My Rockstar

Pride doesn't even begin to describe it.

I knew he was a good kid.

I knew he was a smart kid...

But today, picking up my boy from school, when he ran to me

and told me he had a surprise for me, with such pride in his own little eyes

that it almost made me cry...my full cup just ran over.

He told me that he'd been chosen as the first Citizen of the Month.

He whipped out his award and his certificate to the Elephant Bar

along with a little gift one of the teachers gave him.

He beamed and I didn't care how uncool it made me

or how embarrassed he was in front of his friends

I screamed and jumped and whooped and hugged him so tight I thought I might break him.

Charlie was mildly embarrassed but mainly so, so proud of himself.

We were so proud, in fact, that we decided to take him to use his certificate
to the Elephant Bar right after Kate was done with her dance class.

I thought I'd give him a special little treat and let him stay up a bit past his bedtime.
But as fate would have it, I was wrong.
Apparently, the bedtime routine I worked so hard to instill in him really, really worked.
Because halfway during dinner, literally, halfway into eating
his lettuce wraps the boy fell asleep right there at the table.

 I wish I'd have taken a photo.

I wish that pretty often. I get mad at myself for missing out on moments captured...
But then I have to stop and remind myself that there will be some moments that
have to be left undocumented in our lives because we are busy being IN the moment
and actually living our lives. I can't always be behind that camera snapping away
because then I'd miss out on too much.

It may seem like I share a lot about our lives on my blog but
the reality is, I probably only share 20% of it all.

I like to share moments like this...

and this...

Her tights were WAAAYY too loose. I need to get her some that fit her better.

and this...

She climbed up and helped herself to Kate's cereal while Kate went to use the restroom...

and even this...

That, my friends is a (nonfat) pumpkin spice latte...

What I'm learning most from mothering these 3 little souls is that it's the little moments
that mean the most and should be celebrated with enthusiasm. It may just seem like a silly
little award to most people, but to us, to our world, it's a little reminder that
we are on the right track in raising good, giving, and self-confident people.

Charlie has taken a really big interest in drawing these days.
He loves to take things from his imagination and bring it to life with
plain white paper and a box of crayons. It fills him.
He can spend a whole hour sitting at the kitchen table with his tongue peeking out
of the corner of his mouth, concentrating on his masterpiece.

Now, they may just be every day little drawings that every kid makes to you
but to him, they're something special so I make a big deal about it.

I told him that he has a really big talent for it, that he is an artist.
I didn't know how much that comment meant to him until last week, when he
was talking to his friends and didn't know I was within earshot.

He was telling his friends that he loves to draw and is very good at it.
"I am an artist" he said very seriously while nodding his head.
And more importantly, he believed it.

I may never know what that compliment did to him.
But I do know that it will stay with him.
His confidence was boosted.

He even took it a step further and complimented Kate on a drawing she made.
He told her if she kept practicing like he did, maybe she could become an artist someday too.

The things we say to them really matter.
Kids really listen when we talk to them.

Charlie is living proof of that.

I adore that boy. Every single ounce of his big heart.

Who knows? I may just be living with the next Van Gogh.
What do you think?

My fridge is covered in beauties like these...