I know how this goes. He’s shorter than me, he will climb into my lap and loves it when one of us will sleep with him. He needs me nearby when he’s getting ready, he doesn’t want to be home alone for too long and he will play the part of the baby because he knows I love it and will snuggle him harder for it. He is happy to hang out with me, with his siblings, with his family. Right now we are always his number one choice. 
Tagged: 12, birthday, Imagine Dragons, Oliver, twelve
His nerves were palpable. I’ve never felt anxiety so acutely as felt by Oliver. Oliver has been taking classes and training at Nova Ninja for the past year. He outgrew the challenge of the rec classes and wanted to do team training. Part of being on the team is training and competing in competitions however he didn’t want to. So I gave him a year to get comfortable with the expectation that he would try a competition when he was ready. There are always nerves when experiencing something new but I thought the familiarity of his home gym and the support of his coaches would give him some ease. Instead he was paralyzed. He couldn’t warm up and instead quietly watched others running the course. From the moment he started I could tell he simply wanted it over with and moved as quickly as he could from obstacle to obstacle.
Tagged: ninja, NoVA ninja, Oliver
A full house and a great show. The fans were lined up and packed in to get an autograph from the dancers after the show. It was great to see them enjoying the energy and friendships of a great performance. 
Tagged: CDC, Creative Dance Center, dance, Nutcracker
Oliver played soccer and basketball and showed a bit more scrappiness than my older two. But after a few years he dropped both and chose in favor individual sports and activities. Then out of the blue he asked to play flag football. We are grateful to the amazing coach and team that supported Oliver’s first season of flag football and made it fun to watch and an opportunity for him to grow. And a huge thank you to one of the players parents that documented each game and practice (these are all his photos). 
Tagged: AIM High, flag football, Oliver
Tagged: Halloween
Oliver’s first Harvest Parade at Floris Elementary School…
Tagged: Floris, Halloween, Harvest Parade, hot dog
Tagged: childhood, high school, homecoming, South Lakes
The bustle, the colors, the textures, the smells, the sounds, the people, the sights. They never repeat and they never stop. Constantly new yet familiar. Everyone fits in because no two are alike.
Tagged: art, Basquiat, Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, NYC, SoHo, street photography, theater, travel
Time flies. And no matter how much we talk about it, compare it, criticize it, blame it it owes no apology because it is unwaveringly consistent. So seize the day, do your things, don’t wait till tomorrow or the next, be intentional with how you spend your time, how you spend your love, how you enjoy the sunshine and the rain.
First day of 8th grade and last year at Rachel Carson Middle School. New outfit and backpack.
Tagged: childhood, first day of school, Floris, Rachel Carson, school, South Lakes
Built in 1909 to dispose of the city’s sewage, Santa Monica Pier has experienced growth and change over the decades, with the addition of Pacific Park in 1996 making it the family entertainment destination it is today. 
Our Everyday 