10/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: We decided your punishment for having an off week of school last week would require you to wear "decent clothes", aka, jeans and anything not Under Armour every day this week.  You were SO upset with us.  Your response?  "Everyone will make fun of me and say, 'what are you doing Cruz, don't you know it's not picture day?!'"  We didn't know if we should laugh or feel terrible for you!  As we predicted, no one even noticed your change in attire and your teacher said your professional dress must have done the trick because you were back to your studious self the first day this week!

Mila: You on the other hand made sure to announce that you happen to love decent clothes!  Although I'm pretty sure you haven't worn a pair of jeans in years!   

9/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: After you got over your disdain for having to wear "decent clothes" from church all the way to your practice piano recital, you loved our little Dr. Seuss inspired Sunday. :)

Mila: I dropped off a big stack of kindergarten paperwork for you today little mama.  It hurts but you are oh so ready to go to school with your big brother!  He can't wait either!    

8/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: This is your cool guy pose.  You've been grounded from your iPad this past week and turns out, we kind of like you more when you're screen free.  You talk a mile a minute and get so excited about the new books you're reading and the new things you're learning every day.  You sat at the island and just talked to me while I cooked last night and I decided I may just ground you from your iPad more often. ;)     

Mila: You lost your second bottom tooth tonight at Applebees.  In addition to your front tooth you had pulled last summer, this will be your third visit from the tooth fairy.  And that space up top that's been empty since July?  You've got a new big tooth poking through already!  

7/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: We've realized lately that it's time you get outside and play!  You've been cooped up long enough and are a bit squirrely at home (ahem, and at school) here lately. 

Mila: Meanwhile, you are wearing summer dresses every "stay home day" you get.  You've also been spending more time in your room like a little teeny bopper now that you have your own Alexa dot.  When you're not calling Grandma or one of your three uncles, you're listening to Taylor Swift or Drake!

6/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: You get to play the main part in a small play you are rehearsing and performing at school and I think I've seen more motivation out of you with this than anything else this school year.  And that's saying something because you love everything about school!  You are a prince who turns into a frog, but you informed me the very first day that you don't have to kiss anyone.  You were relieved to use a chocolate kiss instead. ;)   

Mila: Speaking of kissing, you've been asking a few more questions lately.  You were watching The Little Mermaid in the car last week and all of sudden asked me, "Mom, when you and Daddy kissed at your wedding, did you kiss fast or did you take it slow?"  Oh dear!

5/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: You help Mila build her Legos, even if it takes you almost an entire snow day to do it.  And you laugh at her silly ways.  You are THE BEST big brother, bub.

Mila: I was a terrible parent last night and let you watch some of the Bachelor with me.  Oh man, your reactions were so Mila and so hilarious!  My favorite remark, "It is so disgusting how they kiss with their mouths wide open."  And that's when it was bedtime, my girl!

4/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: You got to go up on the big stage at church yesterday and receive your very own Bible, a rite of passage for a 2nd grader at OHC.  A total of 76 2nd graders were given Bibles at Orchard yesterday!  And although you seemed more fascinated by the big screen behind you and I'm pretty sure you didn't hear a single word of the prayer, I know God's truth will continue to guide your heart as you grow and grow.  And now you said you can pass on your Storybook Bible to your sis.  So sweet you thought of that!

Mila: You finally got to have your unicorn party yesterday!  We celebrated with a taco bar and one massive unicorn cake, balloons, pin the horn on the unicorn and unicorn ring toss, presents, treats, and lots of time to play with your cousins.  You were so funny opening up your presents - you screamed at the top of your lungs when you opened up your Wellie Wisher cocoa stand, and made lots of funny remarks to make everyone laugh.  Still can't believe you are five, baby girl!   

3/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: You put this amazing Lego ship together all by yourself last week, working little by little at the table while the rest of our world was in a state of chaos.  And when you lost a pretty important piece, you creatively used a different piece to complete rebuild the missing link.  And then you helped your sister build one of hers!  

Mila: You received your third Wellie Wisher doll for your birthday and have had three sidekicks beside you ever since.  You love changing their clothes (and never matching them), love when I style their hair, and you even put a little box in our mudroom with all of their shoes.  Now, to add to our otherwise busy rush to get out the door in the morning, we have to also ensure your doll of choice has the correct shoes on her feet.  Oh the patience, oh the joy!

