Do you guys know what is hard? Trying to figure out being on the internet these days. I don’t know if you have followed any of the updates from kids who grew up with their parents as social media influencers- The whole Ruby Franke thing; the Duggar kids; there are some pretty intense reddit/Gossip Bakery pages that detail how insane it is that many bloggers put their whole lives out there on the actual internet for anyone to read about.
On the other hand, some of the greatest encouragement I’ve gotten (at least from the online world) is from people who are able to share genuinely about their lives, and the lives of their kids. I often have people who tell me that they appreciate that I am honest and vulnerable in the things that I share, but I also want to make sure that I am guarding the privacy and the lives of my children.
Of course, there is also the age factor- when the kids were little, it wasn’t embarrassing or difficult to share about the details of their days. But as they get older I want to respect their privacy more.
Anyways- all that being said- I often go back and forth on what to share/how much to share. Should I just stop sharing them altogether? Make them shrouded in mystery? Keep sharing, and just make it a part of their lives? I don’t know the right answer, and this thought sometimes keeps me up at night. Anyone else out there with thoughts to add to this? Pros/Cons?
Anyways- all that to say- this post is a little bit of a life update on each member of our family. For now, I’m putting it out there, bullet point style.
Orion
- Orion is a DELIGHT. He is seriously the most dear 2 year old and we all adore him. I do worry that he really will have youngest child syndrome because even I can see that he’s just a little bit spoiled by all our love and attention.
- He had a slow start with talking, but he is really starting to talk a lot now. It’s darling. He has so many cute little phrases like “sames” when something matches, or “oupie” when something falls.
- Every single night before he goes to sleep he wants us to sing “My God is so Big” and “Jesus Loves Me” – but of course he calls it “this I know”.
Ezra
- Ezra is a math whiz- he can do mental math so easily. It amazes me every time because that is NOT how I think!
- Ezra is playing basketball this year and enjoying it. His favorite part is buying something from the concession stand after the game 🙂
- Ezra is very, very good at detailed projects. He asked if he could help me with a cross-stitch project and once I got him started, he just kept going. He has almost completed an entire small cross-stitch project in the last month. He’s 7, so I’m wildly impressed by his attention to detail.
Kiah
- Kiah lives for FUN – he is almost always asking when his next playdate can be, when he can go to the YMCA, when his next basketball practice is. It’s interesting because I wouldn’t necessarily qualify him as outgoing or loud, but he always wants to be where the people are – and bonus if it’s something active!
- Kiah is playing basketball again this year and LOVES it. He just comes alive as soon as he gets on the court. He loves practice, he loves games, he loves all of it. His team. is doing really well so far and it’s fun to watch him thrive- last year his team did not win a single game, so it’s been nice to see them win some games this year.
- Kiah continues to be a huge help on the homestead. One time our 400 pd pig got out. This pig is not tame and was loving her freedom, but Kiah managed to lead/chase it into the barn and get it into a stall- all by himself. Color me very impressed!
Tera
- Tera is in 6th grade, and this is the year that she has really been able to take personal responsibility for getting her homeschool work done. I still need to help her with some work, but I can say “go get your work done” and she can do it without me hovering next to her, walking her through each subject and question. It’s been WONDERFUL.
- Tera found out that she loves working at the concession stand at our home sports games. She loves serving people and organizing things, so the concession stand is the perfect fit for her!
- Tera has started to be so grown and mature- there are even some times that she babysits Ori while I run someone to school or to the store to pick up some last minute groceries. I cannot believe how much of a game-changer this is. Yes, of course she gets paid!
Suzanne & Theo
- You know how hard times can bring so much growth to marriage, family, personal lives? Well, I feel like we are in the “hard times” part of that equation, and still waiting for the “growth” part. Christmas break was such a sweet time for us, and we started to see some of that “growth”, so going into January we feel so hopeful for the year ahed.
- Parenting bigger kids is equal parts AMAZING and challenging. They are so much more independent AND also helpful around the house and homestead. But on the flip side, they stay up later and have BIG emotions and life has a way of being less and less kind to them, and it’s sometimes hard to see. We are feeling both the joy and the stretching of this stage!
- We got a membership to our local YMCA and that has been beneficial to both of us. It seems counterintuitive to add one more thing to our schedules, and I’ve always been an avid runner, but it’s time to really spend the time/money/focus on this area of our lives.