June 2

This loving sibling scene unfolded in my kitchen just after noon.

Abby, fresh from her morning jog around the neighborhood, went in for a hug from pajama-clad Brady, who had recently emerged from his bedroom to explore the food options in the pantry. Brady deflected his sister's overt play for affection with a palm to the forehead, and Abby responded with a foot to the stomach.

It was antagonistic sibling cinema at its finest.

But seriously, they didn't actually harm one another, and the exchange made me laugh. And laughter is a blessing.

June 1

A single, simple sentence came to mind multiple times today: 

And then there was one.

For more than 20 years, my hours have been filled to brimming with the sounds of childhood: giggling and laughing and shouting and crying and yelling and exclaiming.

But today, with Adam at work and Abby off to the first meeting of her credentialing program and Isaac on a trip to Napa with his pals, it was just Brady and me. 

And then there was one.

To his credit, he handled the his first real day of summer vacation --and being the only kid in the house-- quite well. He played a video game and then got in the pool, where I joined him on a giant floatie and watched as he dove into the water over and over and over again. And then we took a trip to the AMPM for an Icee (for him), and then went to the grocery store for milk. And then as the sun moved closer to the horizon, he went out back and practiced his pitch grips by hurling a rubber ball against the side of the house. 

It's probably going to take some time to get used to the relative quiet, but I'm grateful that my children are growing and changing and taking advantage of opportunities to stretch their wings. And I'm grateful that for the time being, one is still a kid, because I'm not ready to be an empty nester just yet.

May 31

Brady had a game this morning against a team that includes two of his friends from his high school team.

Jack and Ben are both good guys, from all that I know about them (and from their moms, who are both fabulous ladies). And Brady likes both of them, too.

Brady's team came out on top of the match-up, which is great. But I'm more grateful that my kiddo had the opportunity to play against some familiar faces. (And that they were all willing to pose for a pic for me after.) Because at the end of the day, I think playing a sport should be fun, and friends make everything more enjoyable.

May 30

We began our summer vacation with a crack-of-dawn (okay, 9am, but it may as well have been the crack of dawn) baseball game.

Although Brady's sole contributions were a walk and a run scored, the Royals cruised to their first win of the Big Season by topping the A's 7-0. 

I didn't take many photos and as strange as it sounds, this is probably the best of the three or four I snapped. The blurred little figure in the background is, of course, Brady. He's not the fastest runner but his coach is very big on stealing bases, so he took off shortly after reaching first base.

Anyway, I don't have any big observations to share, other than to say that I am grateful to have another solid school year in the books, and I am grateful for more opportunities to watch Brady play ball. As I'm finding out over time, the early years of life may feel long and drawn out at times, but they are most definitely shorter than I ever would have imagined.

May 29

Isaac graduated from high school today.

Adam's mom is still recovering from a health challenge she experienced a few weeks back, but his dad came down to join us for the festivities. We started with some of our customary photos in the backyard, and then headed out for an early (4:30) dinner at CPK (where The Works pizza proved to be a crowd-pleaser among the non-Brady menfolk). 

Isaac's ceremony report time was 5:45, so we drove over to Amador as soon as we finished with dinner and got him there just in time. He went inside to prep for the big event while the rest of us got in line to enter the stadium. A little later, we settled into our seats on the bleachers overlooking the football field. It was a surprisingly chilly day for late-May in the Bay (with a high of 65 degrees), so it wasn't exactly warm, but we made it through the two-hour ceremony in good spirits, partly aided by the impressive job done by one of the teachers tasked with reading graduate names. Mr. Robbins (who was Isaac's English teacher this year) has this booming, theatrical voice and he really gets into his duties, which absolutely added entertainment value to what could otherwise be dry proceedings.

Isaac was in one of the later groups to walk the stage, and my heart leapt into my throat when the name of the teacher he chose to hand him his diploma was called. (They graduate in groups according to their chosen teacher, not via ABC order.) I watched him edge closer to the podium; his friend Alex --with whom he played baseball for years-- was just in front of him and by happenstance we were sitting right next to his family, so we all screamed when Alex walked. And then a moment later, when Isaac's name was called, we all screamed again. And then I watched as he crossed the stage, paused briefly for a photo with his diploma holder and then strode back to his seat on the field. 

Afterward, once we found him, there were more photos and some sibling joviality (after he secured a cap and tassel. He threw his and then couldn't find it, but Tyler gave him his extra tassel. And he got a hat... somehow. Oh, and no, Brady is not taller than Isaac. This is an optical illusion). And then we all headed back home. Although some of his friends opted to go to the Grad Night party sponsored by the school, Isaac took a pass because he thought he'd be tired and wanted to get some good sleep. And in keeping with that stated desire, shortly after Adam's dad headed back to Lafayette and Adam, Abby, and Brady retired to bed, he changed into his pajamas and came back downstairs to sit with me for a few minutes in the quiet of the family room. (He does that sometimes; just comes and sits.) I asked him if there was anything he wanted to talk about and he said no; he just came to sit. So I let him. And after a few minutes, he got up, came over to give me and hug, and thanked me for being his mama. And I hugged him back and since he doesn't like it when I say I'm proud of him, I told him that I'm pleased with how he's choosing to let God lead his life. Because I am.

Isaac is a remarkable young man. He's intelligent and he thinks deeply about difficult questions. Even when he was very young and struggled to communicate his thoughts and feelings at times, there was always a soulfulness in his eyes that told me that he was far more complex than he seemed. Although he's had his troubles over the past few years, he continued seeking God and asking Him the hard questions. And although I know he doesn't have all of the answers he'd like to have, I know the Lord has blessed him with wisdom beyond his not-quite-18 years. 

So tonight, I remember the sweet boy he once was; my darling little chunky truck who loved giving Brady his pa-e-chowuh and massacred bowls of peas like no one else. And I celebrate the young man he is, because he is well-worthy of celebration.

Congratulations on your graduation, Isaac. I love you so very much.

May 28

Tomorrow, Isaac graduates from high school. 

But rather than immersing myself in memories of him as a baby and ruminating over how I can hardly believe that my chunky little truck is on the verge of adulthood (which I am entirely sure I will do for the next few days), I spent the evening with some of my fellow moms, most of whom have sons who play baseball with Brady.

And it was really, really fun. We drank wine and ate appetizers and talked about life and laughed. 

Although it's true that I find myself craving solitude more often than company during this phase of my life, I like these ladies and I like their sons. And I'm grateful to have had some time to get to know them a little better today. 

May 27

With just two days until graduation, Isaac donned his cap and gown and returned to his elementary school this afternoon for a photo op with some of his old classmates.

(It's almost impossible to tell, but he's the second from the left on the top part of the play structure, kind of in the shadows.)

Anyway, it was weird for me to be back there. On one hand, that school served as a home base for us for quite a long time, from Abby's kindergarten through Brady's third grade years. But it's also the school where I served as PTA President, and the emotional fallout from that not-so-great experience still lingers a bit today.

But fortunately, Isaac seemed to soak up the experience as he should have: with wide-eyed nostalgia. He played Skill (a more aggressive form of foursquare) and tetherball in his cap and gown and walked around the campus trying to remember where his classrooms were located and which of the outdoor lunch tables had been his go-to meal spot. It was sweet seeing his eyes light up as he took it all in and remembered those early days.

So for the blessing of being able to look back and fondly remember old times, I am grateful.