10 Years Old

Lily-Billy,

I am still in denial that my baby is entering the double digit years today!  There won't be any more single digits in the Brown household!  You get more fun the older you get and I can't wait to see what this new decade brings to you!  Here is what I want to remember about you as you start the next ten years of your life:

- You are still the tallest one in your class.  You are 5'1 1/2" tall which puts you off the growth chart (100th percentile)!  And Dr. Morrow said you still have a lot of growing to do!  You can wear adult small clothes and you have surpassed me with your shoe size.  

- You love school and being with your friends.  Quarantine was very hard on you because you are so social.  You were very disappointed that Jery and Ellie weren't in your class this year, but you have made so many new friends like Jaliyah, Maddi, and Sarah.  You still love Nikkee and talk about her all the time.  I am so glad you make friends so easily!

- You are also great at making friends outside of school.  You know all of Granna's neighbors by name and look forward to visiting with them when you go over to her house!

- You are still a great eater and are always willing to try new things.  You love salad, fruit salad, and chicken salad.  You also love mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and take them in your lunch any time we have leftovers.  

- You love to be outside even if it means you are swimming or riding scooters/bikes by yourself.  

- You are obsessed with making slime and watching slime videos on YouTube.  I have almost banned it several times but always give in because you love it so much!

- You still love to snuggle with me and let me rock you every morning after you wake up and every night before bed.  It's one of my favorite parts of the day!

- You are so funny and make me laugh every day!  

- You are a natural born leader and always make sure things are running smoothly.  I've always said they don't need to get a substitute when your teachers are gone because you could run the class just fine by yourself!

- You love to cook and can make several things without any help at all.  You make us muffins for breakfast at least once a week and your cookies are yummy too!  

- You don't love to read but a weekly reading log at school has forced you to read more often.  Your favorite books are any type of graphic novel.

- You and Eden are still frenemies but quarantine has forced you to become closer.  You can often be found playing Legos, watching slime videos, or going for an after dinner swim together.  

I still can't believe you've been blessing our family for a whole decade!  You bring so much joy to our  lives and I'm so glad I get a front row seat to watching you grow up!  I pray that this new decade is full of wonderful things for you! Happy Birthday, sweet girl!  I love you to the moon and back, Mom
 

Cross Country 2020

Last week ended a great season of cross country for Parker.  He was supposed to run at the district meet today but I tested positive for COVID last Friday and we are now all in quarantine for two weeks.  I felt horrible for Parker when I had to break the news to him because he has worked so hard this semester and was looking forward to running in that meet.  But instead of dwelling on the negative, let's take a look back at all of his accomplishments this season.

Due to COVID, the cross country season started late and was cut short so there were only four meets.  The first one was a practice meet at Wheat.  Parker was excited about their new uniforms.  Unfortunately, right before he was supposed to run, there was some lightning in the distance and they cancelled the meet.  He was so disappointed, especially when we never got one drop of rain.

The second meet was on a Saturday in Burleson.  Because it was on Saturday, most of my family got to come watch and support him.  The competition was tough (Aledo was there) but Parker ran great and came in 8th place.

The next meet was in Granbury.  They had to break the schools into two teams in order to social distance.  Parker was in the last group to run and he came in 2nd place!

The last meet was in town at Smith Middle School.  There were four schools competing and Parker came in FIRST PLACE!! He was so excited and we are so proud of him!

I hate that Parker didn't get to run at the district meet but regardless, he had an amazing season!  I'm not sure that he will run in high school but it's been fun watching him grow and improve over the last two years.

First Day of School

After five long months, the kids are finally back in school again!  They were so excited to be back and woke up ready to go!  I can't believe we have two in middle school this year.  Parker is starting 8th grade and Eden is starting 6th.  Parker couldn't wait to get back to see his friends.  This quarantine has been hard for him and he was very ready to start his last year of middle school.  Even the thought of wearing a mask all day couldn't lower his excitement about being back!

Eden has been very excited but very nervous about starting middle school.  I am so glad Parker was there to walk in with her and ease some of her anxiety. 

Lily is starting 4th grade.  Her teachers will be Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Glover.  I am so glad she will still be with me at Gerard for a couple more years.

I am starting my 22nd year of teaching.  I am still the ESL and reading specialist and love the kids that I get to work with every day.

Due to COVID, parents weren't allowed to walk their students in on the first day, but Mrs. Adams let me get a quick picture!  There are definitely some perks to be a teacher!

Cory got a quick picture of Parker and Eden walking in together.  I'm so glad they will have one year together before Parker goes to high school next year.

Mrs. Adams sent a picture of Lily's class in front of the school.  All three kids had a great day and can't wait to go back tomorrow! 

July and August Little Things

July and August have felt a little bit more "normal" and we can't wait to get back into a school routine next week.  Here are a few little things from the past two months:

COVID didn't cancel our annual BClan reunion and it was great to see all of Cory's high school friends and their families.  

Eden and I enjoyed an afternoon treat while we were shopping in Fort Worth one day.

We had Mrs. Click and Charley over to play one afternoon.  It was great to visit while the dogs played.  I think it's safe to say that they are now best friends!

Parker had one last baseball tournament on the hottest weekend of the summer.  His team played well but came up short in the end.  Win or lose, I sure do love my #16!

After the last game, the boys all went swimming together to celebrate a good season.  

We celebrated Cory and Ryan's birthdays at our house with a cookout and swimming.

Cory and Heath have always wanted to build a rent house and finally decided to do it.  It was finished this month and it looks great!  

Lily has been wearing glasses since she was 3 years old and she has been begging Cory to let her try contacts.  He has been hesitant because of her age, but finally agreed to let her try.  She completely surprised everyone by getting them in and out 3 times in 45 minutes.  She hasn't been wearing them a lot but it's nice to know she has the option if she ever wants to wear them. 

My little mermaid!  Lily got this mermaid tail from a friend and has had fun swimming with it this month.  

We start school next week and the kids can't wait to be back with their friends.  We've been out of school for 5 months now and I'm praying we will be able to make it all semester without having to go virtual again.
 

A Day with the Triplets

Because the start of school was postponed, Lily had a chance to go spend the night with Aunt MerMer and help with Holland and the triplets.  They kept her busy and she was exhausted when she came home the next day!

She is such a good help and is going to make a great babysitter one day!