Double Digits: Jake

Our amazing little fellow enters the double digits today. In honor of Jake's 10th birthday, here are his answers to ten burning questions, capturing him at this incredibly active (and sweaty), fun, and utterly lovable age.  (Why can't I freeze time? I know I said that when R & L turned 10, but now Jake! How can it be?)

1. Tell me five great things about you - even though we know there are more than five!

1) My teacher calls me "techie". Whenever we're doing a difficult project, she puts me in a Google Classroom breakout room and sends kids there for me to help, 2) I'm getting really good at drawing (I can draw arrows really well now!), 3) I've advanced through 3 sizes of bikes during quarantine, 4) I'm learning to do bike repair with my Dad, and 5) I'm the best in my house at working the TV remote. Everyone comes to me for help.


2. What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?

Bake a cake! I just made a vanilla strawberry cake all by myself (I did use Lucie's mixer). 


3. What do you think will be a new privilege that comes with being 10 years old?

Getting 2 more cents per chore every week. 


4. How would you like to celebrate your 10th birthday?

Eating pizza, playing video games, and riding my bike to a tree house with Lucie!


5. What are your favorite words?

My favorite made-up words are "nether mind" for "nevermind" and "ganola " for "granola".  

6. How would you spend your perfect Saturday afternoon?

Playing Fortnite with my cousin Caleb until noon.  Then going in the pool with Lucie and Ryan and playing pool basketball. After that we would eat Italian ice while watching Harry Potter.   
 

7. What would you love to eat daily for every meal?

Breakfast: Eggo waffle with butter, syrup, and sliced bananas. Lunch: Hawaiian pizza with cheese-stuffed crust. Dinner: Caesar salad and gnocchi with chicken and red sauce.


8. On the subject of food, do you like salty or sweet things?

Sweet things, sweet things! My current favorites are Swedish Fish and Lemonheads!

9. What has it been like being home with your family over quarantine this past year and doing distance learning?

One thing that's good about it is that as soon as I get out of school, I can play. With school online, I like being able to work on different things when the teacher is explaining things. I do miss recess a lot. I love some of the traditions we've set up at home like Wednesday take-out lunches and Friday Starbucks drinks. 


10. How do you like fourth grade?

It actually feels the same as 3rd grade. One plus is that I can use pens for my math homework in 4th grade (mainly because I'm not in the classroom) which I could never do in class before. 
 

You make every day sweeter, Jakey. Have the best 10th birthday!

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!

Thirteen is a Dream: Ryan

And, all of a sudden, he's a teenager! Our kind, smart, fun and sports-loving kid turns 13 today. How did that happen?

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

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

1. Closing out, as a pitcher, the Little League Championships! Go Yankees!

2. Going to the Dodgers World Series games 2 and 7

3. Getting a phone

4. Canyoneering in Zion National Park

5. Solving a Rubik's Cube while doing sit-ups in the school Talent Show

6. Playing hallway soccer with Jake

7. Moving into a new house

8. Staying on the beach in Capitola with cousins

9. Hanging out with baby cousins and Emily in Sunnyvale

10. Getting a 98 on a middle school math quiz

11. Doing the sports report on the school morning announcements

12. Swimming with dolphins

13. First day of middle school

13 Favorite Foods:
Marianne's 50/50 ice cream
Chipotle steak burritos
BBQ ribs
Kentucky Fried Chicken (a love discovered this summer)
Noodles Romanoff
Nectarines
PB and J's on whole wheat (every.single.day)
Slushees from the school snack bar
Corner Bakery strawberry pancakes
Jamba Juice Pumpkin Smash Smoothie
Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal
Fig Newtons
Uncle Eddie's Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies

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

Enjoy my life by playing sports and hanging out with friends and family.

We love you Rye-Rye D. Happy lucky 13!

It's Good to Be Seven: Jake

Our Jake turned seven today, bright and early at 6:49 am. We marked the special occasion with big hugs and tackles from his siblings, warm cinnamon rolls and opening one present (a butterfly garden kit).  Tonight we'll celebrate more with pizza at his restaurant of choice and ice cream cake. Because it's not every day a boy turns seven.

