Double Digits

I cannot believe my little Claycito is already 10! It's been a decade of fun and adventure, and I'm so thankful to have you in my life. You make me smile every single day, and I love you more than words can say.

This year has been weird in so many ways because of COVID, but you did get to travel over the summer to California, Las Vegas, and Florida. You also visited Colorado in February. Additionally, we traveled to a Jellystone Park in Kerrville over New Year's and to Port Aransas during Spring Break. You are pretty much always up for an adventure, and I love that about you. 

You have been thrilled to have Oliver living with us since the summer. You love to play with him and love on him, and he loves it too! You were especially thrilled to find out his birthday was in the same month as yours, and you insisted we spoil him with some special treats. 

We changed up the way we do school this year, and you started attending the iSchool K-5 charter school. It took you a little while to get into the swing of it, especially with the difficulty of having to start virtually because of COVID. But once you got the hang of everything, you have been thriving. You enjoy your teacher, Ms. Gasaway, and you have made many wonderful friends. You have performed well academically and have mastered the art of food trading at lunchtime. I'm very pleased with how you embraced this change and bravely stepped into a new situation, and I'm so proud of all your hard work this year. 

You continue to be VERY interested in weapons of all kinds and have amassed quite an armory. In fact, "Nerf War" was the number one activity on your birthday party agenda. You have also shown interest in a variety of video games (especially Minecraft and Clash of Clans), The Lord of the Rings movies, Spotify, and video chatting with your friends. And your deep love of Five Below is still as strong as ever, though you certainly aren't opposed to spending money in other stores if you have the chance. 

Clay, you are a lover and a giver, and you make the world a better place by spreading joy wherever you go. You are easy-going and fun-loving. And you are quick to apologize when you step out of line. You almost always ask how my day was, and you give me "extra hug" every night before you go to bed, which means more to me than you will probably ever really know. You have a wonderful imagination and really clever ideas that I always enjoy hearing about. You have aspirations to become a blacksmith/lumberjack/woodworker, and you have a plan to build a very elaborate house that is filled with booby traps and water slides. I'm incredibly thankful that you came into my life ten years ago! Happy birthday, sweet boy! Thanks for being amazing!

Whoa-oh, we're halfway there

Sweet Clay,

I truly cannot believe you are already nine and halfway to being an adult! They say "time flies when you're having fun," and it really rings true when I think about how much fun the last nine years have been and how quickly they have gone by! I love being your mom, and I'm so thankful to have you in my life. You make me smile every day, and you inspire me to continue to strive to be a better person. I love your sweet hugs, your happy disposition, you fabulous sense of adventure, your incredible imagination, your unfailing curiosity, and your deep love. You are an absolute joy, and every day with you feels like a special gift!

This year has brought some difficult changes to your life, but you have taken them all in stride, and I'm proud of your bravery and resilience. Change is always hard, and no one ever really wants to go through hard things, but usually the hard things in life make us stronger, and I believe you have an opportunity to grow in unique ways as a result of the challenges you have faced.

Last summer, we had the opportunity to spend some time in the Florida Keys and in Barbados. And even though you ended up with a terrible sunburn, you loved finding treasures on the beaches and riding around in our cute little open-air vehicle, even when we got caught in a major rain storm. You and I also got to spend some time together on our own after that trip, while everyone else was busy with other activities. We did some cool things together in DFW and also made a trip to Granny's and a trip to Nana's. Later in the summer, you and your brothers and me took a road trip to Washington D.C. On the way, we stopped to see the gigantic Bass Pro Shop in Memphis, visited the Corvette Museum and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, and toured Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in Virginia. We spent the 4th of July in the nation's capital, which was really a special experience. We also visited several of the wonderful museums in D.C. but your favorite, by far, was the Spy Museum. On our return trip, we stopped at the Louisville Slugger Museum, which you enjoyed tremendously. You were especially impressed with the 120 foot tall baseball bat the greeted us when we arrived. You and Ruth and I traveled back to D.C. by plane a few weeks later to attend Dad's flag ceremony. And then you spent some time out at Campmeeting. Somehow, you also found the time to attend a week of Cake Camp, which you really loved. It was a pretty amazing summer, full of lots of wonderful memories!

