Our Hearts, Our Children

Jeff and I have been blessed with two wonderful children.  Taylor, our daughter, turns ten years old this month and Brett, our son, will turn seven just a week later.  Watching them grow into their own personalities and opinions has been a wonderful experience thus far.  Taylor, who once was our shy little girl, has turned into an outgoing, opinionated and independent young lady.  Brett, is turning into a little man.  He has changed so much in the past year by going from a quiet little boy who kept things to himself, to the loud, hilarious baseball fanatic he is now.  Just listening to him talk to the television while watching an Atlanta Braves game will make you chuckle.

Taylor is heading to the fifth grade this August and this will be her last year at an elementary school.  Where does the time go?  I still remember the day we dropped her off at kindergarten and I fought back the tears.  She began gymnastics at the age of four and decided she wanted to try dance at the age of eight.  Now matter what she tries, she gives it her all and excels.  She is a straight A student, excellent gymnast and after only her first year of dance, became a member of her dance studio's competition dance team.  She loves dancing so much that is all she does.  Jeff and I are constantly asking her to stop dancing throughout the house...we just know she'll accidentally kick her brother in the head while she dances around doing all of her high kicks!!

Check out that heel stretch!

I added a photo of Taylor taken during one of her dance competitions.

Now that she has turned ten, she reminds me that she has completed her first decade!  She wanted to have her hair cut short for her birthday so we had about eight inches of hair cut off earlier this week.  She looks so much older.  Once I take a photo of her new "do", I'll post.

She and I hit the mall on her birthday for a few new outfits from her favorite store, Justice.  Her dad made her favorite food, lasagna, for her birthday dinner.  (Yes, I said Jeff did the cooking.  He is the cook in the family, not me!)  After dinner, she gave us a fashion show, music included, of all the new "styles" we picked up at the mall!  She really is growing up know that she actually wants clothes for her birthday.  She is also getting a bedroom makeover.  I'll be starting that this weekend.  I'll post photos of the progress and any crafty design ideas I come up with.

Brett, our little man, has turned into his Daddy's boy.  He began playing baseball during the fall of 2009 and Jeff helped coach.  Since then, the two have been inseparable!  Brett can't wait for his Dad to get home from work each day.  Brett has a natural gift to play baseball.  We hope he continues to play...as long as he enjoys it.  He made the "All-star" team this past Spring/Summer and played first base for the first time.  He played shortstop and pitcher positions through the regular season.  He did a great job if I do say so myself! :)

Brett will be heading to the first grade this year.  He excelled by leaps and bounds his kindergarten year and we could not be prouder.  He is well above grade level in all requirements.  Since his birthday was so late, Jeff and I made the decision to send him to kindergarten again last year.  We placed him in a private school for his first year of kindergarten at the age of five.  He had a smaller class size and more one on one attention.  We just didn't feel he was quite ready for the first grade.  We are so glad we made that decision.  He excelled last year in not only academics, but socially and emotionally as well. His confidence was boosted as he was used as an example in the class on many occasions to show the other students what they should be doing.  He became a class leader, vocalized himself in class and developed wonderful work ethic on the homework/classwork front.

Brett in his All-star uniform with his medal.

Brett will move up to the seven year old baseball team this year and play coaches pitch instead of tee-ball. I am excited, I can't wait to see how well he will do hitting a pitched ball as opposed to hitting a ball off of the tee.

Brett is also getting a bedroom makeover for his birthday.  It's time he had a "big boy" room.  I actually started his room last weekend and I almost have it completed.  I won't have "in progress" posts for you on his room but I will post a photo of the finished product.  Brett is happy with it thus far and that is all that matters right?

I'll be taking Brett shopping for a new bat bag for his birthday, he could care less about clothes!  What boys do at this age?  He'll also have a few other baseball related items.  I'll post more on that once his birthday rolls around.  Hint: Can you say Atlanta Braves?



Well, I'll end here for now.  This was just a quick synopsis of what is going on and to get the blog rolling.  I'll be back soon with Brett birthday updates and bedroom makeover updates.

Melissa Mason