Holden - Happy 5th Birthday!

Dear Holden,

Tomorrow you turn FIVE years old! It’s hard to believe my ‘baby’ boy is already five – I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. Actually I remember finding out you were on your way like it was yesterday also! As soon as the holiday decorations start coming out and the weather gets colder, it feels like Christmas and to me, that signals another year coming to a close, and another year celebrating the miracle of you, our sweet baby boy. It’s hard to imagine a time when we thought that our family was complete with just your sisters. We didn’t always plan on having a third baby, but it’s impossible to imagine you not here. Your charming voice, your amazing dimples, your adorable smile, your strong hugs, your smattering of freckles… but more than what you look like of course, we love your personality. We call you the Class Clown, because you will do anything to make your sisters and us laugh (lately, that means everything ends up being a poop, fart, or penis joke, but I am hoping that doesn’t last forever). You are so enthusiastic about everything that you do and it is a joy to see. You love telling us about your days at school and the funny things your friends did, you love listening to music and watching Power Rangers and collecting toys or playing video games with your dad. You are an expert snuggler and sometimes sneak into our bed without us even realizing it (and I not-so-secretly don’t mind one bit).

I am so amazed at how much you have changed since you started SK just a few months ago. I know it is difficult being the youngest in your grade, and it’s a challenge you will always have. But your literacy skills have improved so drastically, along with everything else – the way you colour, the way you talk about your days, the way you approach social situations, the way you are perfectly fine to be dropped off at school alone. It’s a pleasure to watch you mature into such a sweet, funny, smart little boy. I still often picture how you were when you were a baby – smiley and round and ALWAYS happy – and then I am struck by how different you are now. Five seems like such a milestone age – it is the last definitive sign that there are NO MORE BABIES here, and it makes me feel a little bit sad, truthfully. I’ve never hidden how much I love the baby stage, and to have my last child leaving that phase for good is a bit hard to swallow. But to see you grow into the adorable tiny human you are is worth it.

Happy birthday to my favourite guy in the whole wide world – our family is better for having you in it.

Love,

Mama 

Back to School 2017

Dear Mercedes, Lexi and Holden,

Yesterday was your first day of school (and for the first time there is no staggered entry for anyone, so you all ACTUALLY started together yesterday) and as predicted, there were some tears and anxious moments. As also predicted, by the time I got home from work yesterday afternoon you were all smiling and happy and fighting with each other to tell me every, single detail about your days.

Holden – For you, this was a pretty momentous occasion, as you are now the big kid in the class as one of the ‘Year 2s’ – you get to show the new JKs the ropes, and help lead the way in the class, which you apparently found quite exciting yesterday. This year also has you alone, without the security of your big sister nearby. It seems to be a bit difficult for you upon drop-off, because you are used to being dropped off with someone – Lexi all last year, and then both sisters all summer at camp. But I have no doubt that within a few days/weeks, you’ll be perfectly fine. You get to be in the same class as you were in last year, and you get Miss Nora as your daycare teacher, who has always taken a special liking to the Karavos kids. And of course, you have your amazing teaching pair in your Kindergarten class – I could not ask for better teachers. They are engaging and kind and empowering, encouraging independence and outdoor play and thoughtfulness. And most of all, they love you and your sunny personality almost as much as we do.

Lexi – My big girl started Grade 1! Going from Kindergarten to Grade 1 is quite a big leap –it means time in the big yard instead of the pen, and real desks in a real classroom instead of play-based learning in the kindergarten rooms. There were some tears from you in the morning as the first day chaos in the schoolyard is quite overwhelming. You also were reminded of your separation from some of your besties, who are still in SK with Holden (there was a particularly tearful moment when you and Stella pressed your hands together through the fence, which made my heart break a little). But you have some great friends in your class (Ava and Finn in particular) and I know you will make new ones quickly. You beamed at me at the end of the day because your teacher complimented your shirt (which you picked out especially for the first day, and in true Lexi fashion, had very bright sequins on it). You were thrilled to be in the big yard and to see your sister at recess and to be in before and after care with her. I know the change can be overwhelming, but as usual, my brave little girl will conquer any challenges that come.

Mercedes –Truthfully, I was a bit surprised that we didn’t have more anxious moments or tears leading up the start of school. We did discuss it a few times, and I know you were both nervous and excited about the start of school – excited because of course you love school, as you should, but nervous because it would be all new again; new teacher, new friends, and the unknown of who would be in your class and what your new routine would be like. Of course, you have also been through the first day chaos before and knew it would be overwhelming and busy. But the older you get, the more you are able to control and conquer your anxieties, and I couldn’t be more proud. There were tears once we got to the schoolyard, but you dealt with them and knew the anxiety wouldn’t last. You were relieved to see that a good buddy of yours, Hailey, is in your class and my heart swelled when Hailey realized you were upset and tucked your hair behind your ears and gave you a hug to comfort you. You were thrilled that you have the same Kids Club teacher as last year, and that you were with not only Lexi, but your two besties Cecily and Charlotte (I know you were disappointed you were not in a class with either of them, again, but Kids Club means at least you get to spend some time with them each day). At the end of the day you were all smiles, as I knew you would be, and eager to go back today.

I am so proud of all of you for being so brave. I love that you all love school so much, as I have such fond memories of all of my years of school. I can’t wait to see the new relationships you form this year, and the amazing new things you learn. Watching these opportunities unfold in front of you all is one of the best parts of being your mother (that, and the excited hugs and detailed stories at the end of each day).

Love,

Mama

Lexi - Happy 6th Birthday!

