“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: Well, it’s that time of year again — days and days of rehearsals for your big dance performance, followed by a weekend of pretty much living at the theatre. But, you know what? After watching you do this for the past four years, I can tell that this year you are really, really enjoying it (even the long days). I remember the first year that you participated in the performance — you were in first grade — you barely made it through the weekend! There were a lot of tears, and I’m pretty sure you never wanted to have anything to do with dancing again. This year I pretty much just dropped you off at the door and you spent the weekend socializing with all of the friends you’ve made at the studio. I would never let you see it, but I always get a little teary-eyed when I see you performing. Every year you seem so much older and so much more self-possessed. And, you are a beautiful dancer.

Zane: This week you haven’t been quite yourself. You don’t seem to have a full-blown illness, but you are definitely a little slower than usual (which just means I have a few more seconds to catch my breath). We have done a lot of work in the garden this week, and we finally planted the pumpkin seeds that your grandfather gave us for Christmas. I’m hoping that they will sprout soon, though the weather has been all over the place so it may take a few more days. You are very proud of your radishes, though they never made it to their full size because you just had to pick them once you could see that bright pink peeking through the soil. You have been giving radishes to everyone who passes by — you even gave one to the mailman and he ate it right then and there, which made you so happy. I’m glad to have a little buddy to share with me the joys (and sometimes sorrows) of gardening.

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: This week your class participated in a graduation ceremony for your completion of the D.A.R.E. program (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education). Out of all of the students in your grade, you and one other child were selected to read your final essays in front of all of your classmates and their parents at the graduation ceremony! You wrote a fantastic essay, and many people came up to me after the ceremony and told me what an amazing writer you are. You received a little gold pin, too, which you are holding in this picture. Your dad and I are so proud of everything you’ve accomplished this year.

Zane: This week you attended a birthday for your Uncle Caleb at his house. You were so excited because Uncle Caleb & Aunt Becca’s nephew Tanner was there. He is a little baby that is only six months old. You could not get enough of him! You counted all of his toes (correctly, I might add), and you even got to hold him on your lap, with my help. You were a little dismayed when he spit up on your leg, but that incident didn’t seem to diminish even slightly your opinion of Tanner, or babies in general. Later in the day you looked at your pants and exclaimed, “Hey, the baby barf is all gone!” I hope that someday you are blessed with lots and lots of little babies of your own (hint, hint) because I think you are going to be an incredibly nurturing, loving dad.

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: It’s getting harder and harder to take portraits of you — this is the face I get most of the time! This week your class went on a special field trip to Grafton, Vermont. You visited the Grafton Nature Museum and spent two whole days out in the woods learning all about the forest ecosystem. You also hiked and explored vernal pools. You’ve got a busy couple of weeks coming up, with your dance rehearsals and performances looming large on the calendar. And, after that, the school year will be coming to an end. I cannot believe you will be sixth grader next year. It just doesn’t seem possible!

Zane: This week you had your spring concert! We were all very excited to see you sing, and all of your grandparents came. But, for some reason, once you were up on stage, you didn’t want to sing! I kept thinking, “Oh, maybe he just doesn’t know this song,” but you didn’t sing a single word of any of the songs. You were very well-behaved, though, and I just had to laugh because it was such a Zane thing to do. Afterwards, I asked you why you didn’t sing and you said it was because you were getting squished by the other kids. You’re a funny boy, Zane Wilson.

“A portrait of my children once a week, every week, in 2015.”

Lillia: This week you have been much happier, and that is a relief. The highlight of your week was your first school dance on Friday! The fifth graders were invited to attend the last middle school dance of the year, and you were really excited. I felt a little emotional about it, of course. How can my baby be old enough to attend a school dance??? You came home pretty tired and sweaty, and reported that it was both the best and worst experience of your life. You said that only the fifth graders danced, and that you drank 1.5 cans of Sprite. I guess I should really come to terms with the fact that in just a few months you will be a real middle schooler. You also brought home your report card and we are all SO PROUD OF YOU for earning straight A’s! As I’ve said before, the grade isn’t everything, but you worked really hard to pull your B+ in Science up to an A and that deserves some accolades. Great job, Lillia!

Zane: This week we have been living outside. We’ve been doing tons of yard work, moving plants around, putting other plants in. You are such a huge help to me, and I really appreciate that. You’re so excited about all of the little pea shoots that have sprouted up! My favorite Zane story of the week is as follows: You came home from school on Tuesday and said, “Guess what I did at circle today, Mom?” I was thinking, oh, no, what did he do? Then he said, “I hugged a girl!” I said, “Oh, that’s very nice of you — why did you hug her?” To which you replied, “I had to hug her because she had a flower on her shirt and she looked so beautiful!” My heart just about shattered from the cuteness. (I hope the little girl didn’t mind being hugged.) Zane-a-roo, you are quite the little love bug!