One Decade Down.

Ten years ago today I said "I do" to Benjamin Ockree and we began our life as husband and wife. It is amazing how quickly these last ten years have passed and also how much it seems like I've been married to Ben for much longer than a mere decade.

These last ten years have taught me a great many things about being married and I am certain that the next ten will teach me a great deal more. I've learned that marriage is hard work, but incredibly rewarding. I've learned to forgive my spouse when he disappoints me or when I feel he has wronged me. I've been humbled by my husband's ability to forgive me when I have wronged him, disappointed him, and failed him. I think that after ten years both Ben and I would agree that our commitment to our marriage and the love we hold for each other is much greater than we ever thought it could be on that lovely day ten years ago.

Ten years down and hopefully many many more to go.

The best birthday plans.

May 30th was Ben's birthday and I was going to make it amazing.

For the first time ever I was going to make fried chicken. And then I was going to make coconut ice cream. And then I was going to hire clowns and get a bounce house and pony rides...and you get the idea.

Really, it just involved homemade fried chicken and coconut ice cream. Neither of which worked out.

So instead, this happened....

And the ice cream? Well, our machine stopped turning the paddle inside and the ice cream wouldn't set up. So I put it in a Pyrex bowl and set it in the freezer. It was really delicious...the next day. 

Birthday fail. 

Violet Marie

Moving Up.

I no longer have a first grader.

And, how is it possible that kids grow up this fast?

A happy kids leaving for his first day of school in August.  

Crying on his last day because he didn't want to leave his teacher.

Our Young Author.

Connor is now a published author. In fact, every kid in Connor's first grade class is now a published author.

Each kid in the class was given the first half of a common saying and then they came up with their own ending and also made an illustration.

Connor was given "If you lie down with dogs...." and decided the logical ending was that you'll get licked in the face. This conclusion was based on Connor's personal experience with his Grandparent's dogs, which do indeed lick him in the face when he lays on the floor with them.

Some of my other favorite sayings from the book include the following:

Many hands make germs.

Look before you cross the road. 

Silence is quiet. 

Practice makes for a lot of work. 

and

A picture is worth $1,000.

All the students enjoyed a classy snack of crackers, cheese, and juice. Then the class listened to their teacher read their book, and then each kid went around and signed the other student's books. 

It was a really fun way for the kids to always have a keepsake from first grade. 

We kind of love this guy.

Today is Ben's birthday. I think that the kids and I are more excited than he is. We kind of love this guy, perhaps for slightly different reasons. 

I asked the kids why they loved their dad and was given the following list:

• He's fun.
  
• He's nice.
• He's silly. 
• Dada!
• He takes care of us. 
• He walks with us.
• No.  
• He makes circles.
• He helps me find flowers. 
• Hiccup.
• He is helpful.
• He is playful.
• Drink!

You might be able to ascertain which kid contributed what part of that list. 

Part of the reason I love Ben is that he is an amazing father to these little munchkins. There is nothing sweeter than the sound of little girl giggles as their dad chases them around the house. Although, the sound of a seven year old and his dad talking about going camping and figuring out what they need is just as sweet.

Happy Birthday to my dear husband of nearly ten years. I wouldn't change a thing about our past because all the mistakes we've made, times we've had to forgive each other, pain, and suffering helped to bring us to where we are today. And, that is a wonderful place.

Let boys climb trees.

A week or two ago, I stumbled across an article about how in America we overprotect our children. We don't let them do things where they can get hurt and therefore, they never learn how to set their own boundaries.

One of the things mentioned in the article is that we should let kids climb trees. I read this and thought "I agree with that, we should let kids climb trees." So, I did what any good mom would do...I waited until Ben got home and then told him it was now part of his fatherly duties to teach Connor how to climb a tree. Ben embraced this idea and agreed that there was nothing wrong with some good old fashioned tree climbing.

Here is the problem. When I think about letting kids climb trees, I am thinking in my mind about a small tree at a park. I think about how you could do a tree survey and find the best tree for climbing. The kind of tree where if you fell out of the tree you'd maybe twist your ankle and get a few scrapes. Oh, and it should probably also have notched out footholds and come with some sort of safety harness where you can't actually fall and get hurt. Ever.

When Ben thinks about teaching Connor how to climb a tree he does not envision safety harnesses or foot holds. He doesn't see any reason to inspect seventy five trees and then decide which one provides the overall best climbing experience with the least amount of risk. In fact, all he really does is look out the front door and then say "hey Connor, do you want to climb that tree out there?"

This brought out many concerns from me. Such as:

1. Aren't those branches too small?
2. What if he falls and breaks his neck?
3. He is going to get stuck up there! 
4. What if he falls and breaks his neck?

To which Ben responded:

1. No. They aren't too small. Connor doesn't weigh very much. 
2. He would likely break his leg or his arm, not his neck. 
3. If he gets stuck then he'll have to figure out how to get unstuck. We can't climb this tree. 
4. If he fell he would hit most of those branches on the way down and that would help break his fall. 

I don't find any of these answers satisfactory. And, I usually end up leaving Ben and Connor outside with these parting words: "I'm going in. If he falls and breaks his neck, I'm not going to watch it happen." 

Now Connor is a tree climbing fool. He climbs this tree almost everyday with the ultimate goal of reaching the very top of the tree before I freak out and tell him it is time to get down and that he has climbed far enough. 

I think I might be a mom.