The older Jakey gets, the more and more difficult it is to remember our lives without the little buddy. He is a constant source of joy, energy, laughter, and hugs, and teaches us something every day.

Here are some of the wonderful lessons we've learned from our front-toothless Jake, age seven:

Jake has brought a deeper appreciation  and love of animals into our house, unlike anyone else in our family. He is especially fond of dogs, and asks daily (or hourly) for his own Siberian Husky or Beagle or frankly, any dog to cuddle, walk and love.


When his Uncle and Aunt's beloved dog passed away last year, Jake was particularly saddened, and made them a card detailing all his favorite memories of Riley. Jake has even come to be known by his siblings as "Puppy", due to his love of furry creatures and his puppy-like disposition.

Sports are life! From baseball to basketball, hockey to football, Jake has a ball/bat/hockey stick in his hands every single day. He has used this love of sports to meet and make new friends. His stories from school each day always include tales from recess, and who achieved the game-winning touchdown, basket or goal.

Jake doesn't limit himself to only playing with kids from his first grade class, in fact he often talks of games with kids in the older grades. I love walking around campus with him, as he's constantly greeted by kids of all sizes and ages, reminding us of the beauty of moving outside one's comfort zone.

The best meals consist of bread or pasta, fruit and yogurt. If Jake had his way, he'd eat a bagel and cream cheese for every meal, accompanied by a side of blueberries and yogurt.

For dinner, he'll choose gnocchi and pesto, and some crazy fruit-flavored ice cream like "rocket pop" or "watermelon ice" for dessert (which Lucie and I cannot comprehend -- where's the chocolate!?!) No peas or zucchini (his arch-nemesis) please.

Last, but most definitely not least, a happy, open-minded spirit is the best way to approach the day. Jake's teacher described him as a "caring individual with a kind heart", and his basketball coach said he is "the most coachable kid ever". We think this sums him right up.

You are so loved, Jakey! Thanks for teaching us, each and every day.

Jake at Age Six

 

Our Jake has had a big year. 

He's grown from a preschooler to a proud, proud kindergartener. He is thrilled to trot off to school each morning with his siblings. At long last he gets to enjoy all the exciting school adventures he's been hearing about for years like Crazy Hair Day, visits to the library, technology class (yes, he's learning to type already), lunchtime running club and of course, recess. With a class team-taught by two wonderful teachers, it's been a great year so far for our little buddy.

As always, Jake is a devoted friend to many, creating new friendships with his classmates, while keeping up with his dearest "old" pals (he considers many of Lucie and Ryan's buddies to be his close friends as well). 

It's so sweet to see him interact with new friends, especially girls, as he never really clicked with any girls in preschool. 

This year, some of his very best friends are girls (outside of the crew he plays handball with at recess). While walking home from school with Jake yesterday, two different girls from his class drove slowly past us, rolled down their windows and shouted out excitedly, "Bye Jake!" 

Some of Jake's favorite things right now include: bagels and cream cheese, Lego Ninjago, Magic Tree House books, dogs of all kinds, his ever-growing collection of stuffed animals ("luvies"), playing basketball/baseball/anything-involving-a-ball with Ryan, wearing his Kershaw jersey every.single.day and Puig jersey every.single.night, pretending he's a puppy, and reading fairy tales with Lucie. 

Exciting events in this past year included his first summer camp (soccer), spending a week alone with Grandma/Grandpa and Gigi/Papa over the summer, running his first 5K with Daddy and losing his bottom front tooth. 

He loved playing soccer on the White Flash team in the fall, and can't wait for his upcoming coach-pitch baseball season. The first practice is on his birthday (how fitting). Go Angels!

I am forever grateful for the magical, foggy early morning six years ago that brought Jake into our lives. It's hard to remember being a family without him. 

We love you, Jakey-Boo, and are excited to celebrate the big 6 with you! 

