stickyfeathers

my interview with tucker.

tucker is SEVEN YEARS OLD today. yep. true story. it's kind of crazy how fast those years have gone by.
time for another interview.  i asked, he answered.  here is the transcript. enjoy.

how old are you? seven.

if you had $100, what would you buy? legos.

who is your best friend? cash and jake.

what do you want to be when you grow up? police officer.

what is your favorite thing to do with mommy? build legos.

what is your favorite thing to do with daddy? build legos.

what is your favorite color? it is green.

what is your favorite thing to play with your brother? wrestle.

what do you want to learn to do? be a policeman.

how do you help mommy and daddy? clean up, a little bit.

what is your favorite thing to do with your family? have easter. (it's good friday - fitting) 

where is your favorite place to go? visit grandma.

where do you want to go? washington d.c.

what do you love most about your brother? he's funny.

what do you like the least about your brother? he yells.

what do you like to play at school? pattern blocks.

what do you like to play at home? checkers.

what is your favorite sport to play? baseball and hockey.

what is your favorite book? harold and the purple crayon.

if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? probably to washington d.c.

are you excited to finally be seven years old? sort of.

why only sort of? i think life's going to be harder.

anything else you want to add to your interview? no.

did you enjoy your interivew? sort of.

why sort of? because.

tell me a joke.
tucker: knock, knock.
jenny: who's there?
tucker: seven.
jenny: seven, who?
tucker: seven up.

seven years since he changed my life.  he's my first born.  just over four years with him as my one and only.  and seeing him as a big brother has only made my heart melt a little more for him.  there are times when i see a glimpse of who he will be in five years, ten years, even twenty years from now.  i hope he dreams big dreams and follows them.  i will always be his biggest cheerleader.  always.  happy seven tucker.  i love you.

i need to stop facebooking and start getting real.

this poor blog.  it was once so loved.  lately, i've started to really miss it.  i think it's because i have not only stopped writing on here, but i've stopped reading any blogs.  this is just not acceptable.  i miss blogland.  i sort of blame facebook.  and instagram.  they are so 'in the moment' and easy.  doesn't require much thought to post to either of those places, you know?  composing a post here feels like work sometimes (oh and if i'm adding pictures - they NEED to be proofed right?).  man, i think i need to lighten up. 

think of this post as me dipping my toes in the water.  i'm going to be back and i'm hoping to do a canonball back into blogging.  sure hope i have some readers left!  if you're still out there ... i'd love to hear from you! 

geesh, what the heck should i write about first? 

my kids are iKids.

i am currently in the thick of editing client pictures.  and by 'in the thick of editing' ... i mean 'will be editing until my eyeballs fall out of my head and roll under my couch'.  i took a quick break when i ran across this shot in one of my folders. 

my kids are iKids.  obessed with the iPhone and iPad.  this isn't wrong, is it?  some of you moms can relate, right?

i mean, not only are they learning about technology (steve jobs would be proud), but i love when they snuggle up together and play.  most of the times they squish into the chair or on the couch together like this.  on this day, they happen to be in their cardboard boat. 

iMommy likes this.  a lot.

first grade.

his first day of first grade.  he had a blast.  he was up early and excited to go.  we left the house earlier than i had planned to even.  that was a good thing though.  got a decent place in front of the school to park - haha!  levi and i walked to class with tucker.  we were able to chat with his teacher quick.  i was able to go into the classroom and snap a picture of tucker in his DESK.  he is SO excited about having his own desk this year.  pretty sure i sat in the same desk years ago.  :)  his desk was by the window and also by the interesting things along the side of the room.  i think it's the perfect spot. 

levi wanted to hang out with brother in the hall.  however, we gave tucker kisses and hugs goodbye and we were off.  this evening, tucker said he 'almost cried' as he seen me and levi walking away down the hall.  but then he said he just started to have fun instead.  that's my boy. 

it's hard to believe how much he has changed in just a year.  his looks, his strengths, his fears ... always changing.

bonus tidbits about the day that i learned this evening: 

the class has a pet fish.  it's name is thor.  some girls wanted to name it fairy.  tucker wanted to name it skully or larry.  logan sits in front of him.  natalie sits behind him.  he really likes his teacher.  they learned just one new song in music.  there is one new kid in his class (braylen) ... who also happens to be a neighbor.  he knew him, but it was his first year in their class.  he didn't eat his apple for a snack (because he said it was his pet?).  we'll try crackers tomorrow.  he did eat decent for lunch (which he brought from home today).  tomorrow is shrimp poppers and he LOVES them.  said he could eat sixty of them. 

i am really looking forward to first grade.  the kid makes me nothing but proud.  :)

the end of his first summer vacation.

today was the last day of summer vacation for tucker.  he had a busy summer.  we didn't take any big trips, but we did keep busy.  i was horrible at keeping up with the blog (still) but here's a few things i can remember.

he had swimming lessons and t-ball.  he spent a week with two of his cousins at nana and papa's house.  we went camping (once - super huge bummer, but next year we will go more).  he went to the races with papa and natalie.  he did a few road trips with them too.  he had his cousin spend the night a couple times.  he spent the night at papa and gram's big ol' house too.  he rode his bike.  he had a rummage sale with gram.  he earned himself quite the little farmers tan.  he helped his dad prepare for deer hunting (already).  he had a few playdates.  he finally started playing with the neighbor kids.  he went fishing (and got skunked).  he swam, drew with chalk, got dirty in the sandbox, and went to the park.  he helped his dad trim up the yard.  he stayed up late.  he got up early.  he had many giggles with his brother.  he went to the library (and got books about the human body and the weather).  he rode in a dozer, dump truck and skidsteer.  he went to daycare and even had days that auntie natalie got to watch him. 

