It's Gr8 to Be 8!

My, could it really be that Noah is turning eight years old? Yep it is true and he had a birthday party to prove it. Of all the places of celebration...Planet Play was his top choice...all you can eat buffet...laser tag...miniature golf...games...tokens...more games and food and of course birthday cake.

What began as a few friends turned into many including Grandma and Grandpa Hart and a few of the guest's parents...it was just that much fun. What was supposed to last two hours ended up being four.  The youngin's didn't want to leave and the oldin's hated to pull them away.

Cake. Gifts. Candles. Balloons.

The perect way to CELEBR8 being 8 !

The Reniassance Boy

Noah is my "Jack" of all trades. Sometimes digging through dusty boxes can prove rewarding. I came across these little treasures. "My how he has grown!" "Oh how adorable" and "I remember that" course through my head. Each photo has a darling story to accompany my character of a son.

Noah, the Chef

Noah, the Indiana Jones Explorer

Noah, the "Ole" kid

Noah, the Librarian

Noah, the Jeweler

 Noah, the Spy (although many mistake this mask for President Bush)

 Noah, the advertiser for Dr. Pepper Products

 Noah, the "Think Outside of the Box" Kid

Noah, the Dog Trainer

Noah, the "How the West was Won" Guy

Noah, the Farmer, the Milkman

Noah, the "Dr. Seuss the Oh the Places You Will Go" Guy

Noah, the Drag Racer

Noah, the "Field of Dreams" Guy

 Noah, the Bungee Jumper

Noah, the Four Wheeler

 Noah, the Karate Kid

Noah, the Artist

 Noah, the Fisherman

 Noah, Santa's Helper

 Noah, the Diver

 Noah, the Cotton Candy Man

Noah, the Chick Magnet

and my own little Gingerbread Boy that promises to stay with the Little Old Man and the Little Old Woman and though he runs as fast as he can...he always comes back.

What I learned from Noah: He is adorable and a true Reniassance Boy...he can do it all and that time goes even faster than the Gingerbread Boy can run.

How Much is That Doggy in the Window?

Noah can never have enough when it comes to animals. He has a Great Dane and yet, continues his pleas for a fish, then another fish, a hamster, a baby chick, a little yorkie and it goes on and on and on.  After the fish and Da Vinci's poops...I said, "NO. NO. NO."

The other day Rick was listening to his messages. There was a message from a woman that was returning an inquiry for interest in purchasing an adorable yorkie. Rick was bamboozled. He likes the big dogs...so it couldn't be him. I love the little dogs, but cannot add one more thing to my plate no matter how adorable...The call came again only the message was addressed to Noah. Yes, Noah. He had searched the internet for yorkies. Unbeknownst to his parents, he had found one for sale...and just how much was that doggy in the window? Oh just a mere $1300.00.  Noah typed a reply expressing interest and then left his parent's phone numbers!! Granted it took a great deal of courage for Noah to do business with an adult...The business ended with an emphatic "NO!" Besides, dear sweet  Da Vinci would probably mistake the little yorkie for a chew toy.

What I learned from Noah: He is most creative and persistant in getting what he wants and once he has obtained his desire, he is off searching out the next best thing to want.

What I learned from the Yorkies: They are pretty doggone cute!

I'll Pass on the Cookies

One afternoon, Noah came pleading to his mom to bake some cookies. Cookies? Really? I have quite the reputation for cooking or baking( and it is not a good one at that) but the expression on Noah's face could not be denied. There was a period in my life when the food I prepared turned out to be edible. Over the years...I cannot explain what has happened to my patience for at least trying to cook. I could share one disaster after another, like the infamous 7 Up Salad that became the 7 Day Liquid in the fridge. Oh just maybe I could conjure up some cookie magic. We gathered the ingredients. I promised to follow the recipe exactly ( many times I try to modify or I minus an ingredient and make do without.)The cookies looked splendid on the cookie sheet! Success ! Yes success I thought. It wasn't long until the oven timer started beeping. The aroma in the kitchen gave us every indication that the cookies would be delicious. Naturally, we waited for the cookies to cool before diving in for a tasty treat. I took the spatula to lift them from the cookie sheet to the plate. What the heck happened? I was utterly shocked at the outcome. Though the top appeared to be perfect, the underside was burnt a charcoal black and they were rock hard. Noah could see the disappointment in my eyes and so he said, "I'll still eat them." He nearly broke a tooth. I do not know if Noah used them for frisbees or gave them to Da Vinci. I do know that I did not let Rick see them. He loves to share stories of my kind of gourmet cooking and I have given him plenty of material to work with...

Then at the party for Noah's animals, we decided again to make cookies. They didn't taste bad, but they sure did not look appealing. I have been going through some boxes and old photos. I came across a photo of Da Vinci and an accident he had had on the rug. "Big dogs make big poops was the caption!!" (I have a real issue with the potty training of a Great Dane...but that is another story.) As I glanced over the photo, something seemed awfully familiar. Playing catch up on the old blog put the mystery together. My cookies resembled Da Vinci's POOP!!! See for yourself. I was and am thoroughly disgusted. It would be a long time before I would try baking again and I thank my lucky stars I wasn't feeling generous in sharing with my neighbors.