Ryan at Eleven

Our sweet, easy going, sports fanatic turns 11 today. Here are his answers to eleven questions all about his life as he knows it. We think it captures him at this age of discovery, risk taking, and learning. And, lots and lots of baseball, soccer and basketball!

1. What five words do you think best describe you?
Smart, kind, friendly, funny and athletic.

2. What have you done in the past year that you are most proud of?
I learned how to snowboard when we were at June Mountain last winter. In one of my basketball games this summer, I scored 19 points. And at the end of the Little League season, I got selected to the All-Stars team. We did really well until we lost on the 4th of July.   

3. What do you think will be a new privilege that comes with being 11 years old?
I'll be able to stay home and babysit Jake for longer periods. 

4. How would you like to celebrate your 11th birthday?
I'd love to go to a Dodgers or Warriors game -- deciding between the two is tough.

5. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
I would hang out in the Dodgers' dugout and listen to everything going on. Then I would sit on the Warriors' bench during a game and watch all the action. 

6. Where is your favorite place in the world?
My five favorite places in the world are London, Italy, Hawaii, Yosemite, and June Mountain. 

7. Of all the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?
Math!

8. What are your favorite types of books to read?
I like books where the characters play sports. Some of my favorite authors are John Feinstein and Tim Green. I also really like a series of kids detective books by John Grisham.

9. What are you most looking forward to in fifth grade?
I'm happy to be learning more US History. 

10. What's one rule in your family that you'd like to change?
I hate Yard Work Sundays ... so torturous! Our yard has way too many pine needles to sweep.

11. If you could buy a plane ticket to anywhere, where would you go?
Game seven of the World Series! Or the NBA Finals. That would be pretty cool too.

You make every day more fun because you're in it, Ryan. Happy birthday buddy!

Lucie at Eleven

Our amazing girl turns 11 today. In honor of Lucie's birthday, here are her answers to eleven burning questions — perfectly capturing this incredible age of discovery, responsibility and adventure.

1. What five words do you think best describe you?
Creative, fun, smart, kind, and thoughtful.

2. What have you done in the past year that you are most proud of?
I grew my hair out and then donated an 8 inch ponytail to Beautiful Lengths. I read over 100 books this summer. Also, I learned Italian! Well, not completely but enough to order gelato when we were in Italy last fall. I ran three 5K races last year too, all under 30 minutes. And, I did a 5 day hike through the Yosemite High Sierra Camps with my brother and parents.

3. What do you think will be a new privilege that comes with being 11 years old?
I'll have more responsibility taking care of Jake and I'll be able to stay home by myself sometimes.

4. How would you like to celebrate your 11th birthday?
I would love a bouquet of flowers and an ice cream cake. And a slumber party with my best friends too.

5. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
I would wear a hat that wasn't invisible and walk around freaking people out with my floating hat. Then I would wear some non-invisible pants and I would dance making people think the pants were dancing by themselves!

6. Where is your favorite place in the world?
I really like my closet, especially now that it's clean and has new carpet. I can get cozy in there with a book and a flashlight. 

7. Of all the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?
Math!

8. What are your favorite types of books to read?
I love adventure and fantasy books. I also like slightly scary books. Only slightly scary, though. I'm not a fan of horror or gruesome things.

9. What are you most looking forward to in fifth grade?
I'm looking forward to BizTown. It's a program that lets kids do job interviews and then spend one day doing that job in a pretend city with other kids.

10. What's one rule in your family that you'd like to change?
Chores! I understand that you have to do them, but I wish they were more fun.

11. If you could buy a plane ticket to anywhere, where would you go?
I would see go to New York City in the winter and see Hamilton musical. I can sing the entire show!

You're the best eleven year old girl ever, Lucie B. We love you!

The Big Five: Jake

At five years old, our favorite little guy is not so little any more. It's hard to believe it's been half a decade since his birth. On one hand, it feels like he was just born. On the other, we can't imagine that our family ever felt complete without him.

As a little brother to two active 10 year olds, Jake has had experiences far beyond those of his peers. This past year was a particularly exciting one for Jake.