2/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: You never ask me to take your picture, but you did on Saturday.  We have gotten so used to no snow that you haven't been bringing your snow pants and boots home with you from school.  So when the snow fell on Saturday, we traded in sledding for a walk in the woods.  It never fails - you always always end up off the beaten path, yanking up the biggest stick or getting caught in some thicket.  You show your boy ways in the woods, even when your little sister was crying from the trail (literally two feet away from you) worried you were going to get hurt!

Mila: Your first post as a five year old!  We celebrated your big birthday all weekend long - you got your ears (re)pierced, we treated you to hot cocoa and a game of Sorry at Cup of Joe, grilled hamburgers (per your request), and had Sunday lunch at Chuck-E-Cheese after donuts, balloons, and church.  I think Sunday birthdays are my very favorite - it was fun to have all day to soak you up!   

1/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2019."

Cruz: We had a great day on Sunday, right up until Cody Parkey missed what would have been the winning kick of the Bears playoff game.  This has officially been your first season of really enjoying watching football with your dad and learning so much about the Chicago Bears.  And while they had a great season, you were not expecting that loss!  And we weren't expecting your devastation!  You cried and cried and cried.  It was adorable and also quite telling of how hard you take this stuff. 

Mila: A picture of you with two of your faves lately, your lambie slippers you received from Christmas and your Wellie Wisher named Camille.  You've been bouncing between your Wellie Wisher dolls, your barbies, and your Disney princesses lately and love to play.  And you may have enjoyed watching all those sparkly dresses come out of the limos on The Bachelor, too. ;)

52/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: Last portrait of 2018!  I didn't get one of you all dressed up in your "decent" clothes on Christmas Eve, so one in your Christmas comfies will just have to do.  You had a wonderful Christmas, full of all your favorite things.  When I tucked you in bed Christmas Eve night, I asked you if you were excited to see what awaited you under the tree the next morning.  Your reply?  You were most excited to get to see your little cousins the next morning.  Melted my heart, sweet boy.

Mila: You were into all things Christmas, baby doll.  You especially loved the water baby you received from Santa and proceeded to carry her in your arms every minute of the next day.  I loved when you opened a package from Grandma last night and shouted, "Grandma nailed it!" as you discovered a cute stuffed kitty and an new outfit for your Bitty Baby.  So cute!

And just like that, another year of portraits!  I knew I had started them the January I was pregnant with Mila, but had to count on my fingers to determine that meant for five years of weekly snapshots of these two.  There was a while when I thought I would be done blogging in 2019, but we shall see!  For now, I'll keep snapping the pictures, keep writing the memories, and keep reliving these sweet and super fast days with my favorite wildlings.  

Our first portrait of 2018.  Both of their jammies still fit them!  Maybe my wish came true and they've stopped growing???      

51/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: I somehow missed a week of these portraits, so I'm throwing in an extra shot for Christmas week.  You came down with a 12-hour stomach bug the Saturday before Christmas, which left your mom in a bleach-armed tizzy.  You, however, were pretty much the sweetest sick kid I ever did see.  You took it all like a champ, slept a lot under those big cozy covers, and read your Big Nate book.  And by Sunday morning, you were ready to go!

Mila: You thoroughly enjoyed the extra attention you received from Dad while Cruz was under the weather.  You did a Koala Crate together, helped me put together a puzzle, and played several games of your favorite Guess Who.  

50/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: Jorgensen Top Chef 4.0 happened as a kickoff to winter break and we once again declared it one of our favorite traditions, forever.  We keep improving, too!  This year, you were dead set on making ham balls and you took the entire process very serious.  The night before I was going to get all the groceries, you took it upon yourself to write out the entire recipe word-for-word.  I kept telling you I could find it online, but you insisted on writing it for yourself and for me.  I'll keep that handwritten recipe forever, buddy.

Mila: And then there was you!  You didn't so much look for a recipe you wanted to try, but spent most of your time thinking up something that would get you the most votes.  You chose chocolate tacos because 1) your daddy LOVES tacos and 2) you made sure the dessert was on you.  You had every intention of winning, but when it came down to it, you felt pretty bad for dad and the faces you made at his cleverly created "fryders."  