You continued doing homeschool and Arrow this year for school, and you had a very successful year. You are so very smart and are able to accomplish anything you put your mind to. We switched to Khan Academy classes for math and grammar halfway through the year, and you enjoyed getting to do those lessons on the computer. You also loved the DIY Science videos we found and some of the cool science experiments we did. We did realize early in the school year that your eyes were getting fatigued when you would read, which led us down a path of several months of vision therapy. We found out your eyes weren't really having a problem, but your brain was having trouble processing what you were asking it to do. You worked very hard with Ms. Debby and just recently passed your re-evaluation, so you don't have to do the therapy any more and reading has become much easier for you. But even though you enjoy reading books, your favorite thing is listening to audiobooks. Among other stories, you listened to all the Harry Potter books this year (and rewatched all the movies), which inspired the theme for your birthday party.

During this school year, you continued to participate with Cub Scouts, though we switched to a pack that seems to be a better fit for us. You and I had fun building your Pinewood Derby car and attending the Blue and Gold banquet together.

You moved into your "little apartment" (my closet) early in the school year, and you really love having your own private place. In fact, I recently asked if you were looking forward to moving out and into one of the other rooms when Ruth goes off to college at the end of the summer, and you told me you thought you like to just stay because it's just so cozy.

We spent Thanksgiving at the ranch with Mimi and Grandpa and Christmas in Lake Tahoe with them as well as Alan and Bekki and the girls. And you spent the first week of the new year at Nana and Papa's. You are blessed to have so many people in your life who love you dearly and who you love in return!

During Spring Break, you and Weston and me went to Tyler and stayed at the Jellystone Campground for several days. We had a blast learning to play pickleball, jumping on the giant pillow, trying to start a campfire, making tie-dye shirts, and enjoying being in nature. You and I also hiked in Tyler State park, where we found an "army or turtles," a sneaky snake, and tried our best to locate a beaver. The park was beautiful, but seeing it through your eyes was a real treat.

Right after Spring Break, our world got turned upside down by the Covid-19 (Corona) virus. We suddenly found ourselves under "stay at home" directives, and all the schools, activities, playgrounds, and most of the businesses shut down. We didn't leave our house for a couple of months, and certain things like meat and toilet paper (to name only a couple) became hard to get at the stores. It was weird and disappointing in some ways, but we also had some really great times and made some wonderful memories. We did chalk art and regular art, went on nature scavenger hunts, cooked and baked lots of yummy food, watched lots of movies/tv shows/videos, played tons of games, learned to use Zoom, and participated in lots of video chats. The world is opening up little by little now, but we are still certainly not back to what we would think of as normal. We had to make lots of adjustments during this crazy period, but as always, you have just rolled with it.

Clay, you are my favorite nine-year old! I adore listening to your stories, seeing all the weapons you invent, watching you become completely immersed in an imaginary world of play, experiencing all your new kinds of hugs, and observing a rare kindness and love in you that few people possess. You are an absolute treasure, and I'm not sure how I was lucky enough to be picked to be your mom, but I'm thankful that I was. Happy birthday, sweet boy! I love you more than words can say!

Love,
Mom

The Great Eight

Sweet Clay,

How can it be that you are eight?! It seems like it wasn't that long ago that you decided to join our family, but here we are eight years later, unable to imagine our lives without you! You have added joy and love and wonder to every single day, and it is truly a pleasure to know you and to spend my days with you!

Just two days after your last birthday, we hopped on a plane to South America, where we spent a couple of months visiting Peru, Argentina, and Chile. You took to it like you've taken to all our adventures--warmly and with enthusiasm. Not many kids your age can say they've explored Machu Picchu, viewed the Nazca Lines, fished in the Amazon for piranhas, sandboarded down massive sand dunes, posed with moai statues on Easter Island, skied in the Andes, or eaten guinea pig. You eagerly embraced every moment and had the time of your life!

