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.