mylo makes 6

oh, mylo. what can i possibly say? you are the most rewarding and most difficult thing i've ever done. you make me want to snuggle up & scream all at the same time. you are a constant array of emotions & an endless source of energy. and although you have given me more gray hair than i count you have also added to so much depth to my smile lines. mylo, what would we possibly do without you?

i used to wonder where your wild ways stemmed from. that was, until uncle rob visited maui last year. seeing you two together made it obvious. you are 100% jones. you follow in the footsteps of so many of your fantastic forefathers. you remind me so much of some of the men i most admire including my uncle rob, my uncle spencer, & my grandpa max. oh mylo, i hope you recognize how special that is to me. these men that you take after are some of the most caring, most successful, most thoughtful, and most fun men i've ever met. sounds, just like you, doesn't it? they all have their own mischievous and meddlesome mannerisms that left a wake every where they went. they often tested their mothers & terrorized their siblings. but they all have hearts of gold. just like you. they all used their endless energy & drive to become successful both in their jobs & in their families. i have no doubt that you will continue to make me proud in all that you do, just like their mothers were forever amazed by the things they did. 

mylo, you are a social butterfly & a true extrovert. you have a thirst for human interactions that often takes a crowd to quench. you know the names & details of all your classmates, teammates, & friends. you go out of your way to great people & to include everyone in everything you do. you are so tremendously thoughtful. you are always making sure we help others & you almost always insist on buying something for someone other than yourself when we stop by the store. you love gifts. it's your main love language. it doesn't matter if it's fancy & expensive or simple & homemade you just love the act of giving &, of course, receiving. you often bring me fresh flowers picked from your walk home from school & you're always making cards for your family. your love knows no bounds. you are fiercely loyal to those you love. you are the most popular of our crew with friends every where you go. but you hold a special space for your closest friends & family. you will defend & care for those in your inner circle through thick & thin. 

you are hilarious. and so silly. and so much fun. you bring an incredible amount of joy to our home. it's impossible to be in a bad mood around you. if you ever notice me grumping you come up with something silly to do to pull me out of my funk. you are my daily dose of happiness. you are my bestest buddy. you are a major snacker, just like me. you'd rather have small meals to squeeze in more room for your snacks. and you're the only boy that will willingly run errands with me. i love our quality time grocery shopping or target runs. you always find a way to make even the most dull store fun. you can't go in to macy's without spraying every perfume & you have to try every free sample at costco, at least once. you get so chatty when we it's just you & i. you tell me all about your class, your brothers, your dreams, your fears, your plans, i love listening to all the wonderful & witty things you have to say. and boy, do you have witt. your sense of humor amazes me. you are just so smart. you see things clearer than most. you have an amazing ability to understand people & situations. you can read a room & ease any environment. you have an impeccable memory. when you put your mind to it you can ace any first grade test. but you are often unconcerned with school work. you seem to understand the value of other. you recognize that while addition & handwriting have their place they aren't nearly as important as the people in your life. 

you are mr. independent. you can do more for yourself than most & you would rather struggle through figuring out something new than ask for help. you are so determined & resilient & brave. you are fearless! you love a good challenge & will rarely back down. but i have learned that you like to be in control. you will climb up & jump off of anything i will allow you but you are terrified of roller coasters. you prefer to be behind the wheel when seeking your thrills. and boy, are you a thrill seeker!? you are going to give me a heart attack, mr. you usually have a plan on how to accomplish things & you are set to do things your way. your way is rarely my way, & we sometimes but heads but i usually let you take the reins & be in charge of yourself. you almost always accomplish what you set out to do without any help. it's pretty dang amazing.

mylo, we are so blessed to have you in our family. you bring so much light to our lives. wea re forever grateful to call you ours. we love you more than you will ever know. happy birthday, bud!

mylo's best friend: august & mosiah
2.  mylo's name: myles watkins
3.  mylo prefers to go by: mylo

4.  mylo's favorite animals: turtle

5.  what does mylo want to be when he grows up: "i don't know, yet"
6. mylo's favorite movie: hollow
7.  mylo's favorite song: believer by imagine dragons

8.  what makes mylo happy?  playing video games 

9.  what makes mylo sad? not having friends to play with
10.  mylo's favorite food: taco bell bean burrito with no onions & added sour cream
11.  mylo's favorite place: home, mylo is a total homebody
12.  mylo's favorite color: green
13.  mylo's favorite game: chess & exploding kittens
14.  mylo's #1 wish right now: a lamborghini & a million v-bucks (fortnite money)
15: cute mylo quotes: we were spending the weekend at the Grand Wailea & while your brothers & dad went on the big slide you & i were cruising through the lazy river. you & i got separated for about a minute & when i found you you were so angry & you said, "that's why i told you i need a phone!" The other day you came down stairs with a patriots shirt, green shorts, red socks, & bright blue shoes. you saw me eye your outfit & you said, "i don't like matching. i like rainbowing." you are so cute & colorful!