You started second grade in the fall and continue to be a wonderful student at home and at Arrow, where you took art, history, Lego robotics, P.E., guitar, and dance. You work hard in all your classes and approach most subjects with genuine interest and zeal. Your independent reading has also exploded this year, and you can rarely be found without a book in your hand. You have especially been enjoying the Magic Tree House books and the Great Illustrated Classics.

You continue to be active in Cub Scouts and embody all the principles of the Scout Law, which states that "a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent." In addition, you participated in a Ninja Warrior class in the fall, took golf lessons for a couple of months after the first of the year, and improved your swimming skills with another round of swim lessons. You truly love to try new activities and are always thinking about what your next thing might be.

You love to cook and often ask to help in the kitchen or to prepare meals and treats from your growing stash of cookbooks. You are even planning to attend Cake Camp this summer, and I know we will all be the beneficiaries of your creations.

You are obsessed with toy weapons and costumes, and just about every day your imagination carries you off to creative worlds that transcend our own. And, you spent at least half of this year sleeping in your "fort," a sanctuary under your bunk, with blanket walls, that had you happily sleeping on the floor rather than in your bed.

You love to play board games and have beat me soundly a number of times at Ticket to Ride, which is one of your favorites. You have also learned to play Settlers of Catan, Boggle, Dungeons and Dragons, and several card games. You are often the instigator and organizer to bring the whole family together for a fun game night.

Clay, you are an absolute delight! You are kind, generous, loving, smart, funny, curious, enthusiastic, and creative. You dispense hugs (and "extra hugs") and smiles freely, and you make every day more beautiful and exciting! You are the kind of person I want to be, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity to learn from you every day. I can't wait to see what the next year brings for you. Happy birthday, sweet boy!

Love,
Mom

Mr. Cinco de Mayo

Bío-Bío and Our Last Hurrah

This morning we visited the Bío-Bío market, which was an interesting shopping adventure, as foreign markets often tend to be. It was both intensely fascinating and slightly disgusting, and we wandered around through the winding labyrinth gawking for the better part of an hour.

Bío- Bío Market

Afterwards, we headed back to the apartment to work on some laundry and to watch the World Cup game between France and Belgium.

Later, we decided to celebrate our last night in Santiago with a wonderful meal at the rooftop restaurant at the Sommelier Hotel. Every bite of every dish was absolutely wonderful! And, Clay caught the attention of last year's Miss Teen Venezuela while we were there!

Dinner at Antaño

We stopped for ice cream on our way back to our apartment and then rushed home to eat it in front of the heaters because we were so cold. I'm sure we'll find that laughable in a few days when we're roasting in the Texas heat!

Ice Cream from Mò

I can't believe our time in South America has come to an end! It has been a wonderful trip, and we have made so many fantastic memories! Thanks for following along!

Our last week in Mendoza

It's hard to believe we've already come to the end of our month in Mendoza. It has been amazing, and we are sad to leave. But new adventures awaits, so the sadness certainly won't linger, and we will always carry a fondness for this city in our hearts! Our goals while we were here were to eat beef and drink wine, and we were quite successful at both! But there was so much more to our time here--from the people we met, to the personal growth we each experienced, to the laid-back pace of life here, to being literally surrounded with nature's beauty. This was an important stop on our life's journey, and we are so glad we had the chance to be here! We hope to visit again.

This last week has mostly been about the World Cup. We have become super-fans and have watched as many matches as we've been able to work in. We've also set up a friendly intra-family bet, picking teams to support basically at random. I can tell you my teams are generally not doing very well, but it's been fun to cheer them on at various bars and restaurants around town. We also visited the Mercado Central, participated in a going-away dinner for one of our new friends, enjoyed time at the park, played at the house, experienced another national holiday (Flag Day), and ate some great food.

"Speed" Demon

Cheering for England

Our personal collection of wine bottles from our month here in wine country
--from least favorite to most favorite--

World Cup viewing at a sidewalk cafe
(The sign says, "Eat Healthy, Live Better, and
I can tell you we did one of those while in Mendoza!)

This little inventor made all sorts of gadgets this week

Mercado Central

Lerot was our favorite venue for World Cup watching
because of the big screen, but the decor was also pretty interesting.

