Happy 9th Birthday Isaac!

Isaac – Happy 9th birthday! Where has the time gone? Before I know it you will be in double digits and then I’ll blink and you’ll be off to college:(. You played soccer and basketball on the Sooner teams again this year. Ollie was your coach. His son, Marshall, was a friend of yours and tons of entertainment for Dad and me. You're pretty competitive and can get quite aggressive no matter the sport you are playing. Some days, you aren't feeling it and you don't fake it. On the days you are feeling it, you are one of the best on your team. This past year you finished up second grade with Mrs. Lazar as your teacher. She was super nice which is why you loved her and boy, she thought the world of you too! She regularly praised you for your willingness to help your classmates out, your complex thought processes, and your quiet sweetness. None of her comments surprised your Dad or me. She knows you very well. You are an amazing and unique kid, Isaac. You do your own thing, have your own opinions, and don't care if anyone else joins along. You are my only kid with style preferences. You know what you like and rarely change your mind. As a person who has more trouble making decisions, I admire the decisiveness in you. Isaac, you are not my kid who wears your heart on your sleeve. You don't really like to display expressions of love with kisses and "I love you". So when you snuggle up to me at bedtime, it sort of melts my insides. You are smart, witty, quiet, and unique. I love when you share what is going on in your head. It is always worth hearing about. Although you love to pester your brothers, you are a good kid with a great heart. I love you Isaac, and I am so proud to be your mom. Happy 9th birthday!!

Happy 15th Birthday Will!

Will – Happy 15th birthday! This is the year you get a learners permit! Ugh! When did you and I get so old?:) I am not sure I am ready for all of this. Next thing I know, you’ll be wanting to take a girl out on a date! You started high school this year. You were excited and a little nervous. You middle school was being divided into two different high schools and many of your friends were going to the other school. Luckily, your two closest friends are at Independence with you and you are quickly making lots of new friends. You started running cross country at Roach Middle School and you have continued it into high school. I don’t think, well I know, that you don’t love running cross country but you have been a sport about it. You stayed an hour late after school at Roach, and this year you went to school at 6:00 am every morning. I didn’t mind the after school thing but this before school practicing is tough on your parents. I can only imagine how tough it is on you when you still have a school day ahead of you. But, you were a trooper and plowed through. You ran JV and your team got second place in districts. Yay! You also made a lot of new friends which made your middle school to high school transition so much smoother, even if you don’t see it that way. J This summer you went on your first mission trip with church to Nashville and Birmingham. You were not apprehensive at all and really enjoyed feeding the homeless. You also went to church camp at Camp Wyldewood in Searcy, AR this summer. It was your first time going there. You didn’t know anyone else going but apparently you won many over with your wit and humor. In fact, you performed a stand-up comedy routine at the camp talent show and from what we heard, you brought the house down. I was nervous for you but I should have known that God would take care of you. You are my oldest Will so I worry about every new adventure you go on. You are forging new trails and making paths for your younger brothers. It is a big job and requires real courage but you do it with such calm. That is who you are though. You are calm and cool. You don’t get too riled up about much. Knowing the stubborn and outspoken little boy that you were, I am shocked at how patient and flexible you are now. You have three younger brothers and you are an awesome example for them. You are patient and willing to compromise. Quite often you just let them have their way because you know it means more to them than it does you. And, I think you get annoyed at their whining;) Will, you make me proud just about every day. You are smart and creative. You are sweet and kind-hearted. You make my job a whole lot easier. Thank you! Happy birthday buddy!

Happy 12th Birthday Sam!

Sam – Happy birthday big guy! This past year you graduated from elementary school and got ready for middle school. You loved your time in fifth grade. Mrs. Treadway was your teacher. You really liked her and of course, she loved you! You are smart, witty, funny, and good. You wear your heart on your sleeve and treat people like they do too! You are kind and genuine. You are still best friends with Karl. When you are at school, you are like two peas in a pod. I think if I would let you walk the five blocks to his house, you would be like peas in a pod at home too! Unfortunately, for you, I am just not ready to let you go that far. I would be lost without my Sambo! You are still playing soccer and Dad is still your coach which means that you still play for the Fighting Irish. I don’t know that you love soccer but you take it in stride, give your best, and make me proud. I love to watch you out there. My sweet little Sam being aggressive! You had your appendix removed this year. The nurse called me from school and said that you were complaining of a stomach ache. She said that you didn’t have a fever, hadn’t thrown up but that you just looked like you felt bad. I think you have the magic touch with that nurse. So, I picked you up. After a couple of hours you still didn’t feel well. I didn’t know what to do. I thought that maybe it was the flu so I took you to urgent care for some medicine. Well, to our surprise, it was your appendix. You and I spent the night at the hospital and the next day, you had surgery. You got an IV and it totally creeped you out. You named it Phil I guess to try and make it a little less scary and gross. The surgery went great and you were home that day. You were really creeped out by your scars at first. Now, they are just your reminders of your bravery and that time they actually “removed an organ” from your body. I put that in quotes because you make a point of reminding Will that his surgery wasn’t nearly as bad as yours because he didn’t have an actual “organ removed”! You also got braces this year. You were excited about the idea about 5 months before getting the braces but of course, once it was time to put them on, you were not super jazzed. There was some major complaining and a lot of milkshakes for the first few days but you made it through. You still have quite a while before they come off but your smile is already so much brighter! Sam, you are a delight. You run the spectrum of emotions. At times, that is frustrating for me. Other times it brings me joy. Sometimes it makes me ache for you. You are pure and honest. You feel guilt from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. You are all heart, and I love that. You make me laugh, and you make me proud. I love you Sam! Happy Birthday!