What I learned from Noah: Noah has some wonderful ideas...baking cookies with his mom is not one of them.

What I learned from Da Vinci: Oh Poop!

Going Bananas

It is quite common for me to begin my day with a banana and a granola bar.  It was one of those days that I would have to sacrifice my time with Noah. He was off track and I was employed at a Charter School. A dear friend invited him to go to the Aquarium with them. I felt glad that he would have some entertainment. I gave him $10.00 to spend on anything he wanted. The day had come and gone. I picked up Noah and out he came with a brown grocery bag. "Here mom, I got these for you." Inside of the bag was a bunch of bananas. He chose to spend his money on a lunchable for him and bananas for me. I was touched by his thought and kindness.

What I learned from Noah: He is most observant and has a giving heart.

Noah Was GRREEAAATTTT

I didn't know the meaning of proud, until today. Noah has been working hard on a class assignment while off track. He was to select an animal, research the animal, write a report, prepare a project and then present it when he returned to school. Noah knew right off that he wanted to learn about TIGERS.   We went to the library and gathered some books. Utah Idaho had an activity with a Tiger that Noah spotted right away and so began the journey.

Every day, we colored a bit here and colored a bit there. We read a page here and read a page there. I was grateful for the time in which to break up the task in increments. Noah is smart, but he will be the first to admit that he feels pain over having to read or write; hence, writing the report was no easy task. It required a great deal of effort for Noah to write a two and a half page report. Finally...completion. Inasmuch as Noah is apprehensive about reading, I thought it would be advantageous to practice. Noah's Grandparents dropped in Sunday Evening to be the audience for Noah. He had his posters displayed and read over the report. I was amazed at how well he did. There were a few words that he questioned like "territorial" "adaptable" "tropical mangrove swamps" which did seem to surpass a first grade vocabulary. I was a bit nervous for him as I didn't want him to struggle before his class. I even wondered whether or not he would stand before his class.

On May 13, 2010, I popped into the classroom. He adorned his handsome face with a gihugous grin which was pleasing to me. A few times he put his fingers to his mouth and did the chattering with his teeth to show me he was nervous. He had to sit through several reports and was the last one to present that day. There he stood at the front of the classroom with his teacher holding the poster and his project on the chalkboard tray. I could not believe this was my baby. Where did the time go? He started right into his report, "I did my report on Tigers because they are GGGRRREEEAAATTT" and spoke clearly and projected his voice. The teacher paused him to ask the class a question and Noah in trying to help them answer the question, kept pointing to the white Tiger on his shirt. He knew...he knew what he was teaching about Tigers.

The teacher then asked if Noah would like to tell the children about his poster. We had not prepared to talk about the poster and yet there he stood pointing out the pictures and sharing interesting facts. I heard Miss Snow say, "Good Reading, Noah!" No one can truly appreciate the beauty of those words as I did. He was spectacular! I had no idea that THIS is how parents feel when their children perform. As I looked to him, his face was beaming. He knew he had worked hard and he had a real sense of achievement...almost giddy.

I left the school with my heart beating fast with excitement. Noah had done a very difficult thing and he had been successful. Noah worked hard to prepare so that he could be confident in performing the task he had been given. I was overjoyed to witness the challenge and the success. I wondered if that is how Heavenly Father feels when He knows we are confronted with difficulties and we work at them, we struggle and we work at them some more until the obstacle is no longer an obstacle. Then with big smiles upon our faces, we journey on knowing that only He can truly appreciate the miracle of triumph and victory.

What I learned from Noah: There is deep abiding joy in being able to overcome and do the hard things. I have hard things facing me. Yes, it can be frightening and there are some things I just plain don't like or want to do, but in doing them, I gain strength. With daily preparation, a bit here and line upon line, the potential to overcome is within reach. I too have an assignment to fulfill. I will take Noah as my example so that I can stand with confidence and perform the mission I was meant to perform.

I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Baths ???

My little boy is way into experiments. Just last week, he pulled out the vinegar, some water and some baking soda. He made his version of an explosion. It wasn't as scary as I had anticipated, still it was messy and I need to restock on vinegar. I love his desire to explore and create. He is a real problem solver. What I am not a fan of is the incredible leftover mess and the undoubtedly worst timing ever.

Noah and I ventured to see Grandma and Grandpa at the Marriott Hotel. Once again...swimming, movie, room service and the like. He started thinking he was something kind of special in the annoying sort of way. He pulled up the lounge chair, ordered a movie, and feasted like a king. Oh it was all in fun. My plan was to keep him up late so that he would sleep in and be less of a handful for Grandma while I went to the Temple with Grandpa.

The plan worked beautifully. He slept in and in and even in some more. What I didn't prepare for was how tired I would be that night and how not tired he would be. Noah and I slept in the Suite. (I still think it is so funny he won't sleep in the Murphy Bed.)

