Project 13 to 13: Day 6

It's Day #6 and a very exciting day at that! It's Kick Off Saturday for Wonder Boy and his soccer team! WHOOP!


It was a VERY exciting game between two pretty evenly matched teams. Wonder Boy and the gang in blue came out with a 5 to 3 victory, but it was tense from start to finish. Wonder Boy played pretty well and had an assist in the first half. We are looking forward to a very fun and exciting season!

Looking back on this same day in 2007, this time we see Wonder Boy kicking back with a good book:


There is so much I love while reflecting on this photo. This snap came about a week before his 6th birthday, near the end of his first 6 weeks as a kindergarten student. The book is one he fell in love with at school: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? This book led him to others in the same series and really kicked off his push to be a super reader. He had always loved for us to read to him, but opening to door to reading on his own was a whole new experience. And it started largely with this book.

Project 13 to 13: Day 5

Woo Hoo! It's Friday! And around these parts, we have made Friday extra special by dubbing it "No Homework Friday." Unless Wonder Boy has a very big project that cannot otherwise be completed on time, Fridays are reserved for fun activities only.


The Boy is nearing the end of his first 6 weeks marking period at school. If things hold steady, he'll be on the honor roll to start off his 7th grade year. So I think taking Fridays off for some relaxation is well in order! On this particular day, the Boy and his dad are enjoying clips from John Oliver's "Last Week Tonight" show.

Fun with Wonder Dad is nothing new though. From the earliest age, no one could get a smile from Wonder Boy like his Daddy. Dad is good for rough housing, help with history and language arts, building anything, planning and executing the best practical jokes, reading, reading, and more reading, and let's not forget nightly silly time!


I see seeds of Wonder Dad starting to grow in his Boy and few things give me greater joy. With these two, life is a constant adventure - and I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way!

Project 13 to 13: Day 4

It's Day FOUR of Project 13 to 13 and, so far, Wonder Boy is still playing along (not always with a smile on his face, but still playing none the less).

Today we are showing off some new duds:


Last night was the Boy's first soccer practice of the season and with a new season comes a new team, a new coach, and NEW COLORS! Wonder Boy has always been a fan of blue (me too!) and while light blue might not be his favorite shade of blue, at least he didn't end up on the pink team. Wonder Boy was given the option of selecting his jersey number and he quickly called dibs on the No. 10 jersey, the same has his favorite player, Lionel Messi. We're looking forward to a VERY FUN season!

And today we're going to flash back to August of 2005 to one of my all time favorite snaps:


Oh, those eyes. Those chocolate eyes (which look darker in this b&w photo) have always been my down fall. This particular photo was taken at the end of a long day of soccer (for Wonder Dad and I) and a last minute trip to the neighborhood park for the whole family. It was a hot, sweaty August evening, but we had a blast watching Wonder Boy fly down the slide time and again. It's never easy to call a stop to that kind of fun, but at least we will always have this little snap to look back on and remember the day.

Project 13 to 13: Day 3

Day 3 of this little project features my music man:


Each weekday he pulls out his viola just after he finishes the rest of his homework. Since neither of his parents are what you would call "musically gifted" this afternoon serenade is a special treat. Usually, I am finishing up work for the day or perhaps getting a jump start on dinner and I can think of no finer way to spend the time. But mostly, I am thankful that Wonder Boy has developed such a fierce love of music of all kinds. I have noticed that, when he is stressed or unhappy, he will often turn to his piano or his viola or even his trusty iPod for comfort. And it makes me feel good to know he has such a wonderful way to work out his worries.

In our look back today, we travel back to Sept 2004 - just a few days shy of Wonder Boy's 3rd birthday.


Wonder Dad was away on a trip, so we were taking extra pictures to email to him when I caught this one. I just love the absolute look of concentration on his face. Wonder Boy has always been this way. When he focuses on an activity of any kind, the rest of the world melts away and there is only the task at hand. In this flashback moment, it meant bed time would be hard to come by, but today it means that homework is finished in a timely fashion ... and that bed time may be hard to come by if an activity is started close to lights out. But I wouldn't have it any other way! This is just one of those things that is absolutely Wonder Boy, through and through. And he wouldn't be the awesome kiddo that he is without this characteristic.