Mylo's Mynecraft Party

after taking a blogging hiatus i happened upon my blog & spent hours searching through my old posts. it filled my heart with so much joy to look back on my boy's smiles & marvel at all the memories that would be lost if it wasn't for this little blogosphere space. so, i am re-inspired to take to blogging, if even just a few times a year. so here goes my attempt at a catch up.

mylo turned 6 (like forever ago). and as always, i let my boy plan his party. i suggested every party theme i could think of. from a beach party to a movie party to a trampoline park party (notice a theme here? i was really hoping for a minimal effort party anywhere but home). but mylo knew just what he wanted-typical. as a video game enthusiast & true homebody he opted to have a minecraft party at home.

when mylo asks for a minecraft party, he gets a mynecraft party. i made sure to have all of his favorite things incorporated in his party. and because video games are not my thing i tried to keep the screen time in check. 

the boys played creeper tag (a spin off of infection) in the front yard while we waited for all the guests to arrive. cooper was a huge help & led this part of the party while i set things up in the backyard. in true watkins fashion, the creeper tag quickly turned in to a good old game of soccer. after all the invitees were in attendance the boys set off to search for materials in the backyard. they had to hunt for wood, iron, diamond, and gold blocks that they could use to craft their weapons. they had to get the right combination of materials to craft their weapons of choice. and of course once the boys had weapons in their hands the scene quickly turned to a battle ground. it was war. i'm not sure who won, or there were even teams. it was a flash of swords and axes and little bodies everywhere. but we couldn't end their. we had to incorporate a little tnt. so thanks to a kid friendly science experiment we had explosion after explosion. which ended in mylo & rex taking turns chugging mentos filled coke straight from the 2-liter. 

after they'd exhausted all their energy the boys needed to replenish. mylo loves mixing sodas. it's ridiculous. no one can share a drink with him because he is always putting every crazy combination in his cup. so he was pretty pumped about the potion brewing station. we had every type of soda available with different potion labels plastered on front. the boys were able to mix (or not mix) their drink of choice. gross, yes. but so fun. they ate all of milo's favorite minecraft foods. and of course, mylo insisted on a massive dessert bar. he had frosted brownies, cookies, popcorn, candy, ice cream, & a two tier cake. after slicing the cake & distributing it to his friends mylo took a fork to the bottom layer & polished off a good portion himself.

after the boys had expelled all their energy & filled their bellies. we turned on the video games. todd set up two tv's side-by-side with eight remotes. it was mylo's minecraft dream come true. they played until their parents forced them out the door. 

it's safe to say mylo loved his mynecraft celebration. his highlights include hanging with his favorite friends (he's a social butterfly & true extrovert), treats all day (beginning with brownies & frosting for breakfast), mixing sodas, watching the explosions & chugging more soda, presents (gifts are his love language) & all the attention. mylo, you loved being celebrated. but we loved celebrating you even more.

and then there's this incredible video compliments of milo's most thoughtful & incredibly talented auntie stina.

cinco de mylo

we celebrated mylo's big fifth in the only way that seemed natural, a cinco de mylo party. the entire party was focused on the birthday boy & his new number. he invited his cinco best friends (& their brothers), he played his cinco favorite party games, he had his cinco favorite foods, & his cinco favorite desserts. it was a everything this little boy wanted & more.

he planned the entire event from start to finish & knowing the every adapting mylo i made sure to keep things flexible so he could adjust his birthday plan as the party evolved. the one thing he insisted on having was a piñata, & what cinco de mayo party is complete without a piñata? he also had the idea to save our bean cans to make a "super knock down can tower." there was also donuts on a string, a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, a few rounds of musical chairs, & mylo's personal favorite, water play. with a house full of boys all you really need is room to run & a few hundred water balloons & they are set for hours of fun. seriously, boys are so easy to please. 

 mylo opted to order taco bell for his birthday lunch. we picked up a few boxes of his favorite burritos & tacos. he helped me make salsa, pico de gallo, & guacamole. we also his favorite fruits & street corn. as for treats, which is basically the whole reason mylo has parties (friends + presents + treats) we opted to try our own rendition of milk bar's famous layered birthday cake. it was just as delicious as we dreamed. worth every second of labor & every trip to the store. we also made milk bar's birthday cake truffles (we weren't huge fans), milk bar's birthday cake cookies (by far the best sugar cookie/funfetti cookie we've tried), churro chex mix, virgin strawberry margaritas, & cake batter ice cream.  