At 1:06 a.m. I awoke from a slumber to find my son in the kitchenette conducting an experiment with everything Grandpa and Grandma had in the fridge including Grandpa's Blueberries. He was determined to change the water to blue. Then there was the pounding and the mashing. That experiment ended abruptly.

The next morning, his water was blue. He carried that with him. I had him apologize to Grandpa for a breakfast wasted on Science.

It was time for us all to get ready for Church. Noah had been placed in the bath. I was packing and getting ready myself so I would step in to check on Noah. I saw that little bottle of mashed blueberries and the thought came, I hope he doesn't put that in his bath water. The thought passed. Grandpa and I visited about parenting and that you just love your children through the good and the bad, when I hear..."Mom, come here." I stepped in and there he was sitting in purple water!!!! I knew it, I should have taken the blueberries. He said it wasn't the blueberries and held up a bottle. It was special shampoo for silver hair to keep it shiny and white. I think Grandpa was about ready to swallow his words. I said, "Noah, you can't just take things and use them. You need to ask permission first. Why did you do that?" He could tell I was disappointed and so he responded with that look of duh mom, "I wanted a purple bath." Yes.. why else would you use half a bottle of only for silver shampoo unless you wanted a purple bath?

I asked him if he washed his hair and he said, "No way, who even uses that stuff?" " Grandpa does." "Why does Grandpa want purple hair?" Then Grandma chimed in, "You know, that is why they call him the Silver Fox." Noah laughed and mocked the name "Silver Fox." Noah had to apologize to Grandpa for purple bathwater AND for disrespecting the coolness of the Silver Fox.

What I learned from Noah: There are not cabinets high enough to save me from his experiments, the timing will most likely be bad, there are thrills to be had in blueberry water and purple baths and Grandpa has lots of patience.

I Just Have This Feeling

I was participating in a conversation with a father of boys. He was making it clear that all boys need to do three things and not fear them: learn to swim, have a dog, and ride a bike. Noah had learned to swim. Noah had a dog and not just any dog--he had a huge dog! And Noah had a bike. His bike was blue and yellow with training wheels that he received for Christmas a few years back. He used to take it to the top of 3210 South and ride that bike down that hill as fast as his little legs would allow. He appeared to have absolutely no fear. I was fairly confident that it wouldn't be long until he had picked up on bike riding. I was amazed at the distances we would go.

Noah also received a Chariot (three wheeled scooter) from his grandparents. Noah could go back and forth between his many set of wheels. To go along with the bike and Chariot, was a big wheel and a regular scooter. I was simply happy about movement and activity. Soon he had outgrown a few of those toys and the other children were learning to ride their bikes. Noah moved into a new neighborhood and the Chariot was quite the novelty, which provided him with ample attention and praise. Noah's father became concerned that he would feel no need to ever ride a bike. We encouraged Noah, nonetheless, to try riding his bike and take the training wheels off, but the older he got the more hesitant he had become.

One day while riding bikes around the block, Noah tipped and fell to the ground. This was not the first time it had happened and so I did not think much of it. Every time thereafter, he simply refused his bike and took the Chariot. I must say, he looked pretty cool on that and so, I was resigned to the fact that he would have his own means for getting around.

Noah and I took a path along the river. It was an absolutely beautiful spring day. Everyone and their dog, no literally and their dog was out enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. Several young children buzzed by on their bikes. It appeared to be an exciting family adventure for many. Noah was quiet and pensive. He said, "You know mom, I just have this feeling that Heavenly Father is telling me I can ride a bike. I think He is telling me I am ready and that I can do it."I was stunned that he brought up the subject. "I think you are right Noah. It will be Father's Day in June and I will help you learn to ride a bike so you can surprise your dad." He quickly suggested, "I know, lets have dad take off my training wheels right now and then we will pick it up and come back."

What? Training wheels, he didn't even want his training wheels? Today? He is ready to do this today?   He took my phone and called his dad that very moment.

I left on a few errands and prepared myself for the task at hand...holding him up to balance him...knowing when to let go...encouraging him to try again if he fell...

I picked him up, the bikes were loaded, and off we went to the river trail. Noah jumped on his bike and pedaled away. I  was in utter disbelief and overjoyed with excitement at the same time. "My little boy is riding a bike!!!!" You could see in his eyes and posture how proud he was and what a sense of accomplishment he felt, "Mom, can you believe I am riding a bike? I just knew Heavenly Father said it would be okay." Oh the faith of a child.

What I learned from Noah: There are difficult things to confront in life. Sometimes we just are not ready. Heavenly Father keeps His eye on us. He strengthens us with His unseen hand. He breathes courage into us through His unfailing love and then one day, He whispers to your heart, "You are ready" and there is no mistaking it. You are ready and so you TRUST and oh the places you will go. I am in that place of facing difficult things...things that frighten and overwhelm. Like Noah, I will keep moving forward doing the things I know well, until I HEAR that FEELING in my heart that says,"YOU ARE READY."