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 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 19 to 19: Day 8

Bubba's Best Girl

We have had dogs in our home since before the Boy was born, so he has never known life without a canine companion. Our dogs, Ruby and Chucho took a while to warm up to the Boy after we introduced him to our little pack. They grew to accept him and even love him, but it was not the same as having a dog of your own.

The Puppy Princess was born to a local breeder in November. We took the Boy with us to make our pick of the litter and all 3 of us agreed she was the one for us! At the tail end (yes, pun intended) of 2008, just before New Years, we were finally able to bring her home!


The Boy fell for his Princes right away, but she was a Mama's girl from day one. He spent years chasing after her, but it really wasn't until the Mutt came into the house that she decided Wonder Boy was worth her time.


I am glad that she found her way to him, especially since he has given so much of himself to her over the years. Our old girl is really getting up there in age to the point where we are not sure how mcuh longer she will be with us. I have struggled to find the silver linings to this Pandemic, but having extra time with the Boy and him having extra time with the Princess is definitely one of those cases.

Project 19 to 19: Day 7

Who is that Masked Man?!?

Today marks a week into this project and I am so glad that we still have another 12 days to go!

This flash back photo from 2007, brings an INSTANT smile to my face! This was taken the Friday before his first day of Kindergarten. He was taking "Little Dragons" martial arts lessons at a local karate dojo and they held a big blowout to celebrate the end of summer and the start of the new school year. The theme was "Super Hero Training Camp."


As you can see, Wonder Boy was well prepared for the event! He's in his Incredibles outfit and mask. He's donned his Batman cape. And he has his trusty Jedi light saber at his side!

Like every other kid in attendance, he flew around that dojo like never before that evening! He showed off his high flying skills, leaping tall towers (of training mits) in a single bound. His dexterity was on display as he climbed mighty cliffs (played by the instructors). And he gave us all a demonstration of his strength as he knocked out pushups, sit ups, and punched every heavy bag in the building!

A great time was had by all, especially by those of us watching our little Supers run wild.

Believe it or not, every time the Boy leaves home these days, he is also sporting a mask.


While this mask is a fun one to look at, wearing one right now is not a laughing matter.

This is, of course, yet another reminder of life in the time of the Corona virus. On the rare occasion that we leave home, we wear a mask and usually disposable gloves as well. We remain at least 6 feet away from others. All packages/supplies coming into the house go into a 3 day quarantine. And we generally do not have in person visits with anyone.

We have lived like this since mid-March and there doesn't seem to be any indication that things will change in the next few months. This is why Wonder Boy is doing his first full semester of college from the relative safety of our home. All of his classes are on-line.

It wasn't an easy decision to keep him home this fall. But with the number of students on campus contracting the virus, we are all certain it was the right call to make. We are still very hopeful that before long the Boy will be able to attend classes on campus. And our biggest wish right now is that he will be able to live on campus by next fall!

Today's masks may not evoke the same smile or hit that tender spot in my heart, but they go a long way towards protecting us. So I guess in that same way, the Boy is still my favorite Super!

Project 19 to 19: Day #6

Favorite Foods

If you have known Wonder Boy for any length of time, then you know that food does not hold a high priority in his life. His list of favorite foods has never been very long. We tease him and say he has a "selective palate."


We see our sweet boy here enjoying a bowl of cheerios, watching TV (most like watching "Go, Diego, Go!"), and breaking in the Batman cape and cowl made for him by his grandma. I was so thankful that breakfast was a pretty easy meal since both lunch and dinner were bound to be a struggle.

I am thankful that these days, it really isn't a struggle to keep him fed. It's true that he prefers simple foods, with a fondness for steak, chicken, and pork leading his list. And at the very tip top of that list, is bacon! According to the Boy, Bacon is heaven sent and should be enjoyed as often as possible.

In days past, bacon was reserved for the weekend, but since the pandemic has us all at home, all day, every day, it is not unusual for it to find its way onto the menu for breakfast and/or lunch.


Our dear boy has only one request for his birthday this year - bacon at every meal.Looks like I have some meal planning to do!

Project 19 to 19: Day #5

Focus, Discipline, Work Ethic

Focus, discipline, and a strong work ethic. If you had asked me back in the days before we transitioned from a couple to a family, what lessons I would hope to impart to any future family members, I likely would have included these 3 in the list.

There are days when I think we must have breathed that into the Boy from before he took his first breath because they are the first three characteristics that come to mind when I stop to ponder the man our Wonder Boy is rapidly becoming.

It started with focus. The Boy has always had an uncanny ability to target his mind on the task at hand. When he was small, we would see this when he sat down to draw, paint, build, or play. It was like the rest of the world was just background music and his activity was all that mattered.


Discipline is supposed to be a learned trait, but it has come as naturally to the boy as breathing. And I have always been amazed to see it when it comes to his school work. Most of us can remain diligent when working on something we enjoy, but have trouble maintaining that when it is a task we despise. However, that is NOT the way the Boy is wired. He will often knock off first the thing he hates the most. I have long admired that as I am wired the exact opposite way.


Today is Sunday, typically a day of rest. But after a full week of working hard each day, the Boy started off his day today with a chemistry pre-lab write up. He followed that up with hours of research toward putting together a degree plan for the next 3 semesters so he will be ready for a meeting with his advisor on Friday. He schedules his work himself. We know next to nothing of his assignments, test schedules, or degree requirements. We could find it out, of course, but our young man does not need our assistance. He has earned our trust in his organizational skills and we know he has things well in hand.

I hope he knows how proud he makes us!

Project 19 to 19: Day #4

Video Game Master

Like so many of his generation, Wonder Boy has been completely enamored with video games from a very early age. Back when this photo was taken in 2004, we severely limited his time "on the box" and only got him games with an educational spin.


The game shown here was his favorite for a long time - a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse game that focused on the alphabet and colors. It was bright and colorful and had a bubbly sound track to accompany it.

Since those early days, the Boy has delved into all things video game related. He spent time building levels on games he purchased. He has programmed his own games. He has sketched out all his favorite characters. And he's learned to bang out some of the tunes featured in his favorite games on his piano or guitar.

In short, there is very little aspect about video games which the Boy has not explored.

As of late, he has been all but obsessed with the musical aspect of his favorite games. He wakes up in the morning humming those tunes. Once class is over, he likes to pluck a tune on his guitar or dabble around on the piano. Sometimes he will send us the link to a video on YouTube. And any time we take a car ride togehter, his favorite topic is discussion the types of music in his favorite games, especially those he enjoyed when he was young.

All of that talk must be seeping into my subconscious because I find myself being drawn to game music too. The Boy and I had recently been talking about one of his first truly favorite games - Little Big Planet. And just by a strange twist of fate, one of its most iconic songs ended up in my YouTube play list the very next day!


Wonder Boy and his dad must have played that game for a good solid year, only moving on when the Little Big Planet 2 was released. I do not have a flair for game play, but LPB was so pretty and the music so captivating that I couldn't help but spend hours watching them play.

The screenshot above was from my favorite level, called "the Wedding Reception" and the video below is the song that plays throughout the level. Thanks to my boy, it now has a permanent home on my playlist!