Nine Years Old: Jake

Our sweet, bright, active, observant, incredibly lovable boy turns nine years old today. Nine years old! How is that possible?

This phase of Jake's childhood is one I'd love to last forever and ever. He's independent and willing to take risks, yet still loves to hug his stuffed "Pancakes" to sleep at night. He makes his own breakfast/snacks and manages his homework folder, while snuggling up next to us on the couch at the end of the day. He devours chapter books on his own, yet still asks to be read picture books at bedtime (favorites include If I Built a House and Enemy Pie).

I feel incredibly grateful for his growth and attempts at new challenges, all while retaining bits of his little boy-ness.

Jake has taken on a new and exciting role at school. He was nominated by his speech teacher to be a "Social Ambassador", which means that he spends two lunch periods a week with the school's special needs children. He looks forward to these lunch periods and remembers what certain kids like to talk about and how they like to play.

Jake noticed that one boy loves to sit under a special tree and watch the leaves fall, which Jake is more than happy to join in on. On Social Ambassador days, Jake makes sure that his lunch is packed with easy to eat/non-peanut foods (one of the kids has an allergy) so that he can eat quickly and maximize his time with the students. We love what a caring role model he has become for these kids.

Jake's love of sports has only intensified over the past year. On a whim, we took him to try-out for a competitive travel baseball team last summer, thinking it would be a fun afternoon of practice with his friends. Well, one afternoon turned into a year of baseball and he's spent the past six months practicing twice a week and becoming a leader on the pitching mound.

Along with sports, Jake continues to love animals. For his 8th birthday, we bought everyone in our family an annual pass to the San Diego Zoo. We've enjoyed our trips together over the past year, taking grandparents along on occasion as well. Jake has learned an incredible amount about animals, and can easily rattle off his 10 favorites, with red panda and maned wolf being at the very top (and he will proudly explain that they are neither pandas nor wolves).

At a recent bird talk at the Safari Park, he was the only kid in the audience screaming "Peregrine Falcon" at the top of his lungs when the zookeeper asked what was the fastest animal in the animal kingdom. Of course, he was right. (For those of you who thought it was a cheetah, the diving speed of a Peregrine falcon is 389 km/hr while the cheetah records "only" 109 km/hr on land.)

Other exciting adventures this year included flying solo with Ryan for a "boys" weekend with Papa and cousins, tubing in Minnesota, dog-sledding in Telluride, and celebrating his birthday with friends at a dog-themed laser tag party.

Jake, you are pure and sweet to your core. We love you, little buddy -- happy 9th birthday!

Ryan at Fourteen

And, poof! Another year of laughter, fun, baseball and more baseball with Ryan has passed. Suddenly, he's turning 14. And, as his history teacher pointed out -- after 2020, he will be voting in the next presidential election. Wow.

In honor of age 14, I asked Ryan a few "14" related reflections (some silly):

14 Favorite Moments from the Past Year (in no particular order):

1. The one game we won during the Oregon Ducks season!

2. My week at Stanford Basketball Camp with Tate and Caleb

3. Tubing in Minnesota

4. Staying at Venetian Court with family and playing my first round of golf

5. Dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House (tower of seafood... yum!)

6. PE class in 7th grade

7. Spending the weekend in San Francisco with cousins

8. Going to the Dodgers World Series games 4 and 5

9. Playing with our new pool basketball hoop

10. Getting my braces off

11. Snowboarding in Big Bear

12. Making the Lookouts travel baseball team

13. Lots of lounge/sleep-in time this summer

14. Two more years until drivers license!

14 Word Description of What I Hope to do in the Next Year:

Play baseball, snowboard, splash around in the pool, win the little league championship, Yay!

Wishing you the best fourteenth birthday ever! We love you Rye-Rye D.

Lucie at Fourteen

And, poof! Lucie's first year as a teenager has flown by as quickly as it came. Our bright, fun-loving, best-read-person-in-the-family is turning 14 today. How did that happen? As her history teacher pointed out, after 2020, she'll be voting in the next presidential election. Wow.