he had a good summer and i know he's sad to see it end. 

tonight he said he didn't like fall because that's when school starts.  it's funny how one summer vacation can turn you into a 'normal' kid ... already mourning the long summer days of being free to do as you wish. 

you think it would be easy.

every summer since levi was born, i get a shot of both boys in our backyard.  i've been doing it in front of the garden each year as it's kind of a cute backdrop.  well, now that levi is crazy runs around non-stop, i haven't really had much time to look at take care of my garden.  even if i did, the 90* temps and full sun have basically fried everything.  so, it looks pretty narly.  i can't wait until snow covers it up.  no joke.

back to the picture.  you think it would be easy, right?  just ONE shot of the boys in ONE location.  they don't have to get dressed up, just sit there and look in my general direction.  hah.  well, here's the results from our little backyard session last night.  i BEGGED them to even get these.

levi looks cute enough, but tucker is giving me not one, but TWO stink eyes.

tucker looks great ... but now levi is zoned out on the burnt grass.  damn.

after snapping back into reality, levi must think his ASSets need to also get into the picture.  tucker is amused.

tried the ol' 'give your brother a hug' trick.  not exactly what i was looking for. 

this shot is fitting ... it is what they look like normally. 

levi is back to zoning out.  tucker is ... um ... well, i have no idea what he is doing.  being a boy.  making animal noises.

i think i'll frame this one.  it shows tucker starting to get mad (probably at me for taking pictures) while levi watches him and soaks up EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE. so that he can learn how to freak out properly.  ah, the perfect shot.

there's always next year to get them both smiling and looking at me, right?  :)

nine years.

sixteen years ago, when i was just a sophomore in high school, i started hanging out with this really hot guy.  besides being good looking, he was smart.  smarts are really attractive to me.  besides being book smart, he was smart about GUY stuff.  things like taking apart a snowmobile and putting it back together, or fixing something that was wrong on a car.  he lived in the country and had responsibilities.  that was even attractive to me.  when i'd go out to his house and he'd be cutting wood ... he looked so hot when he worked so hard.  okay, time to get my mind out of the hot gutter.  :)

yeah ... hottie with a wig!  forgive me in advance for all the bad hair i have in the pictures i share.  haha!

anyways, i guess i never really thought that i would eventually MARRY this guy.  i mean, we were FIFTEEN when we started hanging out.  he never asked me to be his girlfriend, we just started hanging out and never stopped.  i completely hate the term 'high school sweethearts' ... i am sure i've mentioned that before.  but dude, we were JUST that.

so, SEVEN years after i started talking to him for hours at a time on the phone (mostly i think he zoned out watching every rocky or rambo movie ever made) ... we got hitched.  and we've been married for NINE years, today. 

does anyone else have a husband/boyfriend that likes to 'wreck' perfectly good photo's by flipping the bird or hanging his tongue out or BOTH?  i do!  i do!

when i married him, i married the man who would be a wonderful daddy.  i married the man who would still be crazy about me NINE years later.  i married the man who still knows how to do just about anything.  i married the man who is a hard worker and provides a great life for his family.  i married the man i plan to love forever.  :) 

happy nine to us!

marky mark.

this evening, i got home and just wanted to crash on the couch for a bit.  matt was already crashed in the chair (since he had dinner cooking away in the oven).  i had the ipad while levi was playing disc jockey on my iphone.  that's his favorite thing to do.  like all the time.  in public.  when clients are over for meetings.  doesn't matter ... he's going to pump up a jam. 

tonight, it was flo rida's 'whistle'.  and before you think i'm a bad mom, of course during any explicit language, i always hoot and hollar so they are not subjected to any of that bad stuff.

however, after i started video taping the boys dancing to 'whistle', i think tucker either snuck into a late night showing of 'magic mike' or he's got some natural dancing ability that is going to give me about a kajillion gray hairs when he becomes a teenager.  omg.  you don't believe me?  just watch.  his 'new' move comes around the 23 second mark. 

marky mark ... eat your heart out. 

my little dirtball.

a couple weeks ago, we went out to have dinner and a fire smores at matt's parents house.  the kids were all playing outside.  levi found himself a nice patch of driveway and decided the best thing to do would be to cover himself in dirt. 

i can hear his giggles looking at these pictures.  he was having such a blast scooping tiny little handfuls of dirt onto his legs.  and i swear, a coat of sand and rocks only makes him cuter.  

he makes such a good dad.

there are a million great things i could share with you about matt.  he seriously loves his kids (and me) so much.  even when we all drive him crazy, he takes it in stride and doesn't let too much ruffle his feathers.  i think in many ways, he does remind me of my dad.  i could have never married a man that doesn't know how to FIX things.  because, isn't that what guys do?  i could have never married a man that was more drama than a prom queen.  because that's why i have girlfriends.  i could have never married a man that i didn't think would be a good dad to our kids.  because that is the most important thing we've ever done together.  became parents. 

let me tell you, he does one kick ass job at the whole dad gig.  our boys are so lucky to have him.  and so am i. 

we love him to the moon and back.