if there's anything mylo loves about a birthday it's the opportunity to be the birthday boss. he loves running the show. and when it came to his fiesta i think he did a pretty fantastico job! he made sure everyone left with their own "mucho gracias, muchacho" treat bag.

mylo makes 5

It's hard to imagine that my little baby is 5, but in the same breath it's hard to imagine his as anything else. I've considered him 5 for months now. He is just so grown up. He is organized, he is a planner, & he loves rules. He is so on top of things. Around these parts he is known as Mylo, Mighty, My-els, Hajibaba, Haji, Bybo, Chubby-maan, Brylo & Wild Thing. I often times try to see things through Mylo's eyes & it is purely magical. He has a wild imagination & the boy is pure fun. He was in heaven at Disneyland & Universal Studios. He really believed everything he saw. Like the dinosaurs at Jurassic Park. He was captivated by them & still tells everyone he meets about how he saw real life dinosaurs. Oh, & Darth Vader. He brags about how he fought Darth Vader at Disneyland (he had a plan to choke Vader & kick him in the legs but after his Jedi instructor said he needed to hold his light saber with two hands he had to change his fight strategy). He thinks of things that no one else would consider & comes up with ideas that our truly all his own. He is one of a kind. 

This little guy is extremely independent. He can take care of most things "by myself." He bathes, brushes his teeth, styles his hair, & gets dressed without any assistance. He makes his own oatmeal & toast & cuts the tops off his strawberries. He calls his daddy at work & schedules their own lunch dates & beach meet ups. He packs his own ounces, snacks, & toys. He knows how to use our essential oil diffuser & his favorite scents are lemon & lavender (not mixed together). He gets his own slurpees & sodas when we eat out. He once tried to remove a splinter himself! He is just so on top of things.

He rocked prek & cannot wait to join his brothers in elementary school. He is a smarty & is beginning to sound out words, add, & subtract even before kindergarten. He is probably the best problem solver I've ever met & he loves a good riddle. But that's not his strongest school quality. He is a social butterfly. He is by far the most extroverted of the team. He has a million friends & knows every detail about every one of them. Mylo is thoughtful. He makes sure everyone is involved in everything & never leaves anyone out. He uses his own money to buy treats & toys for his brothers & best friends, & he's known to give away toys when friends that come to his house show extra interest in certain things. He picks me flowers every chance he gets & always insists I put them in my hair. His prayers rival his grandmother's in length & depth. He insists on saying every family prayer & they are known to last more than a few minutes. He makes sure to pray for every person & every thing he can think of, including Jesus, the Holy Ghost, God, & Mary. Every single night. He has a major sweet tooth to go along with that sweet spirit. This guy loves treats, in every shape & form. One of his birthday requests is to have dessert for dinner & that's after he has cinnamon roll waffles with ice cream for breakfast, & donuts, cake, cake pops, cookies, churros, & ice cream at his birthday party! He could eat sugar all day (just like his mama). 

Mylo beats to his own funky drum. He knows who he is & what he wants, & no person or thing wills stand in his way. He is definitely the most stubborn of our stubborn crew. He isn't exactly what I would call a goal setter or an overachiever. Don't get me wrong, he is super smart & super talented. He just prefers to rely on his natural abilities rather than develop his skills. A few weeks ago Todd asked him what he wants to be when he grows up, Mylo said, "nothing." So Todd asked him how he was going to have money & how he would buy a house. Mylo said, "I'm just going to be homeless." I'm pretty sure he is the only four year old who had homelessness on his list of aspirations. Fortunately, he changed his mind & now he wants to be a builder. He wants to build a house that connects so I can live on one side & he can live on the other. He wants to have 10 kids, a dog, a cat, & a snow leopard. He wants to have a truck, a worker truck, a race car, a motorcycle, & "daddy's race car." How's that for a plan? Mylo is structured to a T. When given options he pretty much sticks with a routine of sorts. Dessert? Pizookie. Dinner? Pizza. Mommy date? Fun Factory & slurpees. Video game? Minecraft. Board game? Bingo. Book? No, David. Again, & again, & again. 

