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 10

Movie Madness: the numbers game

I had a different idea for today's photo theme, but it didn't come to pass. BUT ... as luck would have it, when waiting for Wonder Dad to get off of work yesterday, the Boy and I struck up a round of what is currently his favorite "game" to play. We call it "The Numbers Game."

Over the past couple of years, the Boy has become a big fan of Anime. He keeps a numbered list of all of the titles he has seen. So, at random, I will give him a number and he will pull FROM MEMORY all of the details about that particular series or movie. He tells me the plot line and gives a brief critique of the animation, story line, musical score, and anything else that has stood out to him.

There are literally hundreds of titles on his list so far and he still manages to keep a mental account of them all!


Looking back, we see our Wonder Boy adorned with 3-D specs. This was so he could enjoy his favorite movie of the day: Spy Kids 3 (3-D).

I always enjoyed watching him watch the movie. I'm not a fan of 3D productions in general, but Wonder Boy was enthralled with the whole Spy Kids franchise and his favorite was Spy Kids 3. I suspect that this was due at least in part to the fact that the subject matter was concerned with a video game - an evil game, but a game none the less.

While the Boy's taste in entertainment has evolved over the years, I am thankful that he doesn't mind sharing it with his family!

Project 17 to 17: Day 10

Wonder Boy has a signature color - blue!

For as long as I can recall, it has been his favorite color to wear. Both in our current house and in the house where he spent most of his early years, when we asked him to pick out a color for his bedroom, he chose blue! More days than not, you'll find him wearing blue to school. Even his favorite pair of shoes are a nice, bright blue!


When it came to his room, I wasn't really surprised he wanted blue since he has always leaned in that direction. But apparently, not only is it his favorite, but he read that the color blue, especially blues that are on the slate end of the spectrum, foster creativity and THAT is what he wanted to be surrounded by in his own private sanctuary.

That fits his personality to a tee as well!

The state flower of Texas is a blue bonnet, so you can bet your boots that I try to get him out in a field of blue each spring as well, like we did in our look back to 2010. These days it's a little harder to bribe him for ANY kind of photo, but usually he'll relent and let me get my annual blue bonnet shot.

I love that he loves blue. It's my favorite color as well and I think he looks rather handsome surrounded by our favorite hue!

Project 16 to 16: Day 10

Double digit day. That officially marks the end stage of this project, but I can only say that in a whisper as I am still in some serious denial!

Today I had the Boy pull out a stack of his various notebooks. He has the white boards in his bedroom, but that is for only the most recent ideas floating around his head. He needed a more permanent solution for holding onto his thoughts. So he has a stack of notebooks. He has some small journals, some bigger notepads, and a closet full of old spiral notebooks. And in these books, he records proofs for various formulas and math theorems. Others hold programming notes he wants to have at his fingertips come competition time. And some are just random logic points he wants to work through.

I wish I had been this organized in my thoughts at the same age!


For our trip back down memory lane today, I wanted to share this little snap with you! What do you do when you live in an area of Texas that has you wearing shorts and shades more often on Christmas Eve than a sweater? You create your own snow storm, of course!

This snap was taken in December 2010. We had just finished painting the Boy's room. We painted it blue because he had read that the color blue fosters creativity and we were happy to oblige. The painters finished right after Thanksgiving and to give his room a "holiday feel" we spent days cutting out giant snowflakes to adorn his walls! The whole family jumped into this project and we left it up until early spring the next year.

Looking at this photo makes me think we might need to do something like this for our holiday decorations this year too!

Project 15 to 15: Day 10

Well here we are on Day 10! We've made it double digits into the project this year and only have a few days left. I am enjoying it every bit as much this year as the past two years. And so far, Wonder Boy has been pretty supportive as well.