Dear Lexi,

This weekend, you turned six years old! We celebrated in true Lexi style – sushi, cupcakes, ice cream and an overnight trip to Great Wolf Lodge for the first time. We all had a blast at Great Wolf Lodge – swimming and dancing and roasting marshmallows and watching fireworks and hunting for magical objects. You wore your birthday wolf ears non-stop and even wore them to school the next day. It was so wonderful spending time together as a family and seeing your adorable face light up at all of the new and wondrous things we saw and experienced there.

It is truly a delight to watch you grow and get older, mature and learn new things. I find myself fascinated by you, my extra-delightful, independent middle child. I know I keep saying it, but it still rings true – you are this fantastic mix of feisty and easy-going, princess and adventurer, snuggly and fierce. You are obsessed with all things ice cream, cake and cupcakes – apart from just eating them whenever you get a chance, you also spend HOURS watching cake decorating videos on YouTube. So much so, that Auntie Kimmy even bought you baking-related goodies for your birthday so you can try your hand at decorating for real. You adore fashion now (just like your big sister) and anything music or dance related. The music starts and you just can’t help but move; your enthusiasm is contagious, and we are powerless to do anything but smile and dance with you. You are always front and center in the pictures your teacher posts of your class online, always smiling with a group of kids. You have a ‘boyfriend’ apparently (Tyson), that you say you are going to marry when you get older. You have extremely expensive taste in food – opting for sushi or seafood whenever given the choice. You love drawing and colouring and flashy jewelry and are thriving in the gymnastics class you take with Mercedes. You still have this gorgeously long, insanely curly hair (which everyone loves, including me), and big, bright eyes, but your legs are growing longer and longer with each passing month and your freckles are popping up fast and furious (which I also love). You’ve already lost your first tooth and #2 won't be far behind. You still have your sweet tiny voice (still difficult to tell you and Holden apart when you speak to me!) but your mispronunciations are slowly but surely disappearing (except for wolf, which ALWAYS comes out as Wuff, and I can’t get enough of it – being at Great Wolf Lodge was especially endearing!).

We all love you so much – much more than we could ever possibly explain. Everyone that meets you comments on your ‘spark’ – some people just have it, and you are one of those people. I never want to dim that bright light you contain, so please don’t ever lose it. Happy birthday my little spitfire.

Love,

Mama

First Family Vacation!

Last week we went on our first real family vacation! We have been away for a night or two here or there, with some combination of children at various times (Niagara Falls, Blue Mountain, Sauble Beach) but never a REAL, extended vacation with all three of you. So an important first for all of us, in a variety of ways! First plane ride for all three of you, first time in a new country, first time seeing the ocean… and of course, the first for your father and I in accompanying you and witnessing all of those firsts (and uhh, paying for it all!)

Overall, we had a fantastic week. Of course, there were some hiccups here and there (a delay in taking off due to snow/deicing, a bit more rain than I would have liked, some fighting amongst you kids, some crankiness and sleepiness from staying up too late, etc.) but really, I can’t complain. You guys were ROCKSTARS on the plane and were super-patient in the airport, and you embraced every new thing with enthusiasm and joy. Watching you all jump in the waves in the ocean for the first time is a memory I hope I never forget – the laughter and the sheer unbridled happiness that you all exuded was so contagious that it felt like I was seeing it all for the first time also. We made so many wonderful memories – celebrating Mercedes’ 8^th birthday, dancing with SpongeBob, Holden’s joy at riding golf carts all over the resorts (or tractors as he referred to them), Lexi’s delight at eating ice cream with practically every meal, jumping in the pool over and over, visiting the dinosaur adventure park and digging for dinosaur bones, swimming in a gorgeous waterfall pool, the foam party in the pool (clearly a favourite of both Daddy and Lexi), meeting new people, practicing words in Spanish, trying new foods in restaurants every day, touring SpongeBob’s Pineapple Villa… like I said, amazing memories.

I hope that you all retain these memories; if not in their entirety then I hope that you remember us spending so much time together and being joyful and laughing and taking in each moment and enjoying each other’s company. I hope there are many more family vacations to come (budget is our obstacle with this goal), but I know I won’t ever forget this first special one, for so many reasons. 

Love,

Mama

Mercedes - Happy (early) 8th Birthday!

Dear Mercedes,

I am writing this to you a few days early, because next week we will be on a beach in the sunshine (that’s some birthday present isn’t it?) and I’d rather focus on spending time with YOU than writing in a journal.

Next week, you turn eight. It’s amazing to me how much you have changed in this past year. The reading, the writing, the math, the more intense discussions (like asking me about President Trump, and why he couldn’t be more like Prime Minister Trudeau, or asking me why so much stuff you see is Made in China). And of course, there’s the interest in clothes and shoes and makeup and the incessant wondering as to how old you need to be to get an iPhone (the answer? NOT YET).

I love watching you figure out the world around you and seeing your creativity at work – making pretend YouTube videos of your Journey Girls or your Shopkins, or stapling paper together to write your own book, or researching things on the internet. Your mind works in fascinating ways and it’s a glorious thing to watch.

You’ve had some rough moments recently – some friend issues at school and some anxious moments, but you face everything with bravery, even though I know you are nervous inside. That, more than walking into a room unafraid, makes me so proud. Seeing you accept these aspects of your personality, and try to understand them, and still work to conquer them – it’s heartbreaking sometimes to watch (or to get yet another text from your teacher saying your tummy hurts) but I am so proud to see you work through things that come your way.

I love everything about you, inside and out, and I am so proud to be your mother. I know the road will get rockier (the tween attitude is already strong sometimes!), and I know that we will make some mistakes along the way, but I am confident we can work through anything together. I can’t wait to see more of the person you become – and to finally be able to watch classic movies with you like Pitch Perfect and Dirty Dancing and Bring it On!

Love,

Mama