He loves having places to go, people to see, & things to do. He's really taken to surfing & begs his daddy to take him almost every day. Mighty is quite the soccer player been though he claims baseball is his true love (probably because that's the only organized sport he has yet to play). He jukes, out dribbles, steals the ball from, & straight takes on boys nearly double his age. And all with the biggest smile on his face. It's pretty incredible. He loves to play & the boy is fearless (well, that's not totally true. He is terrified of sleeping in his own bed & the mythical Wailuku Wolf daddy insists is real & preys on small children who don't go to sleep at night). When Mylo was just an infant, not more than a few days old I named him my wild one & in his birth announcement I warned the world to "watch out for this one". Little did I know then how true these statements would be. He is WILD. He has more energy than the rest of us Watkins combined. He is too brave in the water, constantly diving in to waves twice his size without any thought possible consequence. He's been caught standing in front of waves with his arms spread wide & letting them crash him. He could do flips in the water well before he could swim. And he gets so frustrated that the roads on Maui don't have any loops or ramps. When he first learned to ride a bike he was so trying to do tricks on his bike before he had the hang of peddling. He definitely keeps us on our toes.

Mylo, we love you more than words could possibly say. You bring so much constant life to our lives. I can't even imagine how dull the world would be without you. We love you more than words could possibly say. You complete us.

1. mylo's best friend: mosiah & tave
2.  mylo's name: myles watkins jr.
3.  mylo prefers to go by: mylo

4.  mylo's favorite animals: turtles

5.  what does mylo want to be when he grows up: a builder
6. mylo's favorite movie: ninjago & beymax
7.  mylo's favorite song: everything is awesome

8.  what makes mylo happy?  playing screen like Lego Marvel & Mario Kart & surfing big waves

9.  what makes mylo sad? going to stores that i don't want to
10.  mylo's favorite food:  steak, chicken, & bacon
11.  mylo's favorite place: taco bells & the cove
12.  mylo's favorite color: green
13.  mylo's favorite game: uno
14.  mylo's #1 wish right now: lots of presents
15: cute mylo quotes: oh, man. there are way too many god mylo quotes. a few weeks ago we were heading to one of his baseball games & he said, " Is today the championship?" "Mylo, there is no championship." "Well, if we don't win this game today we are not going to get the trophy." "Mylo, every kid gets a trophy." "We play the Phillies. We played them before. And we smoked them." "Mylo, they don't keep score in t-ball." "We are totally going to get the trophy." I love his enthusiasm, even if he doesn't quite understand the game. Then today when cooper was explaining the rules of soccer he said, "there's no kicking other people. if you do that you get a penalty." and mylo said, "ok. but is there punching allowed?" 

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Mylo's Minion Mayhem.

Mylo decided on a very appropriate theme for his birthday, again this year. Minions! I really couldn't describe his curious, wild, & silly character in a more perfect way. I felt awful going in to this party because I was pretty swamped coming home from a long vacation to a lot of lose ends that needed tending. Normally, I would have started his birthday prep long before but this year it all came down to the last minute. Due to time restraints I limited his celebrations to a movie party. I outlined all the movies that would be playing the week of his birthday & I wasn't the least bit surprised when he picked Minions (a dollar movie, nonetheless. Score!) Mylo wasn't the least bit bothered by the last minute party prep. He was just happy to have some new toys, his "buddies," & a belly full of goodies. He is really such a sweet & easy-to-please guy. His only party requests were 1. Squirt guns 2. Pizza 3. Banana pops 4. Bingo 5. Friends. Totally doable.

We went to the movie to watch Minions. We brought goody bags full of some of Mylo's favorite snacks (juice boxes, fruit snacks, lollipops, & "minion munch"). & of course, some Minion glasses for all the guests. After the movie we went to the fountains so the kids could play while eating their pizza, minion-ade, chips, banana-pops, & cupcakes (all per Mylo's requests). We played Minion Bingo, had a Minion-ish language lesson, played with Minion props, & the kids got their own "anti-gravity" serum, & "sting ray" guns to use in the fountains.  Everyone seemed to have fun, but none more than the birthday boy. He was so happy to have the spotlight. He loves being boss (or as we call him, Mr. Mylo) & he loved his birthday boy role.

Birthday parties are often exhausting, but Mylo makes them easy, light, & fun. We sure love you Minion Mylo. We loved making your special day a little more special. We can't wait to celebrate with you again next year!

