Dear Colin,

On Monday we dropped you off at school and then drove to my doctor's appointment. I was crying the whole way there, just as I had been crying in your classroom as you sat down with a smile and immediately got to work. Your little brother moved within me, but I didn't want to think about him right then. I wanted to bawl and fall into the memories of the two and half years when it was just you and me. I know that parents don't have favorites, but you will always hold a special place in my heart for all the hours we spent alone together and for all the first parent lessons that you taught me.

Your daddy used to call us "best buds." Every morning, your smile was the first thing I saw when I woke up. Not all kids wake up with a smile on their face, as I would later learn, but you always did. We could wake you up at 3 am to drive to the airport, and you would just laugh and go along for the ride. I quickly learned that your "love language" is spending time together. Do you know how much that meant to me? To always have this beautiful little boy next to me who wanted to just be in my company?

Your dad and I marvel at your natural goodness. We have seen you make friends with every kind of kid, and we have seen the respect you pay your leaders at church. You want to be responsible, and all we have to do is provide occasional reminders. We realize how lucky we are in that way.

We also love to see your natural confidence. Even though you can be shy and cautious, you love to tackle new challenges and you never seem to doubt that, with time or practice, you can accomplish whatever you try. You have complete faith in yourself, in the sweetest way possible.

This is probably what scares me most about you starting school - knowing that not everyone out there is as dedicated to preserving that self confidence as your dad and I are. I know that you are going to face teachers and students whose eyes don't see you for what you really are - people who will at times make you forget that you are a child of God.

So now all I can do is try and make you remember that whenever you are in my presence. I can hug you, and love you, and encourage you, and pray for you, and hope that it is enough to build a shield around you the rest of the day.

I am sorry that I cried your first day. I was trying not to, but it started before we even got to your classroom. What I am not sorry about though, is that you didn't cry. You sat down and started coloring that picture as well as you possibly could. You didn't cry and you came home with a note that said, "Colin is a good boy. He followed directions." And even though Mom and Dad weren't there to pick you up, you still smiled and happily hopped into your Aunt's minivan, confident as always.

One day down.

Please remember.

Love,

Mom

Dear Ollie,

You had your first day of kindergarten a week ago. Your dad, your big brothers, Carina, and I loaded the stroller up with all your school supplies and walked you and your hashbrown belly to class. Your brothers said goodbye at the school entrance and Colin gave you a big hug, telling you you were going to do great.

A Dad (with a capital D) was quizzing your teacher when we walked in the classroom, so we quietly waited for his questions to end.  Then the teacher turned her attention to you with a big smile and said, “Ah, another smart boy!”  She led you to your cubby to show you where to put your monster backpack, and then you sat down to color.  After a quick goodbye (feeling like veteran parents) , Daddy, Carina and I walked out, leaving our handsome little guy in the care of someone else for seven hours.

And I didn’t cry.

Then.

I had spent the previous evening reading my blog late into the night, letting the tears spill over onto my pillow as Chad slept beside me.  All five of your years are here, and each post about you is precious to me. 

Your smiling brown eyes.  Your strong will.  Your energy.  Your joy.  Most of all, your love. 

My heart ached with post after post and the thought that keep swimming in my head  - Did I do enough?

and

Why oh why can’t kindergarten be half-day here?

When we dropped you off, your teacher reminisced with us that on Colin’s first day of kindergarten I was pregnant with you (you were born hours later, as you know).  It was certainly a full-circle moment, watching you, my last baby boy, start the same adventure that my first baby boy began on the day of your birth. 

On the way to school you told me, “Mom, I am a little excited and a little nervous too, but I am just going to do the things I am supposed to do.  I am just going to be quiet and not talk, but then talk when teacher asks me stuff.” 

In that moment of walking away from you, I didn’t rush back to my car to let all my emotions spill over, like I had done with your brothers, despite the months of shorted home-time with you.  You were so ready.  You were so confident.  You had seen your brothers doing this your whole life.  You would see them (and your dear cousins) in the hall, on the playground, and in the cafeteria.  You would have feelings of home and security in little pieces all day long.  Maybe Colin and Gabe had more mom-time, but you had been showered with brotherly love since your birth.  You weren’t shorted at all.

Maybe I felt like I need more time home with you?  I will miss you dearly.  I will miss you calling me “Liam” on accident after you have been playing with him.  I will miss your funny phrases.  I will miss your any-time-of-the-day snuggles.  I may even miss you asking for food all day long.

