Happy Birthday, Briggs!

It's official.  Every person who lives in our house is double digits.  As hard as it is to believe, Briggs is 10 years old!  I love the ages that my kids are now.  They are independent and funny and capable and truly fun to be around.  But as I reflect on Briggs now and how I love where we are at as a family, it's also time for me to look back over the years and reflect on all the fun stages (and sometimes not-so-fun stages) that we've gone through to get where we are now.

Snuggly...

short-fused...

creature of habit (hand socks, anyone??)...

train-loving...

funny...

sweet...

silly...

loving...

resourceful...

creative, smart, goofy, friendly, enthusiastic, incredibly awesomely wonderful.

So many phases.  So many memories.  So many things to love about these years of watching Briggs grow up.  I am so proud of the boy he is and can't wait to see the plan that God has for him.  

Dance Team

Dance Team started with practices in June and finally wrapped up in February.  After many (many, many) practices, basketball games, team activities, and competitions, the season concluded at the IDTA state competition in Springfield.

Here's a little taste of the photo shoot that I talked about in the "too much" blog post.  The pictures turned out cool...but it's still too much.

Staley's favorite part of dance was performing at the competitions.  This season, she preferred the jazz routine to the lyrical routine.  She got to do her firebird jump and her standing split during the jazz routine.  And, unsurprisingly, her showmanship was always top notch.

They also performed at all the middle school home boys' basketball games.  Staley told me that she found dancing at basketball games a little more awkward because the spectators weren't really sure what to do.  There is truth in that statement...at competitions, people are there to see the dancing.  Generally, at basketball games, that's not as true.

None of Staley's closest friends were on the dance team, but she enjoyed all the girls on the team and got to know them better throughout the season.  (With as much time as they spent together over the past 7 months, getting to know them better was inevitable.)  It seemed like a nice, low-drama group of girls.

Although dance team was a very time-intensive activity, Staley improved so much with her dancing skills and her technique.  For never taking true dance classes other than theater before, Staley's grace, body control, strength, flexibility, and dance ability was truly astounding to me.

The middle school competition team qualified both their jazz and lyrical routines for state throughout the season and ended the season by placing around 8th in the state for both.

The state festivities included a week of dress up days, state signs, state send-off at school, and a fun night in a hotel before the marathon day that is known as IDTA state.  It literally starts around 8 in the morning and ends around 11 at night.  Last year I stayed through the awards.  This year...not so much.

Staley's leaps and turns were skills that she really improved upon throughout the season.  I think her strong legs from running helped her leaps while working on leaps probably helped make her stronger for running.

Although Staley enjoyed dance, the time investment was too great to continue in high school, so her dance team career ended after state.  Cross country, track, theater, and quizzing all ranked higher on Staley's priority list of activities, so dance team didn't make the cut.

It was two good years of dancing, making friends, competing, improving, and growing as a dancer and a performer.

Farewell, Dance Team.  It was a good run.  But I will say, I'm definitely looking forward to some more scheduling freedoms this summer and next winter!

They Say...

A few weeks ago, Adelie had a cold and was a little congested.  We had this conversation:

Adelie:  "If you can't breathe through your nose and you're asleep, does your body automatically know to breathe through your mouth?"
Me:  "Yep."
Adelie:  "Oh good.  I didn't want to suffocate in my sleep."

#gladGodthoughtthatthrough

While at Disney, Zach bought Briggs a frozen lemonade drink.  After taking a drink, he excitedly told Zach, "This tastes JUST like lemonade...but frozen!"

#ummmm...yeah

You'd think the amusing conversations might end once the kids get older, but nope!  These kiddos still make me laugh with the things they say.

Good-bye, February!

February ended with a bang as we escaped the endless Illinois winter for the sunny warmth and magic of...

But obviously, that will be its own multiple posts as I have way too many pictures and way too much to say to be incorporated into an end-of the-month summary post.  But before we could make our way to Florida, we had a few other things to finish up here in Illinois including...

