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 18 to 18: Day 6

Curiosity is the engine of achievement. ~Ken Robinson

Wonder Boy has a mind that is only very rarely quiet, which may account for why he often holds his tongue.

An ever inquisitive mind has always been a hallmark of the Boy's character. When he was young, like in the flashback photo for today, he had to be almost physically restrained to keep from exploring. He wanted to know everything about everything. And he seemed to just soak it up like a sponge! I enjoyed our days of science experiments and grand adventures to see what the world held in store for us!


These days, the Boy has discovered that there is a world beyond the physical to explore and conquer! I sit in awe as he explains the math proofs on his whiteboards to me. I so admire that he doesn't just want to know how to DO math, but instead strives to fully understand and grasp the concepts behind the mechanics of solving a problem. And the best part is, that he doesn't take a single thing for granted, nothing at face value. He has to prove to himself that something is the way some textbook might claim it to be. THIS is how discoveries are made!

I suspect this is a skill that will serve him well in the years to come as he heads off to college and beyond. I know, in the depths of my being, that this guy is meant for great things!

Project 17 to 17: Day 6

For day Day 6 I would like to introduce you to my favorite helper!

If we are to believe television and fictional stories, you would probably be scared to death to invite some surly teenage boy into your home. The audible eye rolls, snarky comments, and the inability to set down their cell phones are supposed to be the defining characteristics of this age.

Don't believe a word of it!

Yes, there will be days when the stereotypes will ring true. Quite a few of them, truth be told (those stereotypes have to have some basis in fact, after all). But what you don't hear is just how USEFUL these adults-in-training can be!

During his summer vacations, Wonder Boy is largely responsible for laundry for the whole family. He's always helping out in the kitchen. I'm not sure I could wash the dogs without him - we have a great system worked out and can get both dogs in and out of the bathroom like clockwork! And quite honestly, he does a really great job of keeping the bathrooms clean. He's a handy young guy and we are thankful for his assistance.


As you can see, Wonder Boy has always been willing to lend a helping hand around the house. We could give him a Clorox wipe and turn him loose in the bathroom and kitchen alike!

Honestly, at this age he had not yet honed his skills, but his willing heart was always appreciated!

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 15 to 15: Day 6

Day 6 is here and I wanted to show you where you can most often find Wonder Boy these days: at his computer.


When in doubt, we know to go looking for the Boy at his computer. Sometimes he's working on school assignments. Sometimes he's pounding out a new program (he's working on making his own scientific/graphing calculator program right now). Occasionally we'll find him drawing on his Wacom tablet. And every now and then, he's just watching Youtube videos for fun. I am not sure if it is a generational thing or just a Wonder Boy characteristic, but this is his happy place. And since he, more often than not, uses his time for learning and expanding his mind, it's hard to begrudge him the time he spends on-line.

As we flash back to 2006, we see our Boy on his 5th birthday with his first favorite teacher:


The Boy has been blessed with an abundance of caring educators from preschool all the way through to his first year of high school. But this special lady was the first teacher who really connected with him. When he was at the height of his super hero phase, she let him wear his mask to class and even let him sign his papers as "the Dash" as long as he spelled it correctly. She encouraged him to express himself openly, regardless of what others might say or think. She played such a huge role in preparing him for the start of his academic career. She "graduated" from preschool with the Boy's class and we lost track of her for a number of years. But I am thankful that we now see her regularly around town.

Project 14 to 14: Day 6

Day 6 is here and I'm happy to say that, not only are we counting down the days until Wonder Boy's birthday, but today we celebrate the opening of the fall soccer season! Can I get a hearty "WHOOP!"?


I love watching the Boy play soccer! His game has grown almost as much as he has physically grown! He's a confident midfield man, much like his dad.

This year we threw a bit of a wrench into things though - we moved him up a division. He's now playing in the U16 division instead of U14, so he gives up at least a year to almost every player in the division - and some will even be more than 2 years older. Since this is the age in which boys begin to mature, that age difference can be a pretty big obstacle, but we wanted to push the Boy a bit. In this division he will have to rely on skill and not so much on size to be successful. And another bonus is that he can play again with one of the best coaches he as ever had in rec-play.

They kicked off the season in style, winning 6 - 1 over a very tough team! I am already looking forward to next weekend's game!

In our look back today, I am sharing one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE photos of the Boy:


At this age, the Boy wouldn't answer to his given name. Instead, we all had to refer to him as "the Dash," as in the speedy young man from the Pixar movie, "The Incredibles." Note: I did not say "Dash" - he would respond only to "THE Dash."

Even at preschool, he would only write his name as "Dash" or "the Dash." I am SO thankful we had such a caring and fun-loving teacher that year. She took it all in stride and even allowed him to wear his mask as long as it didn't get in the way of any activity (like splash day!).

Of all of his Hero phases, I think the Dash might be my favorite. I'm not sure why, but seeing this picture (or the others from this age), give an extra tug on my heart strings.

What can I say, I'm just an unabashed sap!