Eight!

It is truly truly hard for me to believe that my baby is eight. We mamas get sappy over every age it seems, and eight is no different really than seven was, but is a lot different than five and, I'm sure, ten. It's just a birthday thing, I think,

No different than every other sappy year. But, wow, it's been eight years since I've had him in my belly. That makes me feel further away from what I started out knowing was motherhood, and yet here I am deep in the trenches with an 8 year old and an almost 11 year old. Right in the middle.

This kid can be described in many ways, but here are 8:

1. Athletic

2. A good eater

3. Kind

4. A good friend

5. Whip smart

6. Warm

7. Baseball-loving

8. Outside-loving

He lets nothing hold him back, he just lives his life. He does what he does, he knows what he wants, and that is to play outside (preferably baseball), eat food, and feel loved by his family. His needs are so basic.

We discovered the summer he was 4 that he really loves baseball, and even though he plays soccer and football and tag and basketball and tennis, baseball is really his love.



He's kind of moody, I think anyone will tell you! Probably because he has these very basic needs, and when you throw something else in there he can be not all that flexible about it. So when I see a smile like THIS out of him, my heart just swells because that's our boy right there, the true him.

Happy birthday, Fisher. We love you so very much.

Leap Day snapshots.

I hope it's not cheating to post these, as I'll then have an online record of them and could very well peek at them before the next Leap Day Time Capsule is upon us. I won't, though, as the surprise of looking through the 2012 pictures for the first time in 4 years was just too awesome.

What about you? Did you get your Time Capsule done? Did you put your photos in there and seal it shut? Shhhh, I'm still working on that last bit!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Fisher had his first-ever birthday party this weekend! I think he had a good time.

2. The bathroom is DONE.

3. Now, onto other projects, right?

4. I'm thinking Zootopia one day over spring break.

5. Fisher turns EIGHT on Saturday.

6. Saturday it was almost 70 degrees again, and I ran in shorts again, and it was lovely again.

7.  A Little Life is very, very good. If you're taking this on, invest yourself for 100 pages to get into it.

8. Alla made it into the 5th Harry Potter book - a valiant effort!

9. Hard to believe Easter is next Sunday! Better get my act together.

10. This is how far I've gotten on my 2015 editing: October, obviously.

Ten on Tuesday: Seriously happy edition!

1. We have entered a miraculous two-day period of sixty degree weather. Serious happiness. Running in shorts. Glee.

2. Seriously happy about all the people coming to finish our bathroom this week! (Day 50)

3. Here is the seriously happy face of a girl finding out that she gets to see Harry Potter World at last.

4. And the seriously happy face of a boy playing outside every single day after school, 365 days out of 365 days a year, any sport, all the sports with all the balls, but exceptionally happy about any weather warm enough to melt snow because, BASEBALL.

5. I ditched socks yesterday when I picked up the kids from school and instead dug out my Sanuks. And didn't need a coat this morning.

6. Pax, you are tugging on our hearts.

7. Only days left til the time change! More light!

8. It is March, and thus I feel we are in the season where there is much to celebrate and much to look forward to, but also I remember this is the best time of the year in one major way: we are gaining daylight every single day for the next three months. And then we are not.

9. Last night Ron and the kids drew me palm trees.

10. Last night we had Catherine Newman's Pork Adobo, all different ways - some in a tortilla with cheese, some with avocado on top, some with roasted sweet potato on the side, some with chips. ALL DELICIOUS. I just know that Ron was excited for pork meat, as we call it, so yay.

Also - did you know Catherine Newman HAS A NEW BOOK COMING OUT?

Happy Tuesday!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. It is the first of March! We made it. It is currently 15 degrees, but that is O-K, because we will see 60 this month, we will see big swings and feel warm some of the days, and that is all I ask of March.

2. Also it was 59 on Saturday so WOW.

3. Are you wondering if the dust has cleared and the construction is done? No, it is not. Day 43.

4. Found these gems in our Leap Day 2012 Time Capsule, which we opened last night. Today's plan is to upload the pics from yesterday and get those ordered and into our 2016 capsule so we can SEAL IT!

5. Kids and I finished Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, which we all enjoyed. Last night we started Pax, which just grabs your heart from the first page. Only three chapters in, I'm going to whole-heartedly recommend it.

6. I love a week when I can make recommendations! Absolutely everyone should find a copy of When Breath Becomes Air. Beautiful, heart-wrenching book. Just read it.

7. It's birthday month for Fisher! He will be 8 on the 19th. EIGHT.

8. Alla has made a goal to re-read ALL the Harry Potter books before our trip there in a few weeks, and gosh darnit I think she may do it. She is more than halfway through Book 4. Did you read that carefully? We are finally getting these Harry Potter-loving kids to Hogsmeade!

9. Alla and I get to see Alvin Ailey tonight!

10. So, if I've just finished When Breath Becomes Air, that means I'm onto a new book. Yesterday I started A Little Life, which has been on my to-read list since last year, but is very intimidating because of it's 700+ pages. I saw it at Costco last week, though, and actually purchased it, so now I'm in. Maybe for awhile.