Adelie's volleyball season.  She played another season of the in-house 5th and 6th grade volleyball through CEGCRYA.  With her busy theater schedule and a few week-end trips/obligations, Adelie missed a good number of practices, games, and scrimmages.  But when she was there, she enjoyed the season, had some good friends on her team, and made a few plays every game that showed she continues to learn and grow as a player.

Staley's EMS Dance Team ended its season with a trip to IDTA state.  Dance team will have its own post as well, but it filled the early part of February.  

Adelie hosted a Keeper of the Lost Cities party with a group of her friends to celebrate the book series they all love.

There were Keeper of the Lost City snacks and drinks (like EL Fudge Cookies, Lushberry Juice, and mallowmelt bars), a "theme park" of games, crafts, and activities that Adelie and Briggs put together, and, of course, lots of talking and playing and giggling.

I attended my last-ever holiday grade school classroom party with Briggs celebrating Valentine's Day.  Some people find these lasts bittersweet, but I can't say I am sad that this was the end of my classroom party days.  

My girls went with Uma and Papa to see NTA's 'Forever Plaid' and got to see some of their NTA friends there.  (I'm not sure where Adelie was for the picture.)

Briggs channeled his inner John F. Kennedy during 4th grade's Living Museum.  Although I was at work, Briggs was supported by Zach, Uma, Papa, and Grammie.  He did great!

All the NTA classes resumed in February, with Adelie joining Tech Kids.  She has been waiting to turn 12 (or almost 12, in her case) to be able to start helping backstage.

Staley had a choir concert.  She and Josie had a short duet during their Honors Chorus song.

Winter was still going strong in February.  It was cold.  There was snow.  But we still enjoyed a full slate of activities and ended the month with a much-needed escape.  Stay tuned for all the details...

Interview with a 10 Year Old

Favorite color:  Blue

Favorite food:  Macaroni and cheese

Least favorite food:  Brussel sprouts

Favorite restaurant:  Monicals

Favorite stuffed animal:  Bear Bear

Favorite animal:  I really like dragons.

Favorite board game:  I like Clue.  I like Bluey Monopoly.  I like Forbidden Island.

Favorite video game:  It will probably be Dragon Quest, but it might change when I play Zelda.

Favorite movie: The Wild Robot

Favorite sport:  Soccer

Favorite activity:  Hornet Buzz and NTA Lego Club

Favorite thing to do at home:  Legos

Favorite thing to do at school:  Play with my friends at recess

Favorite subject: Reading

Favorite place to go locally:  State Farm Park

Favorite place to go on vacation:  Pentwater

Favorite thing to do with Staley:  She doesn't do much with me.  Maybe play Mario Kart.

Favorite thing to do with Adelie:  Play paper dolls

Favorite thing to do with Mom:  We do a lot of things together.  Play board games and puzzles and read.

Favorite thing to do with Dad:  Dragon Quest

Favorite book or book series:  Wild Robot or Harry Potter

Favorite outfit:  Athletic shorts and a t-shirt

Favorite PJs:  Footie pajamas

Favorite play that you've been in: Probably Rockin' Tale of Snow White

Favorite play that you've seen:  Peter Pan (The one that Staley and Adelie were in.  That was really good.)

What is something you are excited about doing now that you are 10?  There's not really anything new that you can do when you're 10.

What are you afraid of?  Thunderstorms

What is the best thing about you?  That I'm smart.

What are you good at?  Legos

What is something you wish you could do or do better?  I wish I could not be scared so I could go to Miracle Camp.

Who is your best friend?  Jackson, Ryker, Freddie, George, Bryli

What do you want to be when you grow up?  An entomologist

Where is one place you'd like to go that you've never been?  Mammoth Cave

What is one play you'd like to be in?  The Wild Robot

My big 10 year old!

Peter Pan, Jr.

The Eureka Middle School Drama Club just finished their production of Peter Pan, Jr., playing to a packed house over 2 nights.  This was the largest cast they have ever had for any of their drama club productions.  Both girls had a handful of friends from school that they shared the stage with, and they got to know some new friends throughout the process.

The cast of Peter Pan, Jr.

