Strelinger Maternity Photos 2019

I took these for a friend and felt like a legit photographer for the first time. Capturing love and connection makes me happy. 

2-Year-Old Love Letter

My sweet Hazel Grace,

A friend of mine handed me down a bag of girl clothes a few months before you were born. As I sat on my bedroom floor and sifted through them, I dreamed about how special it would be to have a little girl. There were two pairs of workout shorts in size 2T that I was particularly drawn to. I imagined you walking around in them with guarded hope, knowing another little boy would also be an incredible gift. Two years later we celebrated your birthday and you donned the shorts the same week. Watching you toddle around in them brought me back to that moment and the cautious optimism of having a girl that surrounded those nine months of waiting to know who you were. A birthday will never pass where I don't fondly remember scooping you up and sobbing for hours as dawn broke on that warm July day in 2017. You are forever a dream come true.

You have a robust vocabulary and use a mixture of full sentences and extremely high-pitched screams to communicate. I wish I could take the sound of your voice and bottle it up to keep forever. I'm frequently surprised by how well you articulate what you want and need. On the Fourth of July you were scared by the fireworks—"Hazzie all done." So Daddy sat with you in the car, and when he asked if you wanted to get out, you replied, "Too loud." Then you looked up at the moon and said, "Way up there, can't reach it." For barely two, I felt like that was quite impressive. As you grow, I hope the courage to express your needs never falters.

You like to eat ground beef, cottage cheese, mac and cheese, and fruit. You like carrots and broccoli and won't eat anything unless I remove the "no thank you" items from your plate. You have good manners, using "please" and "thank you" regularly. You have a slight obsession with shoes and like to wear your brothers' around the house. If you see your basket full of shoes, you demand to try on every pair. I've started keeping only one pair in view to minimize conflict as we're on our way out the door.

You keep up with your brothers and will go to battle if necessary. You went through a biting phase, and the incidents were always described as territorial. You love riding in the stroller and playing with your dolls. You get quite concerned when people get hurt and are quick to rub your brothers' backs and console them with "Sorry, boo boo" when one of them is crying. I was talking to Owen about kindergarten one day, and when I asked what he and his friends talk about, he said, "I just tell them about the cute and funny stuff Hazel does."

You sleep well and still nap without too many problems. As the third born, we keep you up late often and you roll with it. You love singing songs at bedtime and reading books. We've just started potty training and it seems like you've already got the hang of it. You want to be like the big kids in all regards, so you appear highly motivated to join the potty-trained club. You throw a lot of fits. It doesn't take much for you to launch yourself on the floor kicking and screaming, often times whacking your head on the way down. You still sleep in your crib and I'm using every tool in my toolbox to make sure you stay in there for as long as possible.

You've gained a lot of independence in the last year, and I often find myself watching you and thinking, "Should a two-year-old be doing that?" You have been a challenging toddler and kept me on my toes. You scale the tallest equipment at the playground and jump on the top bunk bed. Your favorite song is "Baby Shark" and you ask Alexa to play it frequently.

You've got light and fire behind your hazel brown eyes. I love the two-year-old you and learning more about who God made you to be. I know you'll use your strong will to change the world, and I'm here to love and support you in all your pursuits. You fill our home with joy and I feel gratitude that you're mine every single day.

xoxo,
Your loving mama

Kindergarten Grad 2019

One of the primary reasons we moved to Gig Harbor was the schools' reputation. Yet once we got here we came to understand that the town is growing at a rate faster than the infrastructure can support. After a failed levy there was a lot of talk about how overcrowded the schools are. It's been a long time since Ty and I have been in the public school system so going into Kindergarten we really had no idea what to expect. 

We were pleasantly surprised and LOVED both Purdy and Owen's teacher, Mrs Nilsen. Kindergarten teachers are a special breed of people and my level of respect for them has increased exponentially. Mrs. Nilsen was amazing and her love of the kids genuine. She's been a teacher for 12 years and has it down to an art. There were only 17 kids in Owen's class and while the physical structure of Purdy can barley house all of the students, the staff is incredible and they keep their class size small. The PTA is very active and provides science, art, PE, Spanish, STEM and second step specialists. Being in school is such a big part of living in community and I'm happy to be leaning into ours. Mid year the levy went back on the ballot and passed with strong public support. 

I was super impressed by how much Owen learned and how much effort he put into his work. Going into Kinder he probably knew slightly less than his peers but by the end he was at grade level and more importantly, motived to learn. The thing about Owen is that if he wants to do something, he's incredibly determined and won't give up. If he doesn't want to do something there is no forcing him. Luckily succeeding in school is important to him and he showed up every day in it to win it. There are 40 Kindergarten sight words and 66 challenge words. Any student who knew all 106 got a "Purdy Sight Word Champ" tee shirt and a highlight of the year was watching Owen work hard to earn his. He can read, write, add, subtract and even multiply. 

I have some redeeming qualities as a mom but teaching is not one of them. Homeschooling is my worst nightmare. I am so thankful that Owen leaves the house for six hours a day and comes home full of knowledge that someone else instilled in him. I felt so fondly for Mrs. Nilsen because she nurtured my first born in a way that doesn't come naturally to me. Owen was connected to her and I know how important forming a bond with a non related caring adult is for his overall well being. Fingers crossed that Wes and Hazel are in her class when their time comes. 

After a fabulous start to grade school we're ready for summer and onward to first grade! 

Tee Ball 2019

The boys played their first seasons of tee ball this spring. They were on the same team, The Sluggers. Owen was the oldest, tallest member and Wes was the shortest, youngest. Seeing a group of kids come together is special to watch, and watching my boys as a part of that team together was endearing for me. The first game everyone swarmed the ball and by the last game they stayed in their zones and threw to first consistently. They had a great coach, we meet some lovely families and they both got the motivating reward of a snack at the end of each game.