I am excited for you, Ollie.  Your curious mind gets to work all day long now.  Your friendly face will find many new pals. Your boundless energy will serve you well as you navigate through Chinese, music, art, and PE with your never-ending enthusiasm.  I am so grateful now for those very traits that both exhausted us and entertained us as we tried to point you in the right direction.  I am so happy that you are there now – heading strong-willed and kind-hearted on a path of growth. Keep going, my brown-eyed, furrowed- brow sweetheart.

With love,

Mom

Another Home

Last week we needed to go to the other side of Charlotte, so we stopped by our old home. We moved away from this house over two years ago, shortly before I started this blog, and though I am glad we moved out when we did, it is still bittersweet to see it. This was our first house and it holds many dear memories.

I was five months pregnant with Gabe when we bought this house. It was always be my "house of dreams" - the first real home that I brought a baby to.

I miss seeing spotting cardinals in the patch of woods behind the house, and waking up to chirping every morning in the spring.

I miss my garden, and I am afraid that most of the plants there have been greatly neglected.

I miss the cul-de-sac, where Colin rode his bike for hours and hours.

I miss the little sun-dappled dining room, where my boys first finger-painted.


I miss our sunny and warm bedroom, where Colin, Gabe and I used to take a nap together every single day (oh, heaven!).

When it comes down to it, I guess what I am really missing more than the house...

...is toddler Colin and baby Gabe.
Can you blame me?

Please excuse me, I need to go kiss two sleeping boys.

Merry Christmas

Dear Friends and Family,

What a year!  It has truly been one of our most eventful and emotional years as a family and we are grateful for the support we have had from you through it all.

Chad is still working with Bank of America, and we were beyond grateful for their generous paternity leave and for his supportive colleagues.  He was able to take the entire summer off when Elysée and Simone joined our family.  Having him there by my side for our incredibly intense bonding period was a blessing that I will never forget.  Chad’s humor, patience, and energy continually lifts everyone in the family.  He also teaches early morning seminary with me (a scripture study class for high schoolers, at 5:55 in the morning!) and he coached Gabe’s soccer team in the fall.

I am in the thick of motherhood and loving it.  It can be overwhelming to care for six kids with varying difficulties and challenges, but it keeps me (relatively) humble and prayerful.  With all the kids in school during the day, I have found how much I truly don’t mind being alone.  I am taking a weekly church class as well as a ballet class.  My flexibility may be shot after 17 years off, but I still have “beautiful feet” (my teacher said so!).  I have greatly enjoyed my 2016 goal of attending the temple once a month.  The hardest part of my year was the death of my wonderful mother.  While it is hard to be without her, I am relieved for her that her long battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia is over and that I will see her again in the next life, whole and healed.  

Colin is in 8th grade.  He is still learning Mandarin, as well as Spanish.  I love hearing him play the piano and his musicality is also being developed through his handbells class at school.  He was the goalie for his soccer team in the fall, a sport he greatly missed the year before.  Right now Colin is busy with rehearsals for his school’s spring production of The Lion King - he is Simba!  When he isn’t busy singing “Hakuna Matata” and doing homework, he is the perfect blend of compassionate older brother and surly, sleepy teenager.

Gabe is in 5th grade and still learning Mandarin.  His love for sports only grows every year (although the Panthers sure aren’t helping it out this year).  He played midfield on his soccer team in the fall and assisted and scored goal after goal.  His piano playing is growing by leaps and bounds and he is also advancing quickly in the recorder at school.  His goal is to finish all the requirements for music class so that he can move onto the next instrument - the ukulele.  Gabe’s subtle sense of humor and calm nature have a way of placating his younger sisters, but he is still a typical middle brother with the ability to push all the buttons that “need” pushing.

Oliver is in the 3rd grade.  He turned 8 at the end of summer, which brought about two exciting events.  The first was his baptism as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The second was his birthday gift - an adorable white Lab-husky puppy that we brought home with us from Spokane.  Her name is Lemon Sugar and she is a joy to the whole family.  Oliver loves taking her on walks and playing rough with her. They are a good pair - endless amounts of energy. Oliver also played soccer in the fall.  His favorite place to be is at home with his family, and he was the happiest boy in the world during the summer when he got a break from Mandarin.

Elysée is 7 years old.  Since she had very little schooling in the Congo and has a fall birthday, we decided to start her in kindergarten here.  She and Carina are in the same French immersion class, and her teacher tells me that Elysée is always watching out for her.  She is the perfect student - attentive and persistent, with a great advantage of already speaking French.  She played soccer this fall, where her long stride paid off with many a breakaway goal.  Elysée loves drawing, writing, and singing.  As you can imagine, it isn’t easy for for a little girl like her to leave the life she knew behind, learn a new language, and become a member of a new family, but she has amazed us with her desire to adjust and help the people around her.