In honor of age 14, I asked Lucie a few "14" related reflections (some silly):

14 Favorite Moments from the Past Year (in no particular order):

1. Getting contacts

2. Making the 8th grade volleyball team

3. Braces off!

4. Seeing Wicked in San Diego and Dear Evan Hansen in San Francisco with Gigi, Tate and Ryan

5. My first experience water skiing (I stood up!) while in Minnesota this summer


6. The Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios (even though I promptly threw up in a trash can afterwards)

7. Three weeks of Drama Camp this past summer

8. Winning the 7th grade volleyball championship game

9. Going to the mall/movies with my friends

10. Watching the entire series of Sabrina the Teenage Witch (7 seasons!) with my brothers

11. Playing with my club volleyball teams (especially at the end of the season once we really clicked)

12. Going ice skating in San Francisco with my cousins

13. Playing with all my cousins in Minnesota

14. Only two more years until driver's license!

14 Word Description of What I Hope to do in the Next Year:

Hoping to elevate my volleyball skills and enjoy every minute with friends and family!

We love you Lucie B. Hope you have the best fourteenth birthday ever!

Jake at Eight

Lovable, easy-going, smart, insightful, sweet, loyal, competitive, and naturally athletic - our favorite Jake turns eight today. It's hard to imagine our family ever existed without him. 

Jake is a bright light in our lives -- with his good-natured personality and ability to relate to people of all ages, he brings us together. Jake can go from playing video games and tossing a football with Ryan and cousins, to snuggling his lovies while watching Lucie's teen melodramas, all with the same level of excitement and interest. He's a great companion.

This past year has been a bit of a challenge for Jake. A recent move meant he had to go to a new school where he did not know a single kid or teacher. Though only a mile away from his former school, his new school was a completely foreign land to us all. 

Five months later, Jake's doing great. He's made new friends and enjoyed classmates' birthday parties. He was even chosen as a leader in his class with the role of George Washington in the 2nd grade patriotic performance. His teacher told me, "I didn't think twice about choosing him - I knew Jake was the only kid for the job!"

We know he'd still prefer to be at his former school (as would we) but he's made the best of it and never once complained. Now that he's befriended the PE teacher, things are looking up and he has declared PE time as "so much better!" than at his former school. That's high praise from a devoted PE lover like Jake. 

Other exciting adventures in this past year have included canyoneering in Zion, flying to San Francisco with Lucie and Ryan (no parents) to spend the weekend with family and being selected to play goalie on an All Stars soccer team. He was particularly proud of the All Stars selection, especially when our weekends revolved solely around his tournaments instead of Lucie and Ryan's myriad of activities. 

With two 13-year old siblings, Jake is certainly exposed to a lot above his age level. Case in point, he's the only eight year old I know who confidently refers to Instagram as "Insta". Despite his desire to sometimes act like another teenager in our house, I'm so grateful that he's still a little boy in his core. 

He adores his stuffed animals and is constantly lobbying to add to his collection. He likes to be read to at night, with the Berenstain Bears being a current favorite. And, much to the happiness of all in our house this Christmas, his belief in Santa and his reindeers remains strong. 

Most days, he'll even hold my hand on the way home from school. Knowing this won't last forever brings sadness, but mostly I feel deep gratitude for every moment of little boy-ness we still have. 

We love you sweet Jake, and can't wait for what the next year will bring you. Here's to many more adventures, athletic challenges, and pesto gnocchi in the coming year!

Thirteen is a Dream: Lucie

And, all of a sudden, she's a teenager! Our thoughtful, bright, sweet friend and voracious reader turns 13 today. How did that happen?

In honor of age 13, I asked Lucie a few "13" related reflections (some silly):

13 Favorite Moments from the Past Year (in no particular order):

1. Playing Mrs. Darling in the school's Peter Pan production

2. Making the 7th grade volleyball team (just yesterday!)

3. Slot canyon adventures in Zion National Park

4. Hanging out with my kindergarten buddy 

5. Seeing Hamilton!!

6. Seeing School of Rock

7. Three of weeks of Drama Camp

8. Meeting drama camp friends over Boba Tea

9. Jumping in our new pool for the first time with my amazing brothers

10. First day of middle school

11. Last day of 6th grade

12. Giving a speech at 6th grade graduation

13. Swimming with dolphins in Hawaii

13 Favorite Foods:

Oranges!

Margherita pizza

Marianne's ice cream

Pretzels and hummus

Corner Bakery banana pancakes

Red velvet anything

Turkey a la king

Pesto gnocchi

Zucchini Mozzarella Melts 

Rice a Roni (not beets!)

Grapes!

Mint tea
Raisin bread toast with peanut butter

13 Word Description of What I Hope to do in the Next Year:
I hope to learn, read, grow, have fun, and play volleyball, of course! 

We love you, Lucie B. Happy lucky 13!