First Report Cards

Jon Kent and Zoey.

We got your first report cards last week. Y'all both did very well. Grades for you both of you aren't A,B,C, D or F right now. But M or P for Jon Kent and S or P for Zoey. M being mastered. Which, Jon Kent you have mastered all your skills except two and are P or making progress on the others. Zoey you got an S on everything. I couldn't have been prouder. So far, you both are so involved in school. I hope it always stays that way. You both are already so smart and love to learn. I know if you keep it up, you will develop in leaps and bounds.

Keep up the hard work!!

Love,

Momma

So proud of you!

Jon Kent,

I am so proud of you. You are growing and learning like I have never seen before. You are even starting to read! That's exciting stuff for me! You have completed your words for kindergarten, already! You are now on your "extra" word lists. How amazing is that!!?!?! Pretty amazing if you ask me! And you also made "Star Student" of the month for October! Again, so very proud of you and all that you are growing up to be.

Not only are you doing exceedingly well in school, but you are also growing in your knowledge of the Bible. Let me tell you.. that is far above anything else. You are asking questions and learning. And that makes me very happy. I pray that God is working in your heart, even now, so that one day you will ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord.

I love you, Jon Kent and just can't believe all that you are doing. You are incredible and wonderful and awesome. I hope you know that I will also be here to cheer you on and for you to lean on when you need me.

Love,

Momma

It's hard

Jon Kent, Zoey and Nathan,

Can I be honest with you three? Raising you is hard. It's not a lick of easy. I am your parent. Not your friend. And while you may not understand that right now, I have high hopes that one day you will. This doesn't mean that one day we can't be friends. And even now we do "friend" type stuff. But at the end of the day, if you do something wrong and need to be corrected I have to do that. I can't just shrug if off and say it will all be better next time.

I am struggling right now with the whole parenting thing. It been getting to me that when I do get on to one of you, that all of you automatically think I am "mad". Granted, sometimes I am but it's not that I have stopped loving you. It's just that you have done something that called for me to get frustrated or upset. It's normal.

I am also not your teacher. If you get in trouble at school, you pull a stick or have to sit in time-out. At home, you get time-out and then if you continue to do wrong you get a spanking. It's not your teacher's job at the end of the day to make you a responsible person, an honest person, a person who cares for others, a person who listens, a person who puts forth effort and hopefully makes the world a better place.. It's my job. It's my life's purpose to make sure you grow up well.

So, please don't think that I don't love you and don't want the best for you. With every correction I make on your behalf is solely for your own good. You may not see it now.. but one day you will. And may be by then we can be friends too.

Love,

Momma

You did it!!

Nathan,

Today you pooped in the potty. For a 2.5 year old that is a great accomplishment! You were proud of yourself, too. Your wide smile reached from ear to ear. I was/am proud of you, too. You finally got the toy that you have been wanting since we started training you. It only took you 8 days to get it. I am one proud momma today. There for awhile I thought we were going to have to hang up the pull-ups for awhile. But you proved me wrong. I am glad you did. I am just so thrilled and happy and proud!!

Love,

Momma

Stay together

Jon Kent, Zoey and Nathan,

My mind wanders sometimes and I think about what your world will be like once I'm gone. Hopefully, you will be much, much older when that comes to be, but nonetheless, I want each of you to do something for me.

Stay together. Stay close. Call each other. Visit each other. You may live only a mile away from each other, or you may live thousands of miles from each other. Still, make time to stay connected.

Care about each other. If one of you is hurting, be there to hold them up. Take an interest in their lives, in their families. Love each other.

Once you are older you will realize how important family is. I want you to realize that while you can still enjoy it. Realize it sooner rather than later.

Take care of your daddy (if I'm not here for some reason or another). Include him in things that are simple, complicated, fun, not fun.. Make him a major part of your life.

Remember me. Don't let the memories we shared fade. Think back on them and laugh, cry.. Just remember.

I love you. Each of you.. with all my heart, soul and mind.

Love,

Momma

Potty or Not to Potty

Nathan,

Yesterday marked a new milestone for you. You started potty training. Yesterday went well. Considering it was your first day. You pooped in a diaper (because we hadn't "officially" started yet). You did manage to pee twice in the potty yesterday. And twice in your "big boy pants" (also known as pull-ups). Today.. well.. you have peed in the potty once. Peed in your pants twice and pooped in your pants once. So.. it's about like I expected. I think you will eventually get the hang of it. We are in this for the long haul. All diapers are gone and will not return. I know you can do this. You have a "grand prize" waiting for you at the end. I am proud that you are making this milestone and will be even prouder once you've accomplished it. My baby is growing into a little boy. Bittersweet.

Love,

Momma

Magic Shoes

Nathan,

Bless it. You have crooked feet. OK, so really it's just your left foot that is currently crooked. But your right leg is doing this weird bowing thing and it's making your whole walk kind of.. well.. funny. Cute funny. Because you make it work. However, when you are a teenager you will not think it's cute and will probably curse the day I bore you and your crooked left foot and right weird leg self. So, we are doing something about it now. Could have done something about it when you were a baby, but it went undetected until about 6 months ago. Sorry. Really and truly I am. We have gotten you some "magic" shoes that are supposed to reshape your foot and make sure your right foot doesn't get jealous of all the attention ole lefty is getting and try to do the same. With all that said, once we did get the magic shoes your right leg decided to bow in and now you have to sleep with a bar between your feet. It's only night one of that whole ordeal, so the true test hasn't been completed yet. But I am hoping for the best. And hoping that your sweet little two year old mind can grasp, even if just a little bit, that it's all for your own good. And that I am really sorry we have to do it, but rather it be now than later. I love you, Nate-Nate. Just remember.. when you are the fastest runner on your track team or on the football team or basketball team or whatever team.. this was all worth it. And I'll try to remember that, too.

Love,


Momma