Carina started kindergarten this year and if you thought her little voice was cute before, you should hear her speak French!  She could not love her sisters more.  They play from the minute they finish their homework until they are laying in their beds and told to shush over and over again.  Carina has embraced learning and, combined with her efforts to always please the adults in her life, she is an excellent student.  She loves to sing and wows us with her memorization of any and all songs - from The Living Christ to Stressed Out.  She also played soccer this year and enthusiastically ran her short little legs up and down the field.  

Simone is also 5 and in kindergarten.  She is in the other French class and her teacher tells me she is smart, persistent, very social, and….pretty darn stubborn. Of course, we knew all this. Simone loves to make the people around her laugh, and her dimples are amazing.  She was a force on the soccer field - a powerful runner with a powerful kick.  She approaches everything she does with strength and determination - whether it is riding or bike or standing up to her big brothers.

As this year closes, we are thankful for the lessons it brought, and happy it is ending on a high note.  At the end of the month we will take Simone and Elysée to the Columbia, South Carolina temple to be “sealed” to us - a ceremony that signifies our desire to be with them eternally and be the best family we can for them.  We are so grateful for this privilege ,and above all, grateful to our Savior whose atonement makes everything possible.  If you see light and beauty in our lives, please know it all comes from Him!  Merry Christmas!

With love,

Katie

Chad

Colin

Gabe

Oliver

Elysée

Carina

Simone

Our beautiful pictures were taken by Amber McDowell Photography

As a part of

Red Thread Sessions

Thank Amber - these photos are so cherished!

Dear Teacher,

Please excuse Colin from school today. We had a little family field trip.

He got to meet some lions.

He learned a few things about lorikeets

(like, don't let them land on you)

He learned how NOT to feed a giraffe,

and he met a wise, elderly tortoise, who whispered some Old World secrets in his ear.

It was a successful day.
I'm sure you will agree, there are some things that you just can't learn in school.


Sincerely,
Colin's mommy

PS. Can you let Mr. President know that I think the school days are long enough already? Thanks.

Dear Santa,

For Christmas, Colin would like some Wii games. He says you can choose which ones - "maybe a Legos one or something like that." He also wants a remote control airplane, but we have explained to him how quickly those things break, so I think don't you are going to bring one, right?

Gabe wants a Master Yoda light saber. Not the fancy ones that light up-he prefers the cheap ones that hook onto his pants pockets so well. Fine by me. He also wants a "Optimus Prime that transforms into a remote control truck", which is a toy I am pretty sure doesn't exist. If you are feeling frisky, try and whip one of those babies up in your workshop will ya?

Oliver only has one request - that we keep you far far away from him. I will make a few requests on his behalf - a baby doll stroller, a shape sorter, and the desire to sit still for any amount of time. Okay, that last one is for me. If he could make a gift request, I think it would be his own personal stepladder.

It was fun to see you at the Manor House (thank you for being so jolly) and to see your "helper Santa" later on at the ward Christmas Party. Colin figured out that he was just your helper because his beard was fake, and Gabe recognized Mrs. Claus as his Sunbeams teacher. I'm glad you have such nice people helping you. I know we are all spread a little thin around the holidays. Speaking of which, please don't space it and forget to include some batteries in their stockings - we always need them.

Merry Christmas,
The Colemans

*2008 Santa visit, and 2007 Santa visit

*This year's pictures provided for free by our community and taken by Phil Morris Jr, who was by far my favorite Santa photog they have had.

Dear Chaddycakes,

It was a good day. The two youngest had a check-up. Oliver was all over the Dr's office, trying to change the AC, trying to get into the Hazardous Materials bin on the wall again and again, scowling at the Dr who shined a light in his eyes. Gabe was surprisingly chatty. They got to lay side by side as the Dr. felt their bellies. Gabe didn't cry a lick when he got his finger pricked or his flu shot. Ollie cried his betrayed-toddler-cry (How could you hold me down while they did that, mom?!) You'll be happy to hear that Oliver's weight is officially back on the charts. The final verdict? We have happy and healthy children and I am so thankful for that.

Oliver took a long long nap. He was still asleep when Colin got home and grumpy about waking up. I swooped them off to the park to enjoy the gorgeous day we were having. They headed straight for the sandbox and stayed there most of the time. I taught them how to dig for the deepest sand to make strong castles and everyone was happy...

Until Oliver started to claim all the sand toys as his own and threw a fit about sharing. A crying, snotty, little boy rolling in the sand is a sad sight to see.

He eventually got over it and we had a lovely afternoon.

We stayed until the sun was almost gone and then came home to Totino's. I know you hate that pizza, but I gotta tell you love, that stuff was sooo good. This was the boys' first time, and they were impressed.