**Oh & I totally forgot my camera for the party. Go figure. So ignore the poor picture quality & focus on the adorable little birthday boy.

mylo turns 4

mylo is four. he is growing so quickly & even though he is the most independent of my boys he still manages to be my forever baby. it's a tricky combo that this sweet little man has mastered. he loves doing things for himself & for others. he is usually eager to help in the kitchen, he can make all his favorite snacks & only needs a little help heating things up, he bathes himself with very little assistance, & he gets himself ready daily by picking out & putting on his own clothes, brushing his hair & teeth, packing a backpack with snacks & toys, & getting his breakfast ready. but don't let his independent ways fool you. deep down in side he is still my little baby & he clings to some of his more infantile habits for a bit of comfort. like, he can prepare his own oatmeal but insists i spoon feed it to him every morning. and he has two speeds, either he's moving in a full sprint or he is insisting to be carried. he is a total oxymoron. he is climbing trees, jumping off rocks, & boogie boarding waves one minute & insisting i hold him like a like a little koala the next. and i love it. i love how he is so fearless, so brave, so determined, & yet so sweet & tender. 

he really is a sweet kid. he loves the people close to him fiercely. like his brothers. he cannot get enough of his brothers. it is so sweet it's almost sad. his heart breaks every time they leave for school & he anxiously waits for them to come home. i offer to spend the school days doing whatever he wants but all the ice cream, lego wars, & beach trips don't compare to the joy he feels when his brothers walk in the door. and he doesn't leave their sides for the rest of the day. his other best buddy is his "little brother" tave. he is obsessed with tave & begs to have the one year old over daily. he loves playing big brother & helping tave with his bottle & food, tickling tave, playing with tave, & teaching tave  he considers those around him & loves to help. like today, he had a friend over & when i asked what they wanted to do mylo insisted on taking his friend to target & spending his own money to buy his friend a hot wheels & some popcorn. and he loves to help me prepare my food & pick out my clothes. often times he reminds me of little details i forget. he is always keeping me in check. he feels deeply & doesn't always know how to handle his big emotions. he always makes sure that everyone is involved in whatever is going on. and if anyone is left out he finds ways to include them. like when daddy misses out on a special treat because he is at work mylo saves him an extra piece & he always picks an extra flower for grandma even though she's all the way in california. his heart is big.

he is a smart. too smart. he just gets things in ways well beyond his short years. he often amazes me with the connections & correlations & observations he points out. things that i don't even pick up on he has all figured out. and he sure knows how to get his way. he knows that he is strong & smart, & he uses his inherit skills to make things happen just how he wants. like how he reminds his brothers that they aren't allowed to play "dying games" on the play statin on sundays mostly because he doesn't like the "dying games" so it forces his brothers to play his favorite games. or how he frequently puts words in my mouth by telling his brothers i have created some rule restricting them that i never said. mylo is tough & rough, & wild. he is not afraid to use brute force to get his way, mostly with his brothers. the boys' rugby coaches can't wait to get him on the field. there will be no stopping that speedy little devil. todd often teases that he is built to be a line backer. mylo often reminds tells me, "i'm stronger than you" when i attempt to discipline him. in fact, no form of discipline is all that effective on mylo. he is too strong willed, too smart, & too independent. he will willingly obey as long as you explain the rules & the reasoning behind them. but if they don't make sense it's pretty tough to get him on board (that's where bribery comes in handy. a little candy goes a long way with this guy). he has a major sweet tooth. he used to ask me 20 times a day for a treat. but now he knows how to get them himself & usually just bypassing the permission request. he is a major fan of candy, chocolate, cookies, ice cream, cake, brownies, all of it. in fact, i can't think of any form of sugar he doesn't enjoy. but he's pretty well balanced. when he isn't eating sweets he is usually downing fruits, yogurt, whole grains, or some form of protein. no wonder he is "stronger than me". he has an incredible sense of humor & loves to make people laugh. he is quite the class clown. 

his hugs are like chicken soup for my soul. and his love knows no bounds. he knows how to make me smile regardless of the mood i might be in. he can always brighten my day & bring a smile to my face. mighty, you are a dream. you bring an immeasurable amount of life, light, & love in to our family. and we weren't complete until you joined us. you fill us up. we love you more than all the stars in the sky. happy birthday, mr. my.

1. mylo's best friend: mommy & tave
2.  mylo's name: mylo james watins
3.  mylo prefers to go by: mylo

4.  mylo's favorite animals: "i'm not telling…ok, it's a elephant."

5.  what does mylo want to be when he grows up: "football player & that's it"
6. mylo's favorite movie: ninjago & harry potter
7.  mylo's favorite song: "baa baa baa baaaaaa" (a silly song he made up)

8.  what makes mylo happy?  "playing screen (playstation) & catching waves on the boogie board & picking up tj & cooper from school & that's it."

