Happy 8th Birthday Mac!!!

Happy birthday Mac. I know that it is already a few months past your birthday but life is always crazy so I am always playing catch-up! This past year has been a busy one for you. You started and finished first grade. Ms. Harmon was your teacher. Neither you nor I were super excited about this assignment but God knows better than us, doesn't He? Ms. Harmon was amazing! She loved you and you loved her. She even asked you stay late after school one day to help her assemble the incubator for the chicken eggs that you were going to have in the classroom. You were very excited about those chickens and the chance to help. You even had me make you a shirt that read "Chicken Power". First grade was awesome! You were a great student, regularly being praised by Ms. Harmon and other teachers for your good behavior and positive attitude. You also did well in your school work. You love math especially! You were a little sad at the beginning of the school year because your best friend, Affan, was not in your class. But, you are Mac and it didn't take you long to bounce back and make all kinds of new best friends. Ibraheem, Pratik, and Prady were some of your closest friends this year but everyone is a friend of Mac. You are personality plus and your friends and classmates think you are hilarious. Your brothers are still your best playmates. You do everything you can to keep up and rarely are left behind because of your efforts. Whatever sports or electronics the boys are into, you are right there with them. It might take you some extra time to catch up but you put the work in so that you can be part of the gang. Right now you play Fortnite and Roadblox with the boys the most but whatever the game, you are usually game. This year you continued to play soccer and basketball. You wanted to play about six other sports but we limited you to two. Julien is on both of your teams and you love playing with him. You play well together and really encourage each other on the field and the court. You are quite good at both sports because your very competitive and give it your all. You cheer when your team is successful and are visibly frustrated when you don't do as well as you would like. Mac, I think that last sentence sums you up pretty well. You are hard on yourself at times but always ready and willing to celebrate someone else's success. You are competitive and give life your best. You are still my kid that is always game for anything. If there is an adventure to be had, you are racing to grab your shoes! You have such joy and that is fun to be around. You are still my snugglebuggle and my Macadoodle. You love to give hugs and get really frustrated because Isaac doesn't appreciate your hugs. It's his loss though. You give the best hugs. You don't like to let go. I know you will outgrow that soon so I am soaking it up while I can. Thank you for keeping me laughing and smiling, Mac. Thank you for helping me to find joy in everyday. You are awesome, and I feel so blessed that God felt I was worthy to be your mom. Happy 8th Birthday Macadoodle. I love you!

Happy 10th Birthday Isaac!

Happy Birthday Ike! I know this is late but my posts seem to always be so I think that means that I am on schedule:) This year you began fourth grade. You finished up third grade with Ms. Fowler. She was super sweet and loved you very much. Mrs. Canine is also very nice and really enjoys having you in class. Both of them recognize your higher level thinking and your thought-filled ways. You are quiet in class. Your brothers don't believe it but that's what your teachers say. They say that although you don't speak up much, they know you are processing it all and really taking it beyond their expectations. You also participate in GT which you did last year too. It is only a few hours a week but you really enjoy the challenge of it. You don't appreciate the additional work but like the thought process. You have a ton of friends at school which again, your brothers don't believe. (You like to push their buttons.) Your closest friends are Antonio, Landon, and Alex. Antonio comes over at least three days a week to play. Thankfully, you and Antonio let Mac play with you too. He would be lost if you didn't. When you're not at school, you play soccer on the Sooners team. Dad is the coach again. Your team isn't that great but you don't seem to mind losing. You realize that in the end it doesn't really matter as long as you had fun. It's very interesting because when you participate in team sports, you are not super competitive. But, when you are challenging yourself in a new activity, you get very frustrated until you have mastered it. You might not be the first one to get it but you will be the one who, in the end, is the best at it. You got your braces off this past year. You are scheduled to get another set in a few years but your teeth look great, and it is so nice to see you smile. Isaac, you are a bit of hard kid for me. You are so much like your father. You are a deep thinking and question things. You don't have a problem following the rules but they have to make sense to you. I am a rule follower without question so sometimes I have a hard time understanding you. But, I have come to appreciate your independent thought. You aren't guilted into much and you rarely go into situations blindly. That is a quality characteristic, and although I don't understand it because that is not how I think, I definitely appreciate it. You hang with Mac most of the time whether by choice or default. Mac is a hugger right now, and that makes you crazy. You don't particularly like to be touched by people but especially Mac. Thankfully, I am one of the exceptions to your personal space issues. You are open to me, hug me, and like to hold my hand when you fall asleep. That might embarrass you one day but it makes my heart happy. It makes me feel extra special. So thank you for allowing me in. I love you Isaac. You might be a complex child but you are so worth figuring out and getting to know. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for you. Happy belated Birthday!