Happy 6th Birthday Mac!

Macadoodle – I know that this is super late post but please know that it is full of loveJ. Mac, you are a joy! Life is one adventure after another for you. Rarely, if ever, are you a kill-joy at our house. If someone has an idea, you are in! You are fun and energetic, creative and adventurous. You are special! This year you graduated preschool and you rocked it! Mrs. Knox was your teacher and you loved her. Of course, she loved you right back! Julien quickly became your best friend, and you repeatedly asked me to plan a playdate. About 2 months later, I finally got my act together and got his mom’s number and address. When you found out that they lived in the neighborhood right next to ours, you were thrilled!! Although you enjoyed preschool, you really wanted to start kindergarten this year. But, your dad and I decided we would have you wait. You would have been the youngest in your class and that wasn’t something we wanted for you. Also, keeping you in preschool meant one more year that I get a little more time with you alone!:) You were bummed about not going to big school because you really wanted to be with Sam and Isaac. But once you found Mrs. Knox and Julien, you were over kindergarten. You so badly want to be big. You want to read like the big boys. You want to compete like the big boys. You want to be a big boy. You do not want to be left behind. But kiddo, you are hard to leave behind. You keep up for sure! If the boys are doing it, you are right behind them trying to do it too. Luckily, you’re pretty cute so they enjoy your company. And you are a pretty quick learner so it isn’t long before you have mastered whatever it is they are doing! You played soccer again this season. You love it and are super competitive. You want to try karate too but I can only handle one sport at a time. Sorry buddy! We will get to it at some point. Macadoodle, you used to love to be my snuggle buggle. You learned it was a quick way to my heart. Now you aren’t so much into the snuggling but you know that is how you can win me over and get what you want;0 You are smart, funny, and awesome. Not too many people could carry a big name like MacArthur but you do! You make me laugh, bring me joy, and cause me to beam with pride. I love being your mom. Happy belated Birthday Mac!

Happy 5th Birthday Mac! (Yep! It's super late. Sorry buddy!)

Happy birthday Macadoodle! You turned 5 this year and you were SO excited. Well, you get super excited about most things but you were even more excited about turning 5 because you know that kids go to school when they turn 5. Unfortunately, your dad and I decided we wanted you home just a little longer and we chose to send you to preschool for another year. You will return to the preschool you went to last year. Your teacher for your 4 year-old class is Ms. Lana. She loves you and you love her. You also have a sweet friend named Gavin. You ask just about every school day if he can come stay the night. I have tried to explain that most 4 year-olds would like to have their mommy with them at night. You remedied that by offering for his mom to sleep over too! You are always thinking! You are also always playing catch up. You do not want your brothers to get too far ahead of you. That is why you insisted on learning to ride your bike without training wheels. Isaac took his off and you were rather miffed that you still had yours on. Against much protest from me, you wanted the wheels off so they came off. About a day later, you were tooling down the street just like your older brother. You also helped light a fire under Sam. He could ride a bike at that point but not really well. He was not gonna have his 4 year-old brother ride a bike better than him. So thanks to you, the Chism family are now ALL proficient bicycle riders. You also needed to learn to snap. I guess you must have seen one of the boys do it so that was another mission of yours during year 4. As expected, you figured it out! This year you played soccer and t-ball. Of course, you are competitive and love the games and you are one of the best on the team. You know exactly what you are doing and love it when your brothers watch. You love your brothers a lot too. Sometimes you and Isaac fight but I guess that should be expected. For the most part though, you are all very good friends. I love to watch you play in the backyard together. I love to hear y'all giggle at night. Mac, you are really fun! You are truly enthusiastic about nearly everything and I love it. My favorite is when I mention something we are gonna do or somewhere we are going to go and your response, "Ooooo!" Your joy is infectious. You sing and don't care who is listening. You can't help but dance to the music. You wake up ready to experience the day. It is really a treat to be your mom. You are kind and a helper. You are funny and silly. You are smart and determined. And you know the way to my heart. When I am tired or down, you offer to be my snugglebuggle and that makes my heart full. Thank you for showing me genuine joy, love, and spirit Macadoodle. I love you and I am so proud to be your mom. Happy birthday MacArthur!

Happy 8th Birthday Isaac!