9.  what makes mylo sad? "not playing with my brothers & when daddy drop off my brothers at school & their school's super long & that's it."
10.  mylo's favorite food:  pizza, strawberries, oatmeal, & most any sweet
11.  mylo's favorite place: target & the little park
12.  mylo's favorite color: green
13.  mylo's favorite game: bingo & candy land & the hobbit lego ps4 game 
14.  mylo's #1 wish right now: "to be an elephant and kill a t-rex."
15: cute mylo quotes: before i left for new zealand mylo asked, "you can bring me a pet from new zealand? mmmmmmm, how about a bear. a polar! is that allowed? it might bite tj's leg off. oh, i have a good idea! we can lock it in our back yard! then we can ride on him in the back yard! just this way (pointing to the left) not that way (pointing to the right). i don' t want a penguin, though. that's not a riding animal."

a ninja(go) party for the mighty

after weeks of contiplating between a wild krats party, a lego movie party, & a ninjago party mylo finally opted for the latter. well, we're calling it a ninjago party despite the lack of yellow lego figures spinning around. while scouring the internet for ideas & party supplies mylo chose ninja over ninjago every single time but still insists on keeping the ninjago label. whatevs.

sticking to true watkins fashion i let the birthday boy do most the party planning. and why not? it's his party. my only goal is to ensure his complete & utter happiness on his special day. that's it. i did have to nix a few of his more out-there ideas like flying on dragons, attacking ninjago city, & eating "a whole lot a lot of cupcakes." but all in all, i think mighty was pretty pleased. mylo's party hihglights were opening presents, using his spinjitzu moves on the ninja dummy, the ninja cupcakes & dojo, & the entire ninja training course. in fact, he ran through the course a good dozen times before his friends showed up laughing the entire time. it truly isn't easy to wipe the smile off that kid's face. 

 we planned to have a real ninja come teach the kids moves but he bailed last minute. instead we set up a ninja training cours. included were a balance beam, jumping through ropes (or "lasers", either way), a ninja crawl, shuriken target practice, breaking boards, mylo teaching his friends spinjitzu & sword practice on the ninja dummy. cooper & the older kids competed for the fastest times & the little kids were content just trying to complete the course. after eating the played pin the sword on the kai (the one & only piece of ninjago at the party).

for food we stuck with local classics, spam musubi & spam fried rice, fruit snacks, & ninja power up waters. i let the kids give chopsticks a shot before bringing out the spoons. mylo helped me make fortune cookies, rice krispy sushi, & cupcakes to satisfy his constant sweet tooth. sticking to the theme the keiki sat at short chabudai tables to eat. it was adorable.

before heading home mylo gave each friend a take out box full of ninja favors including paper dragons, tattoos, shurikens, ninja lollipops, & senbei cookies to go along with their swords & headbands. mylo was most excited to pass out the boxes & finally open one of his own.

mylo turns 3.

mylo is 3 & my baby really isn't a baby anymore. well, not technically but i don't think he'll ever relinquish the title. although he is my most independent child he has absolutely no desire to grow up. he is perfectly comfortable maneuvering furniture to acquire things beyond his 40" reach & he aspires to one day cross the street alone he is still perfectly content using his baby potty seat & allowing his mommy to spoon feed him oatmeal every morning. a part of me wants to usher him out of his remaining infantile habits but i just can't bring myself to. i'm ok with allowing him to be my forever baby. 

mighty is a walking contradiction. it's impossible to label this boy. he loves to run, he is constantly moving as fast as his little feet can carry him (which is remarkably fast for a toddler) but he also spends more time in my arms than the other two ever did, combined. he is a total fraidy-cat, honestly, the kid gets scared far too easily. but he's never been one to allow his fears to stand in his way, rather he constantly addresses & conquers them. like on halloween when a giant frankenstien statue sent him running into my arms in tears. after a quick 30 second cry he wiped his eyes & went charging at the statue fists blazing. he's also a thrill seeker. he loves things that challenge & terrify. he loves spooky stories, high jumps, & any & every form of monster. he begs me to take him to haleakala so he can fight zombies & creeps (he believes all things spooky reside on the top of the mountain) & he constantly tries to convince me to allow him to ride in his car seat sans straps. he things he can swim & i love watching him try. he bravely jumps off the step in the pool & confidently kicks his legs & strokes his arms but the poor boy has his dad's natural ability to sink so despite his best efforts he usually doesn't make it more than a foot before running out of air. regardless of how far he makes it he pops out of the water proud as a peach as if he made it across the pool & back.

i wouldn't say he's my most obedient child. it's not that he doesn't obey it's that he will not obey for sake of obeying itself. rather, he needs to understand why you are instructing him to do or not do something. then once he decides the request is valid he is more than happy to comply. yes, he is wise well beyond his years. and although his stubborn nature drives me batty i have the upmost respect for his thought processes. i don't mind spending an extra few minutes explaining my reasoning because once he gets it he rarely needs to be reminded. he has respect for reasonable rules & sticks to them.

