I'm an Olympian!

Last Saturday marked a first for me.

 

My first time competing in an Olympics.

 

It was awesome.

 

I guess when you're five, big things happen.

 

And, five I am.

 

 



I was pumped to have my special candle displayed on the Olympic Torch cupcake cone.

 

(don't worry, no one else knew what it was either, but, Mommy did her best and that's all that matters).

 

 Here I am posing before the games begin.

Some Olympics there are people representing countries but I chose to represent the great state of Alabama.

 

Roll Tide, right Grandma?



 

 

 

 

We began the games like any Olympics begin, with the running of the Olympic torch. Being the birthday boy, I had the honor to run around the house to commence the games (I was a little nervous about this duty and so days prior to the actual Olympics I practiced circling the house with the torch). I'm happy to say the torch did not burn out and I arrived safely back to the starting line with the crowds cheering.

 

Man it felt good.

 

The first event was the discus throw. However, Mommy, the official, was unable to capture our mad frisbee throwing skills. We used a frisbee because our arms are yet developed to hoist a heavy metal disc across the yard.

 

Second up, soccer. Grandma and Papa got me a soccer goal for my birthday. What better way to break in a soccer goal than at the Olympics?

Nolan is saying "I'm not worthy" behind me because he knew he was not worthy to play soccer with such a skilled boy. He was overcome with praise. Did I tell you my aunts are soccer stars?

 

Just kidding. About Nolan.

 

That's the real deal about my aunts.

 

Thirdly, we traveled to the shot put area. A.K.A water balloon toss.

Like any good shot putter, the most important aspect of the throw is the face and the grunt. I at least mastered the face.

 

Malachi wasn't impressed.

 Next up, the long jump, minus the sand, minus the three hops, minus the run...well

 

we'll call it the standing jump, which, I think may just be a bit harder. Do you know how much power it takes to explode from a standing position?

 

This much power:

 

And from that jump, we moved to the hula hoop jump, which proved to need just as much power and facial strain.

 

Finally, Mommy's favorite, the relay race. I think it may have been Will's favorite too.

 

 

I have some definite training to do here.

In retrospect, perhaps we should have called this, Track and Field Birthday plus Soccer. Mommy is a little biased. We did have a rousing game of ping pong planned but it proved to be unsuitable for the windy weather outside.

 

No worries, that meant we could get to the cake faster. You know, those torch cones.

 

The wind also proved a bit difficult in the lighting of the next important torch, my candle. Therefore, I was unable to blow out my special candle.

 

I rolled with it.

 

 



And those crazy torch cupcakes were devoured. No one cared that they were strange.

 



Add a few presents in there and our gold medals and that folks is my Olympic (A.K.A Track and Field Plus Soccer) Birthday Party.

 

It was awesome.

 

See you next year.

5 Years

 



5 years ago you entered the world

we didn't know if you were a boy or a girl

But that was not the only surprise you had in store

Nope, we realized you weighed a whole lot more

try adding two pounds to the expected seven

and you wonder why I thought that day I'd see heaven

You sure were a tough one to get to come out

it took many a pushes and many a shouts.

Let's be real, your entry was a bit of a nightmare

But as soon as I saw you I was rid of the fear.



 

That first year, it too was a bit wild.

You proved very soon your temper was not mild.

I won't forget Walmart where you screamed and screamed

One woman even stopped me and she was very mean

as she questioned my motherhood and muttered  under her breath

I likely envisioned punching her face to death.

But with your fierce temper came a tender heart

You loved to snuggle and didn't want to be apart

A passionate fellow I was beginning to see

It manifested itself in different ways to me.

Whether throwing a fit that lasted over an hour

or bringing me a bouquet of our lovely weed flowers.

 

 

That next year, well, my mind is a bit blurry

It seems that time moved in quite a hurry.

With a one year old boy and a two year old girl

my life often felt like quite a big whirl

between changing diapers and potty training

I often felt my energy waning.

I'm thankful for cameras that took pictures of wobbly walking

and a video recorder that captured your voice when you started talking

It's also the time when there became a bond

with your sister, of whom you were quite fond.

 

A two year old boy, oh my, there you are.

Your baby days moving a far.

Your passion, still there, and discipline abounded.

Those screams of defiance, I did not like the way it sounded.

But where there was defiance the tenderness followed

holding my hand at the dinner table each time you swallowed.

A big year this was for little old you

a trip to the beach and a role that was new

A big brother you'd be

and you quickly grew up

the day I came home with our newest little pup.

But you handled it well

no jealousy from you

one sister you had, now you had two.

 

 

Three years old and handsome as can be

You've captured my heart with all your intricacies.

You make me laugh with all the funny things you say

You want to hold my hand and I like it that way.

You play outside with your neighborhood friends

hoping that the sunlight won't come to an end.

Your quite the fan of your Thomas the Train big wheel

and it's about this time when swallowing chicken becomes quite the ordeal.

 

 

Four years old and it's here where we see your passions arise

but these passions come as a bit of a surprise.

Mario and Luigi have become your new friends and if I didn't monitor you, the gaming would never end.

Four years old and you also started your first year of CC.

You jumped right in and participated completely.

Puzzles you also love to put together

and jump in puddles after rainy weather.

Four years old and you are starting to shine through

and reveal to all of us just how the Lord made you

 

 

So five year old, here you are, a new year lies ahead

full of new opportunities (and also your new bed).

Reading, soccer, maybe glasses too

are all new things that await you.

Five year old, get excited, at what the Lord has planned

while He uses another year to chisel you into  a fine man.

Mommy's Moment: Growing Pains

 

Goodbye owl.

Goodbye tree.

Goodbye mural that's entertained all three.

Goodbye blue paint

and holes in the wall

from rocking that rocker while giving it their all.

Goodbye tiny mice that watched diapers be changed.

Goodbye shelf with babies' oddities arranged.

Goodbye long nights of rocking and feeding.

Goodbye to the basket of books perfect for nighttime reading.

And goodbye to that crib where each baby layed

And where they often quietly played

Until my drowsy self stumbled on in

only to experience that Christmas morning feeling again

Just to see those three faces filled me with great joy

two sweet little girls and one wonderful little boy

Oh what memories in that nursery were made

memories that surely will never fade

even as the crib has been taken down

and the mural now is covered with a light shade of brown.

It's time to move on, there's more growing to do.

But those first seven years, we won't forget you.