After dinner, the two big boys got much-needed haircuts. Everyone got a shower, we read books and scriptures (maybe without the "s"), and then headed off to bed. As I sat waiting for them to fall asleep Oliver decided that bedtime was the perfect time unload in his diaper. I whispered to him that I was going to get some wipes, and he nodded solemnly from his bed (Gabe was already asleep). The minute I left the room he got up, ran into Colin's room, giggling, and woke him up. That kid, Dew.

All three of those kids. They are so beautiful, tucked in their beds, sleeping and angelic. We are so blessed, and you are so missed.

President Hinckley

Chad called me from the bus this morning to tell me that President Hinckley had passed away. He takes the bus with another member of the ward who told him the news. It wasn't a shock, of course - we all knew he was old and his health wasn't strong, but it is still sad to see the prophet that I have known best leave the world. Colin asked what was wrong, and I explained it to him. He was definitely more shocked than I. He isn't very familar with death, and definitely knew who President Hinckley was. I let him know that dear President Hinckley is now with Heavenly Father and the sweet wife that he missed. Can you imagine how wonderful that reunion was? That, more than anything, is what brings tears to my eyes.

Keepin' It Real Wednesday

Dear Ashley,

About two and a half weeks ago, we took a special trip to Dollar Tree with you and your kids in mind. We wanted to send them a St. Patrick's Day package, so we got some cute headbands, a shiny spiral decoration, some necklaces, Mike and Ike's, and Sour Patch Kids. Gabe and Colin were quite excited to send the treats off to their cousins.

Didn't get that package, did you?

I realized on Monday that time had run out. We ate the candy.

The kids wore the St. Patrick's Day gear today. Yep, that is it in the picture.

It's the thought that counts, right?

With Love,
Katie and kids

PS.Chad in charge of shipping around here. Not to pass the blame, but he is the one with a UPS account. Just sayin.'
PPS. Chad's parents never got the handmade Valentines the kids made them either.

Keepin’ It Real Wednesday

Gabe’s end-of-the-year party was today.  Sabina offered to watch Ollie and Carina while I went, but I just used her on Monday for Colin’s party, and this was supposed to be an easy-going little get-together, so I opted to take them with. 

I loaded our sit-and-stand stroller with cupcakes for Gabe’s class, cheerios, a sippy cup and toys for Carina, and of course Carina and Ollie, and hauled it into a spot by a little table in the back of Gabe’s class.  The teacher started out by having the kids sing, and soon she brought the kids to the front, one by one.  They read from a portfolio in Chinese and everyone clapped. Cute, fun, very nice.  Only this:  each one was taking almost 5 minutes.  And she wasn’t going straight through.  She stopped every two or three kids and had them sing two or three songs.  There are 25 kids in the class.  You do the math. 

Carina was great for the first half hour, which for her is almost amazing. The second that she wriggled out of her straps and stood up in her seat, I knew we were in trouble.  The stroller spell was broken and she would never ever sit still again. And then she:

Screamed when I tried to help her with her cheerios.

Screamed when I tried to help her sit in one of the little chairs.

Fell out of the chair.

Screamed when I tried to help her drink a juice box.

Threw the juice box on the ground.

Got happy when the teacher’s assistant got out a puppet to play with.

Screamed when she saw there were dolly puppets she wasn’t playing with.

Screamed when I only gave her two of the those puppets.

And on and on and on for two and a half hours.  I tried to think what I could possibly do.   I couldn’t leave until Gabe was done because he was coming home with me.  I couldn’t take her in the hall, where her screaming would interrupt the rest of the classes.  I could only give in to her screams and try and hard as I possibly could to keep her lips zipped.

And so I was that parent today, in front of a dozen other parents. I will do whatever the heck you want, dear child, just shut the heck up.

To the brothers, who sometimes forget

My dear boys, here it is.  The proof of your love for each other.  Last week, Oliver was sick.  With him in bed, you realized you actually missed that mischievous grin.  During one of Oliver’s little naps, we decided it was craft time, and surrounded by paper scraps, Gabe had the idea of a get-well card for Oliver.  The idea was seized and a gigantic six page card was created, beautiful and thoughtful enough to have your mom grinning all afternoon.

Deciding that he needed further cheering up, you put together a little puppet show that was silly enough to have the sick little guy grinning all afternoon.  Gabe and Colin, the happier you made him, the happier you also became,  and it was a boyish little love fest. 

 

 

And me? I took pictures.  For proof, of course

 

(and yes, Ollie is wearing pink pajama pants.  all three boys have worn them, I will have you know )