he is my wild. mighty has the most active imagination. it is just beautiful. he truly believes that by strapping on a cape he can fly. and he is pretty positive that when he spins in a circle as fast as he can he looks exactly like a ninjago ninja performing spinjitzu. he constantly tells tales of what lives in the jungle or what his daddy does at work or my personal favorite are the stories about jesus. like how a big hurricane was coming to maui & jesus ate the storm to save us. he loves learning. he could read books & put together puzzles all day. he loves to draw, count, & practice his numbers & abc's. he is rather reasonable for a toddler. he just gets things & comes to conclusions that constantly amaze me. 

he is a button-pusher. he has an innate ability to understand people. i've seen him use it for good but he's often found enjoyment in using his unique skill to get under the skin of those around him. like his current obsession with turning off the lights. usually it isn't that big of a deal but when i'm chopping raw chicken or i'm in the shower & the lights go out in a can be a little frustrating. i've found that when he starts pushing buttons it's usually his way of saying he needs a little attention. so we try to make special time for mylo when he starts getting a little naughty. quality time is definitely his love language. & physical touch. he is a big time snuggler. he loves being in his parents arms or cuddled up to a brother. he runs to cooper & gives him the biggest hug & kiss every single day when we pick him up from school. personally, i love his check smushes. ever since he was a baby he has the habit of smashing his cheek up against mine whenever he's in my arms. it makes my heart melt. he is incredibly thoughtful. he plucks a flower from every tree or bush he passes especially for me. he never passes up a piece of beach glass or seashell because he knows how much i love them. and every time he is given a treat he makes sure to get extras for his brothers & friends. 

he is the happiest child i know. not that my others aren't happy. it's just that mylo has a natural fun-loving nature. regardless of the situation you can guarantee mylo has found a way to make it enjoyable. he doesn't waste time complaining, rather he gets creative & gets happy. mylo finds humor in everything & he constantly wears a smile. and did i mention that he has the most infectious laugh? running errands with him is one of my favorite things. he usually laughs the whole way through the store & even the strangers around us can't help but adopt a little of his joy. he loves people. well, let me clarify, he loves people he knows well. he is happiest when surrounded by his entire family & cries every time his brothers go to school, he asks almost daily when his grandparents will visit, & he insists on seeing his friends every chance he gets. he is quick to forgive & even quicker to apologize. he is always the first to say sorry. he loves saying prayers & they are rarely less than 3 minutes long. he has to include every person & thing he can think of. they are very heartfelt & usually intune with our actual needs & environment at the time. he loves his church class, it is probably the highlight of his week. up until last month he insisted i spend most of the two hours in the room with him (which i didn't mind one bit-but i am happy to graduate to relief society after 3 years of hanging with my babies in nursery). he has a habit of adding the l sound in random words like "flamily," "fluffly," & "flavowite". it gets me every single time.

we love you, mylo. more than you can possibly understand. you bring so much life & light into our lives. you make the darkest days bright with your bouncy blonde curls & unfailing smiling. you have stolen our hearts & we are so blessed to call you our baby.

1. mylo's best friend: mosiah & august
2.  mylo's name: mylllllo dames
3.  mylo prefers to go by: mylo
4.  mylo's favorite animals: turtles
5.  what does mylo want to be when he grows up: santa or hulk or jesus, he's still debating
6. mylo's favorite movie: how to train your dragons 2 & cloudy with a chance of meatballs
7.  mylo's favorite song: "every thing is awesome" lego movie & old mcdonald had a farm-in mylo's rendition old mcdonald has a hulk, a storm, a batman, an emitt (lego movie), & a policeman. 

8.  what makes mylo happy?  board games, running, playing with his friends, & treats

9.  what makes mylo sad? being left out of anything. even boring things like school or baths.
10.  mylo's favorite food:  strawberries, bananas, oatmeal, & chocolate
11.  mylo's favorite place: the beach & the maui tropical plantation
12.  mylo's favorite color: green aka "hulps smass" (hulk smash) 
13.  mylo's favorite game: cariboo, connect four, & clumsy ninja
14.  mylo's #1 wish right now: to eat cupcakes all day every day & buy every thing at the toy store. 
15: cute mylo quotes: "daddy, feel my bum! see! no diaper!" -on day 2 of potty training, "what da fench?!"

my lens.