Dinner at El Club de Milanesa

Many happy hours at the park

Our last night in Mendoza
--Sunset view from Mirador,
City view from El Faro Bistro,
Dinner at La Florencia--

Our first Saturday in Mendoza

Today was our first Saturday in Mendoza, and we packed it full of fun. Jeff didn't have class, but his school organized a tour out to Villavicencio, a natural oasis in the otherwise barren Andes. The natural springs there provide the water for one of the most popular bottled waters in the area and one of the best sparkling waters we've ever had. There is a lovely hotel that is in the process of being restored with the goal of reopening next year. And the grounds contain a lush garden and spa that is beautiful now but must have really been something in the former heyday of the hotel. Even though the whole tour was conducted in Spanish and was a little difficult for most of us to follow, we still had a wonderful time and enjoyed the experience.

A fun outing to Villavicenio

It was fun to visit the home of
one of our very favorite sparkling waters.

In the afternoon, Jeff and I took Clay to the main plaza and park in Mendoza, while the other kids stayed behind to rest. Clay was determined to make a friend and use as much Spanish as he could remember. He played hard on the playground and also had a chance to do some painting, buy a balloon sword, and see a mimi magic show. Jeff and I took turns watching him at the playground and strolling through the rest of the enormous park, where there were tons of craft vendors and interesting characters set up enjoying the beautiful day. We found one vendor selling wooden kitchen utensils and were able to add some unique pieces to our collection.

So many lovely wooden utensils to choose from

The great playground defender

This boy's happy place

A new friend

Deciding on a special treat on the way home

Since today was Weston's half-birthday, he got to drive the plans for the rest of the day, which included a dinner of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and a trip out for gelato after dinner. We also decided to revisit Plaza Independencia so we could see what it was like after dark. The answer is "happening." There were so many people and vendors and the whole park was lit up and full of life.

You can take the kid out of Texas,
but you can't take the Texas out of the kid!

Half-birthday gelato party

Plaza Independencia

Sweet Seven

My Sweet Clay,

It doesn't seem possible that you could already be 7! I still think of you as my baby, but of course, you are growing up and becoming a big boy! I'm so proud of the ways you are learning and growing, and I'm thankful for you every single day. This year has been full of fun adventures, which you have embraced with the utmost enthusiasm. One thing I especially love about you is you are a tryer. You are always interested in trying new things--whether it's foods, activities, sports, or ideas. You aren't afraid of the unfamiliar, and you don't prejudge situations. You are a "Yes, And" kind of guy, and I love that!

We spent the summer traveling in our small RV across the western U.S. and Canada. You loved having your special little "Clay shelf," which only you could fit on, and you enjoyed seeing all kinds of new places and having so many new experiences. You did a great job of entertaining yourself on long drives, and you were a great helper when we were setting up at a campsite or getting ready to depart. We also got to travel to Nashville in August to see the total solar eclipse, which was a truly amazing phenomenon. Around Thanksgiving, we went to Washington D.C. and had a great time. You loved the Building Museum and spent an entire day building with their Big Blue Blocks. You also loved doing a scavenger hunt at the National Gallery of Art. During the Christmas holidays, we went to South Padre with our extended family, and you enjoyed hanging out with your cousins and playing on the beach. And for Spring Break, we went to Oklahoma and Arkansas, where we did lots of hiking--an activity you used to complain about but which you seemed to really enjoy on this trip. You especially enjoy opportunities to build beautiful rock stacks and spot wildlife. You truly enjoy traveling and are a great adventurer!

You started First Grade in the fall, and you are the only first grader I know who has worn a tuxedo to school on multiple occasions. It's one of your favorite outfits, and you wear it often. You are a great student and have become a more independent worker throughout the year. You have enjoyed reading chapter books this year, and you got most of the way through the 3rd Grade math book. You can write very nicely in cursive, although you feel you have to "write fast" since all the letters are connected. You have become a more confident writer and can easily write sentences and sometimes paragraphs. You even decided to compete in PSIA in a writing contest as well as a storytelling contest. Though you generally have a good attitude about all your school work, your favorite class by far has been art. You have a lot of natural artistic talent, and you are quick to notice colors and beauty in everyday things. You have experimented with many different artistic techniques and have created some very lovely paintings and drawings and crafts, which you are always eager to share with the people you love and care about.