Last Fall, he traveled with us to London for 5 days of sightseeing, museum tours, fish n' chips and miles of exploring on foot. Then we went on to Florence, Italy to spend the week touring more sites and eating to our hearts content with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

In London, Jake learned to navigate the tube and double decker buses like a pro, following behind us with his beloved little Ninja Turtle suitcase.

He rode the London Eye, listened with rapt attention to the stories of the Tower of London, visited Platform 9 3/4, and fell in love with souvenirs at every tourist attraction. His absolute favorite trinkets included a Captain America Pez dispenser from a street vendor in Covent Garden and a stuffed Paddington Bear.

Italy included a week of pasta and gelato for Jake, interspersed with lots of fun family time at the farmhouse we all enjoyed together (thank you Gigi and Papa!). Jake quickly learned how to recognize his favorite gelato flavors, and even started using some basic Italian words like "grazie".

He explored Florence and the Uffizi on foot, visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and even climbed all the way to the top of the tower in the Piazza del Campo in Sienna (290 feet tall and 500+ stairs). We didn't see many (or any) other 4 year olds at the top!

Other adventures of this past year included learning to ski (he rocked it), first trip to Disneyland and California Adventure (Cars Land was a hit), lots of play dates and bike rides with his best buddy, Liam, and preparing for his first t-ball season. Go KC Royals!

In terms of current favorites, Jake loves watching "Paw Patrol" and "Odd Squad" episodes, wearing Under Armour clothes and Dodgers jerseys like Ryan, and snacking on blueberry waffles spread with cream cheese.

At his request, Jake spent his birthday afternoon with four of his favorite buddies - Lucie, Ryan, Abby and Oscar. There aren't many 5 year olds who request to celebrate their big day with a small pack of 4th and 5th graders. That's one of the things we love so much about Jakey - he appeals to all ages.

Jake and his buddies enjoyed double scoop ice cream cones at Baskin Robbins. Jake had his favorite flavor - the brightest pink and blue rainbow sherbet you'd ever seen. His favorite gifts included a new Batman lovie (thank you Lucie and Ryan) and hot wheels tracks.

We love you to the moon and back, Jakey! Or, as you say, we love you 100 times 100 times 1000.

We can't wait for the adventures of age five to come. Kindergarten! You're definitely ready.

Double Digits: Ryan

Our wonderful boy enters the double digits today. In honor of Ryan's 10th birthday, here are his answers to ten burning questions, capturing him at this incredibly active (and sweaty), fun and utterly lovable age.  (Why can't I freeze time?)

1. Tell me five great things about you - even though we know there are more than five!
(1) I'm good at lots of sports. (2) I once slept in until 8:18 am. (3) I play with my brother a lot and make up games. (4) My friends love my niceness and sense of humor. (5) My sister and brother love my jokes, like the "tooting Penguin". My sister especially loves my jokes in the grocery store, like the "infamous backscratcher", which was actually a toilet scrubber. 

2. What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?
I can teach them how to use a Chromebook, play pretty much any sports game, and read the box scores in the newspaper and understand the "magic number" in baseball. The magic number today is 8!

3. What do you think will be a new privilege that comes with being 10 years old?
Being able to walk to school by myself! Also, now that I'm double digits, I'm three years away from being a teenager, five years from being able to drive, and eight years from being able to vote. 

4. How would you like to celebrate your 10th birthday?
I would like to go to game 7 of the World Series, Dodgers vs. Blue Jays. I hope this happens.

5. What are your favorite words?
"Boss", "beast" and "spontaneous combustion". 

6. How would you spend your perfect Saturday afternoon?
I would play Clash of Clans on the couch with my dad while watching a Dodgers game. 

7. What would you love to eat daily for every meal?
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and bacon, Lunch: grilled cheese sandwich, Snack: blueberries, honey and yogurt, Dinner: ribs and mashed potatoes

8. On the subject of food, do you like salty or sweet things?
Sweet! I like a lot of candy like gummy bears and Swedish fish.