49/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You've been working hard on three new Christmas songs this season and had the opportunity Monday night to play for residents at the Western Home for a half hour all on your own.  It was one of the sweetest nights of our entire Christmas season - watching you nervously play your first piece, the big smile that formed on your face after the first applause, and the reaction of all the people there to listen!  One man got out of his seat to shake your hand after your first song, another man was singing along to every song, and a table of older ladies at the front reminisced about their own piano lessons decades ago.  These little opportunities to bring joy to people at Christmas is what it's all about, buddy.  And you did just that!

Mila: I let you play hookie from school for most of this week - the last year I can do that before you're in "big" school.  Wednesday afternoon, I declared it your very own "yes" day.  Whatever you wanted, all day long, I had to say yes to!  And what did you choose?  You chose to play, play, and play some more.  Then Thursday, we had the most fun of days together, bringing our Christmas boot all over town spreading lots of kindness and joy.  You're counting down the days until you get to dig into those presents under the tree, but you are the first to remind us that this season is about celebrating that precious baby Jesus.  These holidays with you sure are sweet. 

48/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You played outside a ton this weekend, taking advantage of the warm December air with football and bike riding and hikes in the woods.  Your newfound obsession with football has been pretty cute to watch blossom here lately, but to me, there's nothing cuter than watching you bob your head to beat at the piano. ;)

Mila: While the boys threw the football around, you and I shared our cocoa picnic in the woods.  Then we drove around to look at some Christmas lights and you LOVED the scavenger hunt I printed this year.  We found 'em all, thanks to the crazy house with 23 Christmas inflatables. ;)

47/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You are looking so big on Santa's knee, it makes me laugh!  This time, you asked him for a new Xbox game.  And maybe some new books.  

Mila: You asked Santa for a doll that you can dress up.  And after you talked with him, you got outside and said to Daddy and I, "That Santa was FAKE!!!"  Cruz was quick to tell you that while he was probably not the real deal, he did work for him.  "Just like it says in Home Alone," he says.  

46/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You have recently shown quite the interest in the Chicago Bears and love watching Sunday football next to Dad.  You know all the players names and you don't stop talking the entire game!  I asked Beau yesterday if this is what he had in mind when he used to dream about the two of you watching football together. ;)  Even though you don't take a breath much, boy, it is super cute seeing how excited you get when somebody gets a pick 6!

Mila: Our trusty elf, Boone, arrived yesterday and you could hardly contain your excitement.  Saturday was a day full of tears and fits for you, but Sunday, you were a complete angel.  We know it had much to do with the fact that Boone was sitting in that Christmas tree in the center of the table.  At dinner, you cleaned your plate, said please and thank you multiple times, and even helped wipe off the table.  When I thanked you for being such a big girl, I noticed you did the Kevin from Home Alone eyebrow raise in Boon's direction.  We'll see how long we can use this in our favor. ;)

45/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You sat at your desk yesterday afternoon and wrote out your Christmas list AND started a comic books series complete with a Frankenstein and a perturbed looking principal.  Your Christmas list includes a drone, a phone, and a very specific Bey Blade set you have been memorizing from the Target ad.  You repeated it over and over again on the way to see Santa Saturday and you shared it with perfection.  Now we'll see if he comes through for you!

Mila: We had a fun day at home on Tuesday getting the house all ready for Thanksgiving AND Christmas.  You were especially into the ornaments this year, as well as the cocoa set and nativity scene.  I've lost count of how many pretend cups of cocoa I've downed this past week, but I'm quite certain you're already at three of the real cups!   

44/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You were relentless with the snowballs on Saturday morning.  You had good aim and managed to get one right down the back of my coat.  Safe to say, you better be watching your back buddy!

Mila: A Grinchy green hot cocoa after watching the Grinch Saturday morning.  We all loved the movie!  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that you reminded me of little Cindy Lou Who. :)

43/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2018."

Cruz: You loved getting to bounce around the neighborhood trick-or-treating with your cousins.  You were wildly independent this year, until we got to the last house with the creepy guy sitting quietly in the chair! ;)

Mila: You also loved trick-or-treating this year, too, and were such a kind helper to your little cousin, Harper.  You were hesitant about the creepy guy at first, too, but were also the first of the five of you to be brave and go greet him!  You attempted to grab a different box of Milk Duds three times and dropped every single one before throwing your hands up nervously and giving up!  You were scared, but brave, and I loved seeing this combination come out in this simple of tasks.