In the fall, you decided to play soccer. You didn't really love the sport, but you thought it was great fun to get together with the other kids at practices. After the first of the year, you decided to switch to karate (which you spell "croty") and swimming, which you seem to enjoy a bit more. You earned your yellow belt recently, and you can now swim all the way across the pool on your own. In addition to your regular sports, you have also participated in a couple of Ninja Warrior competitions, which have been lots of fun.

The activity you have probably enjoyed the most this year is Cub Scouts. You love wearing the uniform (in its entirety) and earning the belt loops and badges, which you work hard on even when you aren't at the meetings. You were especially tickled when you earned the Brag Vest, and you were thrilled beyond words to go on a couple of campouts. You quickly memorized the Scout Oath and Law, and you do a good job of personifying the spirit of scouting. The Scout leaders are constantly complimenting you on your outstanding behavior and dedication to completing requirements and electives. You recently earned the rank of Tiger Scout and are looking forward to becoming a Wolf next.

You still love to cook and have become a proficient scrambled egg maker. There are some weeks when it seems this is all you eat! You enjoy looking through cookbooks, and any time I'm working in the kitchen, you are quick to offer assistance. You eagerly help with every part of the process, from grocery shopping to clean up. You are a huge fan of "happy hour," which to you means preparing a cheese board and getting the family together to share it.

You love to play board games, and you often get us all organized to play something. Your favorite is Mexican Train, and you are really quite good. You put Checkers on your official list of birthday activities. And, not long ago, you learned to play Solitaire, which allows you a game to play even when no one else is willing or able.

As the youngest member of the family, you get dragged along to everyone else's activities. You rarely ever compain and always find ways of entertaining yourself. You cheer on your siblings and are happy for them when they do well and consoling toward them when they wish they had done better.

You finally lost a couple of teeth, completely without fanfare, and you are so excited to be getting in some grown-up teeth. Additionally, you are really starting to get tall. Both signs of the big boy you are becoming.

Clay, you are such a special person! You are a lover and a giver and a tryer. You are happy and easy to get along with, and everyone who knows you is blessed. You adapt to change easily, and you get over disappointments quickly. You are creative and clever and enthusiastic in all endeavors. You are sensitive to other people's feelings, and you are always ready to dispense hugs. You make every day brighter, and you make me so proud! I love you so much and am so excited to see what the next year will bring! Happy 7th birthday! I love you!

Love,
Mom

Sweet seven-year-old boy!

The Sad Story of Duck's Demise

I'm going to tell this story to you just the way I heard it. Every word is true.

[Scene]
A small six-year-old boy sits on a stool gazing out the windows of the sliding patio door. His mother enters the room for some purpose other than conversation, but without moving a muscle or shifting his gaze, the boy begins to speak.

Boy (somberly): One of my "puffets" died today.

Mother: Really? I'm so sorry to hear that. Which one?

Boy: Duck.

Mother: What happened?

Boy (now turning to face his mother, but still somber): Well...First, he had to suffer. {dramatic sigh} Then, he fell off a rock cliff. {shakes head} And, then, the earthquake got him.

Mother (amused and horrified all at once): Oh no! That sounds awful! What kind of suffering did he have to do?

Boy (earnestly and without missing a beat): He had to travel through a dark, dusty cavern.

Mother: Wow! That is some intense suffering.

Boy: Yeah. He had a dust allergy. So he started sneezing and fell off the cliff because he couldn't see where he was going.

Mother: And, did he die when he fell off the cliff?

Boy: Oh, no. His friends, Rabbit and Panda, who had been smart enough to go over the cavern rather than through it, rescued him when he fell off the cliff and took him to the hospital.

Mother: Oh, so he died at the hospital.

Boy: Yes. The earthquake hit just as the "ambleeince" pulled up to the hospital, and it fell right on top of Duck, and he died.

Mother: Goodness. How did Rabbit and Panda escape?

Boy: They had gotten out of the "ambleeince" and gone inside to wait for Duck. But, of course, Duck died. I buried him.