9. What are you most looking forward to about our upcoming trip to London and Florence?
I can't wait to see my cousins and grandparents. I'm looking forward to buying things and playing around at the house. I want to go on the tube in London. 

10. How do you like fourth grade?
I like it because you get more recess time (5 more minutes). My teacher is really nice and I like use the Chromebooks. 

You make every day sweeter, Ryan. Have the best 10th birthday!

Double Digits: Lucie

Our incredible girls clicks over to double digits today. In honor of Lucie's tenth birthday, here are her answers to 10 burning questions, perfectly capturing her at this silly, inquisitive, break-your-heart amazing age. (Time, why can't you just slow down?)

1. Tell me five great things about you - even though we know there are more than five!
(1) I'm really creative. (2) I know how to share an inside joke. (3) I can do lots of funny accents and I know lots of funny phrases. (4) I really like doing my own thing. I like to do things my own way and not use someone else's ideas. (5) Ask my mom! (I say: her warm and calming spirit, loyalty towards friends and family, and dazzling intelligence)

2. What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?
Knit! I can make a pillow out of duct tape! And, I know lots of good slinky tricks.

3. What do you think will be a new privilege that comes with being 10 years old?
Doing more things by ourselves, for example walking to school or staying home by ourselves. 

4. How would you like to celebrate your 10th birthday?
I would like to celebrate it with a gigantic cake and all my friends and family.

5. What are some of your favorite words?
Compulsory and Shish Kabob

6. How would you spend your perfect Saturday afternoon?
Probably depends on the weather. If it was raining, I would stomp around in puddles in my rain boots. If it was sunny, I would do some cartwheels outside while listening to music. Then I would dance! And, then I'd go inside and read a mysterious fantasy book. 

7. What would you love to eat daily for every meal?
Breakfast: chocolate pancakes, Lunch: turkey, cheese and lettuce sandwich on french bread, grapes and a Chips Ahoy, Snack: hot chocolate and popcorn, Dinner: Turkey a la King

8. On the subject of food, do you like salty or sweet things?
Salty! I love pickles!

9. What are you most looking forward to about our upcoming trip to London and Florence?
I'm looking forward to seeing what the fashion is in London. It will be fun to see all the sites in London and Florence - definitely Leaning Tower of Pisa! All the food in Italy will be really good too. I'm looking forward to Book Club with Gigi in the Italian countryside and playing with my cousins on the really big treehouse. 

10. How do you like fourth grade?
I really like my teacher. I like how she does things. When one kid in class stuck a piece of paper on his nose, instead of telling the kid that he was being distracting, she told him that was a good idea and told everyone to stick a piece of paper on their nose. The kid was very surprised by that!

We are so proud of the girl you've become, Lucie. Have a wonderful 10th birthday!

Four Years Old: Jake

Sweet, goofy, fun-seeking, lovable, and so very loyal to his friends and family — our Jake turns four years old today. While it's hard to believe that it's already been four years since that foggy, early morning of his birth, it also feels like he's always been with us. Jake made our family complete when he entered the world, the beloved "caboose" to our family train. 

The biggest change in Jake's life these past six months has been starting preschool. Jake LOVES preschool. He adores his teacher, a kind and patient man who gives Jake "homework" so he'll feel just like his big sister and brother. And Jake has a best friend in class, Liam, his first real friendship with a buddy his age.

Along with preschool, Jake has also started his first sports class. After years of following everyone else around to sporting events, at last he has his own soccer class, which of course, he loves. While other kids need to be coaxed away from their parents in class, Jake sprints out on to the field.

Our family is top heavy with nine year olds, which means that our little preschooler soaks in a lot of elementary school behavior. He picks up phrases Ryan and Lucie say, like "Swweeeet!" when something goes well, or "You're toast!" when fighting bad guys. 

Like his sister, Jake enjoys imaginative play and can often be found making up stories with his Paw Patrol cars, trash trucks and pirate ships. He's recently become interested in super heroes, and just got a new pack of Justice League underwear that he had to put on immediately in the store. A four year old boy in nothing but Superman underwear is one of the cutest sights ever. 