Project 13 to 13: Day 2

Well ... it's one day closer to Wonder Boy's 13th birthday and time for my next installment on this little project:


As you can see, the Boy is totally loaded down each day when we take off for school. Backpack full of goodies (including lunch) on his back, viola case on the right, and big, heavy binder on the left. I believe it is part of the exercise regimen at his school - you know, gotta make sure to tax those muscles if you want them to develop the big guns.

Our flash back shot for today is from September 2003:

Soccer has ALWAYS been Wonder Boy's sport and by the tender age of 23 months he was already working on his ball handling skills. I like the focused look on his face here. Soccer is no laughing matter you know!

This week the Boy will be kicking off a new season, so you can bet there will be more ball-centric photos featured as well. You just gotta check back to see what he lets me post.

Project 13 to 13: Day 1

In 13 short days, our dear Wonder Boy will turn 13, will be come a teenager... a TEENAGER, folks!

When I too was on the cusp of that milestone (back in the days of the dinosaurs, I know), it felt as if I would never get there. It just took SO LONG to grow up! As HE stands on the doorstep to his teen years, I wonder how he got here so very quickly.

So for each of the next 13 days, I intend to reflect not just on the boy and baby that he once was, but on the incredible young man he has become in only 13 short years.

First, let's look at my guy today:

This is a typical after school scene: a pile of homework and a tasty snack for added "focus." We often sit side-by-side, knocking out our work while we watch the door for signs of Wonder Dad. I enjoy this little ritual (even if the ice cream sandwich is not for me) and hope it is one we can continue for years to come.

But I also want to take a look back ... to this same day in September 2002 when Wonder Boy was approaching his first birthday.

Back then, there were no piles of homework and probably not any ice cream sandwiches (he preferred salty treats). But we still had a great spot to sit and wait for Dad to come home. And when he made it home, playing on the floor was high priority for the whole family.

Forgive me, Wonder Boy, for this sappy mommy moment (and the next 12 sappy days to follow). There is such a big part of me that wants to hold onto you so tight that you'll never age another day. But there is a MUCH BIGGER part of me that is thrilled and excited to see how independent you have become and at all the adventures that await you.

Back Track - Captain Happy & the 6th Grade Wrap-Up

Usually, I will back-date these posts, but this one is SO late (we are only about 2 weeks until the start of the new school year) that I am just going to put it here with the disclaimer that ... well ... it's late. Sue me.

Wonder Boy had a really great 6th grade year! He had to buckle down and work a little harder than in years past in order to stay on the honor roll, but he did JUST THAT ... he put in the time and effort and ended up with the grades he wanted. While it is hard to see him struggle, and harder still to see his disappointment in a less-than-perfect report card, I am happy he is learning this skill NOW rather than when he goes off to college.


Wonder Boy's favorite subject is still math. And he still loves science as well. But surprisingly, his favorite teacher was his English-Language Arts teacher, Mr. Z. Mr. Z brought a lot of energy to his class room and I think that helped motivate Wonder Boy through his less-than-favorite subject. As a result, the Boy has developed a new love for reading. And while he has always enjoyed a good book, that pleasure seems to have deepened over the course of this school year as he has been exposed to new genres both in class and at home.

One of the most fun things Wonder Boy "brought home" this school year was a new nickname. The high school orchestra director spends time at the Intermediate and Middle schools each week. And one day when working with Wonder Boy's ensemble, with Wonder Boy cutting up and keeping everyone in smiles (as he is wont to do when he is in his element), Mr. H dubbed him "Captain Happy."

I think you can get an inkling of that when you see the images above (& throughout this little blog). Wonder Boy has always been a pretty laid back chap. And when he is in an environment where he is relaxed and confident, he will often assume the role of class clown. I am just glad that Mr. H saw it much like we do - the expression of a kiddo who is just happy to be where he is at in life.

As usual, as I look back over this school year, I see tremendous growth in our dear Boy. He is physically taller, having sprouted almost 2 full inches since the fall. He is more mature. He is more confident. He is more independent. He is more ... well ... more Wonder Boyish than ever.

I am really looking forward to seeing where the next school year will take him!