Mother: Where did you bury him?

Boy: In my wallet. In the living room.

Boy (glancing back out the window): Look at that bee. Do you know what kind it is?

Day Three in D.C.

We had the great privilege to visit Lincoln's Cottage this morning. It is one of the lesser known attractions and most people don't make the effort to get out there, even though it is only three miles from the capitol building. We really enjoyed the tour and museum and appreciated how our tour guide made Lincoln come alive for us.

Lincoln's Cottage

Max was so excited to "meet" his favorite president

Cannons are always a big hit with boys

After our tour of the Cottage, we headed over to Annapolis to tour the Naval Academy. The campus was lovely, and it was so interesting to learn about midshipmen life. When we finished up at the Academy, we made our way down to City Dock for lunch at Middleton Tavern.

Honoring America's first Navy hero

I loved this event building!

The Navy's first plane was built by the Wright brothers

The dorm building was designed to look like the Palace of Versailles in France

The kids really loved seeing the crypt of John Paul Jones

Clay being "Bill" the goat

Middleton Tavern

Eventually, we made our way back to D.C. and stopped by the Jefferson Memorial to pay our respects to another great man before heading back to our apartment to watch the Aggie game.

The back side of the Jefferson Memorial and the beautiful fall colors

Tribute to Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson Memorial

Day Two in D.C.

We did lots of fun things today. First, we visited the National Gallery of Art, which Clay especially loved. After seeing all kinds of art and completing Clay's self-assigned scavenger hunt, we had a picnic in the museum's sculpture garden. Then we made our way over to the National Archives Building, so we could view the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Magna Carta. We also visited the International Spy Museum and later got caught up in a real life police chase on the way back to our apartment. This evening, we had dinner at Capitol City Brewing Company and then stopped in at Dolcezza Gelato and Coffee for an after-dinner treat.

Beautiful entrance at the National Gallery of Art

I loved doing Clay's art scavenger hunt with him!

Feeling the "amor" in the sculpture garden

Having a rockin' good time

The National Archives Building

Ninjas at the International Spy Museum

Salted caramel/Thai coconut milk gelato

Super Saturday

This is the first Saturday since late August that we haven't had a kid's sporting event to attend. We enjoyed sleeping in, and since we aren't all going to be together on Weston's birthday in a couple of weeks (or on his birthday party day a couple of weeks after that), we decided to go ahead and celebrate his birthday today. His main request was Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which we don't have in Flower Mound. So, the men headed over to Roanoke to pick up the doughnuts, while Ruth and I went to workout. (For me, this is working out in the very loosest sense of the word, but I'm thrilled to be cleared to do anything that even resembles exercising!)

All the doughnuts!

Later, we gave Weston his birthday gifts, which included tickets to the OU/TCU football game in Norman, OK this evening. He did not see this coming and was thrilled about every part of it: football, TCU, two top-ten teams, going to another state for the game, and the fact that it was happening this very day. It was awesome to watch his face light up! I just love to give gifts that truly make the recipient happy! And, experience gifts are the best!

A new "Saturday shirt"

I can't tell you how happy this face makes me!

After that excitement, we headed over to Denton for the Pistons and Paint Car Show. It was so fun to see so many cool cars! But our favorite part was seeing Junior Brown, who is one of our all-time favorite musicians, perform live. Jeff and I have been trying to catch him live for more than a decade, but it just never worked out until today.

Max's favorite!

Clay asked several times how someone could get up in this

Weston's dream vehicle

I loved the pink Cadillac!

Junior Brown doing his thing

When we left the car show, Jeff and Weston took off for Oklahoma, and the rest of us came home for Clay's first Star Wars movie viewing. For all the other kids, we had decided they could see the movies when they turned seven, but since the new movie is coming out in December, the older kids voted unanimously to let Clay into the Star Wars Club at 6 1/2. And, they want him to get all caught up with the previous movies before the new one hits theaters next month. Clay was ecstatic!

The last thing on our Super Saturday agenda is tacos from Taco Ocho, and you can't ever go wrong with that! I'm so thankful for this happy day and the time spent with my people doing things that make us smile.