While other four year olds may be watching "Frozen", Jake joins his siblings for "Back to the Future" on family movie night. Jake likes to "read" chapter books, has his own bank account and fills out his chore chart daily. He even decided that he needed a tooth fairy pillow, not quite understanding that he may not get a visit for years to come. But, when that first tooth does fall out, he'll be ready (unlike his older siblings' tooth fairy pillow that had to be rushed by overnight mail).

I think we'd all agree that Jake is a little crazy about his clothing. He finds one or two things he loves (grey sweat pants with pockets, his "Shark" shorts (hand-me-downs from Caleb), t-shirts that relate to baseball) and wants to wear them every. single. day.

Jake loves his little stuffed tiger nicknamed "Tiger Tiger". He decided that Tiger Tiger needed a mother for Christmas, and was so excited when Santa ended the little tiger's orphan status. Jake was so happy last week when it was finally letter "T" week (it's been a long wait through the alphabet) and he could bring Tiger Tiger in for show-and-tell in preschool. He did cheat once and bring Tiger Tiger for "G" week, declaring that it stood for "Grrr..."

Oh Jakey, Jake-a-boo, JB (as Papa calls you), Boo — what would we ever do without your joyful spirit in our family? We love you to pieces, and can't wait to celebrate your big 4th birthday with you. It's going to be another incredible year!

Nine Years Old: Lucie

Our sweet, smart, lovable and adventurous girl turns nine today. To commemorate her birthday, I decided to ask Lucie nine questions capturing our favorite girl at this special age.

1. Tell me five GREAT things about you (even though we all know there are more than 5!)
- I'm a daredevil. If you tell me to try something, I'll do it!
- I love to do art. Some art is really silly, like drawing a mustache on my finger and holding it up to my face. Some is really good like my watercolors.
- I love to read. If you ever put a book in front of me, and it looks interesting, I will probably read it in one sitting.
- When I'm playing a sport, I always feel really happy and glad to be outside. I don't care if I'm winning or losing, I just want to be outside playing.
- I can easily go from being a really good big sister to joking with my friends and doing cartwheels on the grass.

2. On a scale of one to ten - how strict do you think your parents are?
I would say a 5. They can be really strict when they want to and then really nice once the problem is solved. I think that's a good amount.

3. What do you know how to do that you can teach to others?
I can teach someone to do a handstand and a header with a soccer ball. In school, sometimes when doing math, if my partner doesn't know the answer, I always know just when to stop helping someone so they can do the problem on their own.

4. If you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be?
Kaitlyn or Katherine. I've always wanted to be a "Kate" because it's a simple name. I also know it would have been Jake's name if he had been a girl. But I like the name Lucie too.

5. How would you change the world if you could?
I would change it so that every school had more recess so we would get more exercise. Instead of putting people in grades by their age, I would put them in grades by how much they know so that younger kids could work with older kids. I would make it snow in places where it never snows! Whenever they bring a hurt baby animal to the zoo, I would always make sure that the animal's mom could come too.

6. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would like somewhere where it's cold. I've always liked cold more than hot, and I would really like it if we had a blizzard every single day! I would also want to live where it is old fashioned, because I'd like to try to do things without TVs, computers, or iPads.

7. What's the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you?
Two things. The first one is in kindergarten when we had an art competition and I won an award and got to read my story in front of the whole school (even though I got shy and had my mom read it instead). The second thing was starting gymnastics at a special studio because now that I'm getting better, I can do cartwheels and handstands whenever I want.

8. Who do you look up to?
I look up to a lot of people. I look up to older kids like my cousin Maggie and my neighbors in 6th and 7th grade. I look up to the women who started their own baseball league during World War II. I look up to everyone in family too!

9. How do you want to celebrate this birthday?
I want to have a Rock Star themed sleep-under (all the fun of a sleep over without the overnight part) with lots of arts and crafts, movie, popcorn, and lots of fun. And clown cones from Baskin Robbins.

We love you Lucie! Have the best 9th birthday!