it's months (8 to be exact) since i dusted off my big camera & took some quality shots. such a shame.to be honest, i completely forgot about it. that is, until coop & i were discussing his talents & dreams when he caught me off guard by asking me what my talents & my dreams are. ummm, total blank. it's been years since i thought about myself long enough to consider such things. i told him my biggest dream was to be a good mommy, but to a sensible 7 year old like coop that wasn't a good enough answer. he wants solid factual quantifiable answers. so after a few minutes of racking my brain i remembered that one of my long forgotten goals was to master my dslr. and there you have it! the reason for my new constant accessory. i' try to bring my camera along anytime i think i may have a few moments of down time. i still have a long long road ahead of me if i'm ever going to attain my lofty goal but there's no better place to start than the bottom, am i right? for now i'm just trying to keep off auto mode & figure out the overwhelmingly tricky settings. 

honestly, few things make me happier than pictures of my boys. i wish i could just truman show their entire lives. some days are sunshine & rainbows & others are just plain rough but when i look back at our photos  every smile, every tantrum, every tear, every moment seems down right perfect. i need to take more pictures. i don't want to miss any of it. so i hereby solemnly swear to capture it all (okay, maybe not all of it but definitely more.)

(waiting for cooper's baseball game to start with mylo, tj, & todd.)

(a typical lazy sunday afternoon at the beach with my men. soccer, football, sand castles, beach combing, & bbq.)

(scavenger hunt at ali'i kula lavender field & picking flowers at kula strawberry farm with our maui ohana. tj insisted on the biggest plant he could find, cooper got his favorite flower, a sunflower, & mylo simply wanted one small stemless blossom.)

a mighty mylo party

given mylo's super hero obsession & his most common nickname it seemed like a no brainer that his birthday party would be themed mighty mylo. wanna know my favorite super hero characteristics of mr. mighty? 1. his second persona he takes on each time a costume of any sort is put on his little body. he goes from a chill little guy to a confident, strong, kind of domineering super hero instantly. 2. his super hero story lines. oh his super heros don't just fight, his stories have actual plots. and they are rather entertaining. 3. his sound effects. they are dead accurate & pure genius. this kid is a total kick to hang out with. 4. the deep raspy baby voice he gets when he becomes a super hero.

mighty was ecstatic to discover his party. for as observent as he is, mylo seemed to miss all the party planning talk, shopping, & crafting. so he was caught a little off gaurd when he woke up to our morning celebrations but he was totally shocked & absolutely stoked when he arrived at his party (todd took the morning off so he could hang out with mylo while cooper, tj, & i set up the party). all of mylo's most favorite friends showed up. these are the kids he plays with at least twice a week. they are really more like family than friends, we call them our maui cousins. honestly, these people are amazing. as soon as they show up the oms start lending helping hands & they don't stop searching for ways to serve until the party is cleaned up & we are on our way home. we are so blessed to have these amazing people in our lives.

this was the first party i've ever thrown that involved actual party games. normally there's some sort of major activity to participate in but this time i wasn't really feeling it so i stuck with the easy stuff. we pinned the mask on the mylo, bowled for buildings, searched for super heroes & demolished a piñata (my first ever homemade piñata, might i add. i was so worried about it falling apart pre-party that it turned out to be indestructable by toddler standards. but with the help of todd & his pocket knife we were able to get the job done.) mylo wasn't much in to the games. he spent most of the time going down this super speedy slide. he did love the piñata & the buildings are his favorite new toy. he loves to knock them down or use them as houses for his duplo figures.

i made super hero masks & capes for each kid. this was a major hit. i think i could have skipped games all together & just let them run around in their costumes & they would have been good. my super talented friend, suzy, painted & personalized these absolutely adorable peg dolls specific for each kid. i was amazed with the detail she put in to each. it was obvious which doll belonged to which person at very first glance. my favorite was mylo's curly hair. it is spot on. he is obsessed with his new "batman" as he calls them & insists on taking them everywhere. (random fact: when todd & i got married we had personalized peg dolls painted to represent us. they are one of my favorite details from our wedding & now i am super stoked to have my whole peg family.)

i decided to go with picnic food because, well, it's easy & i'm lazy. there were lunch boxes for the kids with sandwhiches, chips, string cheese, juice boxes, & fruit snacks for the kids. for the adults there were sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, & lemonade. and, of course, sprinkle cupcakes for all to enjoy. like i said, easy. 

mylo loved having a day to be celebrated & make all the choices (that's how watkins' birthdays go). but i definitely think his party (& his new pool grandma & papa gave him) was the highlight. he talks about his party ever day. he talks about who came & the games they played then he insists on putting on his costume. he truly is the mightiest mylo i know & i am so grateful for the opportunity we had to make his special day a little more special. we love you so, mighty mylo!