Oct 3 2026

Senior Year – Can’t believe it

Posted on 10/3/2026 by April

Hi Peanut – I haven’t talked to you in what feels like an eternity.

I wake up every day thinking of you first thing – I imagine your “fit.” I see you walking to class. I wonder what your current coffee preference is. I envy those who get to laugh with you today – you are so witty. And so loving and kind. And so smart and capable! I am so proud of who you are in the world.

It’s Saturday today – a sunny day in Rochester. I started my day at CrossFit. I started CrossFit last December – really in January. It’s humbling, but awesome. There are so many really great people at my gym, and I am getting stronger each day. You would LOVE it! Lifting barbells is a lot of fun; so is setting new personal records and ringing the bell. Let’s see if I can find a pic of me doing something:

I have three dissertations to read; I just finished Adma’s – it was over 350 pages long and dense. Really great though. She is my advisee, and I am so proud of her. I don’t know if you met her, but you would love her. She is Brazilian.

I was looking through an old DropBox account, and found a couple classic videos that I know will bring you joy!!!

I love you more than words can communicate. I’m here waiting for you…. Always cheering you on, your Mama

Aug 8 2014

Walnuts, windows and fudge

Posted on 8/8/2014 by April

After a long – long – long day of driving home from Delaware, we bring the big kids over to Julie’s. Julie bought Thai food for all of us to share.

Exhausted, grateful and full, you and I say thank you and start to leave the backyard.

As we are doing so, I look up at just the moment your brother decides to launch something from his lacrosse stick in the general direction of the backyard neighbor’s house. To everyone’s shock and horror, the next thing we hear is a window crashing.

Dan shares in the shock and turns away from the house abruptly, explaining that it was a walnut. (I don’t think he thought it would go that far.)

I take you over to the house where no one appears to be home to see if we can patch up the window to keep bugs out while Julie monitors Dan’s writing of an apology note.

As you and I get out of our car to walk up to the house, you say, “Mama, should we bring the fudge? It might help.” I smile. You wanted to give the owners the fudge you have been eating on for 3 days from Delaware.

After we meet the owners, apologize, trade numbers, etc., you quietly said, “Should I get the fudge now?” You did and Ron gratefully took a chunk, ate it and expressed sincere gratitude.

You are a treasure.

May 28 2014

Ikebana – first school project

Posted on 5/28/2014 by April

Today you are presenting your findings from your first research project for school. You were assigned Japanese art – your second choice (food was your first choice). You were very sad and frustrated, because you really wanted to study food. I suggested that we look into what you were assigned a bit more to see if you might have some interest in that. “What is Ikebana?” Neither of us knew.

We googled it and guess what we found – Ikebana is JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGING!!!

We laughed and celebrated!! Holy cow, there could NOT have been a better fit for our flower girl!!! You are outside almost every morning in spring (and have been for YEARS) picking flowers and making arrangements – for me, for your teacher, for whomever you could think of!

After weeks of research, writing, practicing, and revising, here we are. The day of the project presentation.

I just dropped you off with all of your supplies, your arrangement and the trifold you made with Daddy last night. I will join you for lunch and your presentation later today.

Here are some pictures from this morning:

May 13 2010

you LOVE to pick flowers

Posted on 5/13/2010 by April

One of your TRUE and consistent joys is exploring nature and collecting it. Now that spring is here, you SO LOVE picking and smelling flowers!!

Here are some of the beauties in our front yard. We planted these as a family (all five of us) last fall! So very wonderful! Thanks God!!

God is so good!

May 22 2009

making collages

Posted on 5/22/2009 by April

Last Sunday, you spent quite a long time making a beautiful collage for your friend Siobhan!! She loved it!!

Later that day you made one for Daddy Jim, and we mailed it to him at his conference in CA:

Jul 30 2008

mama says…

Posted on 7/30/2008 by April

You giggle every time you tell the story –

“Mama says she doesn’t want me to grow up. She wants me to stay her little girl. But I’m not! I’m being a BIG GIRL!!”

And you GRIN the biggest grin at me every time you tell it.

Tonight we giggled and giggled and giggled over dinner… as we listened to our cooked cherry tomatoes pop and feel the burst between our teeth, one by one, until we had consumed about a pint and a half! You bring so much JOY to my life, Peanut Butter!

Oct 29 2007

trail blazer

Posted on 10/29/2007 by April

We took Macy to the park yesterday, and you were different than you have ever been…noticing new things, pulling us in all kinds of unexpected directions, and chatting it up with Macy. 🙂 I don’t think you even SEE the trails… you have no need to stay on the beaten path… You are ALL about carving your own trail regardless of how muddy, full of sticks and bushes, or steep.

What an amazing little person you are!

Never stop blazing your own trails, Baby Girl!!

Oct 29 2007

bumpy laundry

Posted on 10/29/2007 by April

Life is so much fun with you!!

Sep 12 2007

sill have a bit of making up to do…

Posted on 9/12/2007 by April

But before more time goes by, I just want to say how awesome it is to be near you these days, and how even MORE awesome it is to be your Mom! You have a million words! And most of them PACKED with personality… Let’s see, here are some of the more common or more recent phrases:

“I am NOT happy.” (imagine your fists on each hip)
“I’ll be right back.” (imagine your list 2.5 year old self holding up you whole hand toward Mom or Dad as you walk away… sometimes right out the front door!)
“I’m SO proud of you Mom” (imagine you holding both of my cheeks in your little hands)
“I’m going to go WIFF you!”
“Dad, where’s the remote?”
“I’m going to work now”

In general, you’re putting longer sentences together now… yesterday I counted a nine-word sentence.

Here are a bunch of pictures that show different aspects of your personality. You’re such an AWESOME kid!!

What a loaded smile…

You were the first to see (and chase) a little chipmunk… do you see it here?)

Climbing (which you do on EVERYTHING!)

My beautiful girl…

And some with our neighbors and friends…

Jun 15 2007

more picts from the neighborhood

Posted on 6/15/2007 by April

helping neighbor

We have such a wonderful time running around the neighborhood after dinner most nights. On this night, you first helped Joe and Martha water their plants.

watering alan

While you were at it, you “watered” our neighbor Alan after his run in the hot sun.

hanging with hannah

Then we played a bit with Hannah and Timmy before heading to bed.

swinging with hannah

Check out the videos from these events: watering help and watering Alan and rolling with Hannah and rolling, rolling, rolling.

Life is good. Thank you God!

Little Raz

Category Archives: Uniquely Me