Today we feature the Boy with his boy:


When I look at this snap, I think Wonder Mutt looks like either a ballerina or a great white shark - I can't make up my mind. I'm pretty sure if we could read his mind, he would identify more with the shark than the ballerina though. Wonder Boy and the Mutt have a very special relationship. They share a room. And Wonder Boy was telling me just this morning that every night, the Mutt settles down on his doggy bed in such a manner that he always has an eye on the Boy. I think that is just PERFECT. The Boy will literally drag the Mutt into the computer room with him or up on the couch for a good cuddle. The Mutt is always under the Boy's foot at the dinner table. The two are just meant to be together!

In looking back to 2010, we are back to another martial arts snap. This time from the Boy's muay thai classes:


This was taken just a week or so before Wonder Boy started the 3rd grade. It turned out to be a real blessing to have him in the muay thai classes as his 3rd grade year was, unfortunately, the year he would have real struggles with a classroom bully. His years in martial arts had taught him plenty of ways to AVOID a fight and he did his level best to follow through with that. But when push finally came to shove and he had taken his fill, it also taught him how to stand up for himself. And even better than that, Wonder Boy's years in martial arts taught him how to stand up for those that cannot or will not stand up for themselves. This is one of those characteristics that make my heart swell with pride. With his academic life taking more and more of his schedule, we've had to temporarily step away from martial arts. But I hope that these are lessons he will carry with him always.

Project 14 to 14: Day 10

For Day #10 of this super fun project, I wanted to show off one of my favorite times of the day: BED TIME!


So what is it about bed time that is so special? Well ... I would say that the truly special part is that on most nights (schedule permitting), we still have reading and/or cuddle time with our favorite Boy before lights out. And how many parents of a nearly 14-year-old get to say that?

I really savor this time of day night.

We're a family of avid readers. Wonder Boy has a book he's reading for school and another book he keeps loaded on his e-reader for fun (or long car trips). He has a book he's reading with Wonder Dad. And yet another book he's sharing with me. Yay for books!

So the first part of our nighttime ritual involves quality time with the Boy and a beloved book.

The next part of the process depends on which of us is in there with the Boy: when it's my turn, reading is followed by cuddle time and a discussion of plans for the next day. I find it a great way to wind down and to know that we're all set for the next day. When Wonder Dad has tuck-in duty, serious silly time starts as as the book is closed. I LOVE listening from the next room as the sound of uncontrollable laughter rings out.

And THAT is what makes bed time such a vital part of our routine.

In our look back today, we see Wonder Boy at school on his 9th birthday.


Just look at the glee on his face! Almost every picture I have from this day (and from the party that followed on Saturday) show the boy just like this: bursting to the seams with joy and excitement!

It's an expression like this that just warms me all over. Seeing this kind of joy on the face of your child ... well ... there just are not many things in this life that can top that kind of happiness, imho.

Project 13 to 13: Day 9

For today, we get to see Wonder Boy acting as Leader of the Pack:


Wonder Mutt has boundless energy. And Wonder Boy has stepped up to take a leadership role in the pack when it comes to helping drain some of that excess energy. The Mutt is often at his most boisterous in the mornings before the heat saps even the most enthusiastic of hearts. So once the Boy is packed and ready for school, he will often take the furry family members outside for a little rope time.

Wonder Mutt is seriously athletic and can easily jump as high as Wonder Dad's head, but this is the Puppy Princess's favorite game in the world! She may not have the hops that the Mutt has, but she makes up for it in sheer determination. And once they have their teeth on the rope, it can take a while for Wonder Boy to wrestle it back away from them. It's good exercise for ALL THREE of them!

For our flashback today, we are only going back a few years to 2010 when a nearly 9 year old Wonder Boy was enjoying a summer of Muay Thai kickboxing lessons:


By this time, Wonder Boy had several years of karate and judo under his belt. But he really thrived under the instruction of Coach B. His hands were fast, his kicks came with surprising power for such a small guy, and he just soaked up all that Coach B could pass on. We were sad when Coach B moved on to other endeavors, but Wonder Boy learned his lessons well and still carries them with him today.