Happy birthday Isaac! You are turning 8 already. I am not even sure where year 7 went I guess because you were quite busy! Mr. Kilburn was your teacher for first grade, and you loved him! He was an awesome teacher and so much fun. I don't think you have ever had a teacher tell so many booger jokes. You even had a class pet hamster named Booger:)! I think Mr. Kilburn got you excited about going to school but your love for learning kept you excited to be there. You are that kid that although you are quiet, you are always listening and taking it in. You do very well in school and are often asked to help your fellow classmates. That's a pretty big deal. Speaking of classmates, you have lots of friends at school. The other kids are drawn to you. As the third child in a row of boys, it is nice to see you get some attention. Many of your friends in class are also on your sports teams. This year you played soccer and basketball. Both teams were coached by Coach Ollie and were named the Sooners. You work hard at sports and are generally very successful. Now your team isn't always the best but it isn't for lack of effort on your part. Outside of sports and school, you are still my kid that loves music. You love listening to it and making it. You are always making sounds and noises with your mouth or your hands. You kind of drive Sam crazy with it, and I think you know that and enjoy it. You work hard every day to get someone's goat. You are a bit ornery. I think you get that from your father. You are funny, smart, witty, and very observant. All of those things together are what sometimes get you in trouble with your brothers, always pushing just a little;0 Isaac, you are sweet and good. I find it interesting that you are such a rule follower at school and a real rule challenger at home. You are funny and loving, mostly to me but I am totally cool with that. You are one of my snugglers and I love it. You do your own thing Isaac. You have a style all your own. One day I was getting your hair ready for school and you told me, "Mom, you make me look dumb. I make me look awesome!" And that is about right. You know what you like and don't really bend on that. You do your thing, and you do it well! I am proud of you and proud to be your mom. Happy birthday buddy! I love you.

Happy 11th birthday Sam! (Of course, it is late:))

Sam, you turned 11!! I cannot believe that my Super Sam is 11 already. Next year you will be in middle school and that is just a shock to me! Where did the time go? Well, this year was an interesting one for you. After two seizures, very scary seizures for you and your parents, you were diagnosed with epilepsy. Thankfully, the doctor thinks it is something you will outgrow. So for now you are on medicine and that makes us all rest a little easier. That being said, you are a bit of a booger taking that medicine. You are not a fan of taking pills so every morning and evening you take apart the capsule and mix the medicine in with yogurt. It is a mess but you get it down! Thankfully the epilepsy hasn't changed much else about your life. You are still the life of the party and full of spunk. You still live with your heart on your sleeve. You have a ton of friends and each of them are genuine friends to you. Your best friends these days are Karl and Tyler. Just about every day after school you are playing with one of them. You are in Ms. Bendickson's class with Karl, and that makes life great for you! You are playing soccer and dad is the coach. Of course your team name is the Fighting Irish and of course, Karl is on the team. You are really fast when you want to be which is about 50% of the time. The other 50% you appear to be running around looking busy but not really looking to touch the ball;) You also took up basketball this year. You played on a team through the YMCA. It was a fun team and I was really proud of your effort. It was something new for you and you had a great attitude about it. You were fun to watch! However you feel on the court, you show with your whole body. You are very entertaining! You have always been and continue to be my most tender hearted kiddo. Dad and I have to be very careful when we discipline you because you are really hard on yourself. Even when I am not disciplinig you but talking to the other boys in the room with you, you feel the need to defend yourself. I have to regularly remind you that I was not even talking to you. Sam, you are funny, social, and friends with everyone. You are kind, sensitive, and get your feelings hurt easily. You wish for a world where right and wrong is clear and justice prevails. Unfortunately, in a world with three brothers, justice isn't always served. I love you buddy, and I am so proud to be your mama! Happy birthday Sam!

Happy 14th Birthday Will!

Happy birthday Will-boy! I am still struggling to believe that the little boy who used to be my solo side-kick is becoming so independent. You never want to sleep in my bed or get a good night kiss from your mom. You don't even want to have me come to sit and eat with you in the middle school cafeteria;0. Well, since that is probably the way it should be, I will wipe my tears and forgive you. This year was a great one for you. You took quite a few honors classes, some with your best friend, Braden, and got inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. You were also invited to take the ACT because you scored so high on the Science portion of some test you took in 6th grade. Although you did well, I am not sure you are quite ready to jump into college, and that is cool with me. I will take every minute I have left before you are out the door. This year you tried Cross Country and Track. I am not sure you are passionate about running but Dad and I told you that you had to do some sort of physical activity so you chose to run:) You were really quite successful in the meets. With over 700 kids running, in three of the four meets, you came in the top 100. Regardless of where you finished, I was really proud that you went out on a limb and tried something new. You have grown and changed so much this past year. You outgrew me, got man hair, and your voice went low. You're becoming a wonderful young man but you're still my little boy. I am really proud of the man you are becoming. You are still one of the most loyal people I have ever known. You are kind and want to help people. You are wonderful with your brothers and rarely give them what they deserve. You are the reason Sam, Ike, and Mac are as good as they are. You are great example for them. I admire your heart and your attitude about life. You rarely get too riled up about stuff. You are dependable. When the whole house is blowing up, I can almost always count on you to be the level headed one. Thank you for that. You're an amazing kid, Will, better than I could have hoped. Thank you for making my job easier. I love you and happy birthday!