the best time to get in some cuddles with his best girl. She's really started acting her age as of late and I think we're all trying to soak up whatever cuddles she feels like sharing.

Our flashback to 2003 is my smile for the day though! I had completely forgotten that the Boy went through this phase where he wanted to do everything upside down! I drew the line at letting him eat while upside down, but it wasn't worth the fight to ban him from watching TV or listening to one of us read to him in this manner.

He really was a fun little guy who always kept us on our toes!

Project 16 to 16: Day 2

For those that know him well (or those who have heard my lament when trying to find pants that fit this kid), you won't be surprised when I mention that Wonder Boy is a .... let's call it "selective" eater and always has been.

He has ridden the same 25th percentile for weight since the day he drew his first breath (his height is another story though). And finding nutritious foods that he enjoys eating has always been a challenge.


I am pleased to say his menu is considerably more diverse than it was in his younger years, but compared to the vacuum cleaners that characterize so many teenage guys, Wonder Boy is still rather choosy when snacking.

In the top photo, you see the Boy's favorite food of all time - carnitas! He could (and sometimes DOES) eat carnitas at every meal. It's the one food that I know he will never turn down (and if he ever does, I'm taking him straight to the doctor). As a matter of fact, he had a couple of carnitas tacos for dinner last night and then again for breakfast this morning. And as we were leaving for school, I caught him checking to make sure there would be more for dinner tonight (there are!).

When he was small, he preferred chicken, especially chicken strips. He still enjoys those, but he's become a bit of an aficionado and only likes certain chicken strips. His favorite come from Cane's. He also really liked the chicken and waffles sliders from a local joint called Micky's Sliders, but they closed down just this week (so I guess we'll have to come up with someplace new for his birthday dinner).

In our look back, we see the Boy just before his first birthday at what was probably the time in his life in which he was most adventurous when trying new foods. Back when he first started enjoying solid foods, we could get him to at least TRY pretty much anything we were also eating. We can thank pasta and veggies for this fun little snap.

Wonder Boy has been learning to make all of his most favorite foods, including the carnitas pictured above. We all want to make sure he'll be able to fend for himself when he goes off to college!

Project 15 to 15: Day 12

It's Saturday and that, of course, means more soccer:


I've been trying to come up with the right words to express what I am thinking today. While this is another action photo of my favorite son playing his favorite game, there is more to it than that. Bottom line: this was not the Boy's best performance on the soccer pitch. And at the end of the game, when we piled in the car to head home, Wonder Dad and I both knew that he would soon be asking for our approval.

And sure enough, we hadn't even cleared the parking lot before he asked,"So ... what did you think of the game?"

It's hard to be a parent in this situation. We enjoyed the game. His team came away with a win this week after losing a close one last week. So we understood the Boy's desire to celebrate a little. However, we all knew that the Boy didn't deliver his finest performance. So we did what we could ...

We told him that we were glad that his team won, but then we pointed out a few things that he could have (and normally WOULD have) done better. We were able to tell him how he improved over the course of the full game. And let him know we were looking forward to next week's game.

We could tell that he was not hearing what he really WANTED to hear. But we also want him to know that when he asks for our opinion, we are going to give him an honest assessment.

Our hope is that he will then realize that when we do praise him that he will understand that he has truly earned it.

In looking back to 2012, I get to share a special snap of the Boy and I at a friend's wedding:


This was our first dance together outside of the privacy of our own living room. Wonder Boy was TEARING UP the dance floor that night and didn't hesitate to ask every lucky lady that he knew to join him on the floor! As for me, I was happy and honored to be his preferred partner, even if it meant Wonder Dad and I didn't get a chance for a dance all on our own. There's plenty of time for that. On this night, the three of us danced and danced and just enjoyed the festivities!

Project 15 to 15: Day 7

We've made it to the end of the first week of this project and today I was able to grab this snap of Wonder Boy with his best girl, his puppy princess, Tori.


I love that the Boy loves his dogs so much. He has a "puppy alarm" set on his watch so that he never forgets to feed them in the evenings. He plays with them, he helps us bathe and care for them, and he makes sure they are bundled up warm and snuggly when he can't be there to cuddle with them. Watching him wrap up the dogs in one of his favorite fuzzy blankets is one of those things just makes me giggle. He treats them like his little babies. And they just soak it up! In the summer, when he is away at camp, they miss him terribly. And though he loves going to camp and being out on his own a bit, I know he misses them too (so we text him regular photos to keep him connected).

In looking back to 2007, we get another glimpse of our junior adrenaline junkie in his element:


This snap was taken a few weeks after his 6th birthday on a special family trip to Sea World in San Antonio. We all had a great time on that trip! The boy got to pet dolphins and manta rays. He laughed his head off at the silly antics of the seal and sea lions show. He was amazed by the acrobatics of Shamu. But the highlight of the trip was this Shamu roller coaster built just for kids his size. I think the 2 of them must have ridden that coaster about a dozen times - long lines and all! And to this day, roller coaster rides at theme parks are one of the Boy's favorite special treats.