For this production, Staley was Peter Pan while Adelie was the Small Brave Girl.  Staley was the lead in the play and had so many lines and multiple solos/songs.  It was her biggest part she's ever had, and she rocked it!  Adelie had a few lines, but the brave girls were also featured dancers so she had a lot of dancing to do in this show.  Both girls were great!!

The girls had some friends also doing the show, so it was fun for them to get to be on stage with all their classmates, schoolmates, and friends.  Staley's friend, Josie, was Wendy and they had a few long scenes and a duet that they sang together.  Their friend Riley, who also does NTA, was Smee.

The girls had a good group of friends and family that came out to see the show.

Grandparents always come to support the kids.

Adelie's friend and Penguin partner, Naomi, came with her dad to watch.

A few of the girls' NTA friends came to watch them.

And Uncle Evan came with Liam, Caroline, and Lucy to join in the fun.

There were also a number of school friends and church friends and local families that we know who were in the audience, so the girls loved performing for lots of familiar faces.

Kelleen and Taylor have provided so many opportunities and helped the girls grow so much in their acting and singing skills.

I was so proud of my girls!  They were fantastic in their roles, and I loved watching them shine on the stage.

Creativity

I love that my kids are creative.  I love that they enjoy reading and writing and drawing and building and imagining and creating.  As they get older and the draw of video games and phones and screens gets stronger and free time gets scarce, I worry that they will start to lose some of that penchant for creativity.  We make a concerted effort in our house to limit screen time and encourage that down time...time to create.  And each time I get to see the fruits of my children's creativity, it makes me feel good.  (I don't always feel as good when I see the after-effects of their creativity all over the house that they don't necessarily feel compelled to clean up.)

Briggs is my kid who has the most free time to play creatively.  He is my builder.  He builds with Legos.  He builds with Magnatiles.  He builds with cardboard blocks and train tracks and race tracks and blankets.  He builds with snow and sand and sticks. He makes castles and race tracks and cities and forts.  But his creativity doesn't stop with building.  Briggs also loves to draw and write and use his imagination in play.  He makes costumes.  He fights dragons.  He makes books.  He sets up pet shops and theme parks and libraries and haunted houses.  He has a great mind and a great imagination, and I love to see that in action.

Magnatile and Lego creations abound in Briggs' room.

Adelie had a 'Keeper of the Lost Cities' party with some of her friends from school.  Briggs with some help from Adelie set up an entire "theme park" (Keeperland) in the basement with a variety of fun games and activities for the girls to enjoy.

Adelie will sometimes join in Briggs' creativity and fun with him, but she also branches off into her own creativity.  Adelie loves to write.  She continues to write novels and short stories and poems and plays.  She truly has a gift and thinks she might want to be an author when she gets older. She self-published her second book that now has its own long waiting list at the Eureka Public Library.  She is also learning how to crochet, loves making bead bracelets and Perler bead creations, and enjoys making up dances and tricks with Staley in the basement.  She and Briggs also enjoy making movies and videos.

This is Adelie's second novel.  Her creativity and imagination in her writing is truly a gift.  I love reading what she comes up with.

Adelie and Briggs will still play together, building and creating and imagining as a team.

With all of Staley's extra-curricular activities, she has the least amount of free time.  But when she does find that time, her creative outlets tend to be doing calligraphy (she has gotten really good!) and choreographing dances.  Her quiet time is often spent listening to an audiobook and doing calligraphy in her room or choreographing dances and learning new tricks with Adelie in the basement.  She has gotten really good at both.

Staley has improved as both a dancer and a choreographer.

Staley uses her calligraphy to make cards and gifts for people.

She made this for Briggs, and it is displayed proudly in his room.

As my kids get older and busier and pulled in a variety of directions, I hope that they continue to find ways to use their creativity.  It makes me happy to see them create and imagine and build and dance and write and draw.  And who knows.  Some day I may the mother to an architect and an author and a choreographer.  And then they'll thank me for turning off the screens and making them find their own fun...because that has turned into some amazing skills.