AJ’s adolescence advent: Happy birthday!

We celebrated AJ’s 13th birthday yesterday—we’re now the proud parents of a feisty, brilliant teen! My little boy’s really growing up—and I am insanely proud.

My son has ADHD. Because of the hyperactivity and medication he has a high metabolism and a reduced appetite… requiring constant reminders to complete his meals. So, he’s always been very thin and underdeveloped. But in the past couple months I’ve noticed a growth spurt and an incredible muscular bulking-up—he’s become very, very strong.

But what I noticed yesterday was his joyful response to every gift and card he received. His laughter was genuine, spontaneous and delightful all who were near.

As AJ continues to grow and mature in every way—physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually—I pray every gift he receives is greeted with similar joy.

Happy birthday, son!

via Flickr http://flic.kr/p/kwfd1X

The many faces of Ellie—triptych.

Little Juli is definitely a mamma’s girl. But this one, whoa, *this* kiddo has a serious case of daddygirlitis! Every day I return home from work I am guaranteed to receive an excited shout, “Daddy!!!”, a blur in my peripheral vision, and a ruining hug from this crazy, ferret-on-crack beauty. I love it—even when I sometimes have to sternly warn her to be careful because my hands are full.

Whenever our family sits for a meal, Ellie just *has* to sit next to Daddy. When we watch a movie, ditto (plus cuddles, tickles, and unending requests for me to rub her sore footsies, or rub out some random “growing pain” on her back. Naturally, I oblige. Even though I sometimes grumble, I nearly always oblige. How can I not?

Each of my relationships with my kids is unique, but I gotta say: there is nothing like a daughter who has a big, gruff Daddy tightly wrapped around her pinkie! If she could, Ellie would call dibs on my heart.

(I’ll post the individual, full panels from this collage later. I just wanted to get this one out there early, as a sort of teaser.)

» #photography #iphoneography
#daughter #childhood #beauty #fun #triptych #collage #love #family #dibs

via Flickr http://flic.kr/p/g5WLMi