Today, on Mazzy’s last day of 10th grade (I can’t believe it), I wanted to dedicate this post purely to my oldest daughter (a rising junior!!!) and tell you a little about who she is and all the things she does that aren’t captured in my photos and videos.
Oof, this hit me in the feels! As an internet Auntie, I’m so proud of Mazzy, and although I miss the pink posts for her, I love that she’s advocating privacy for herself.
My kiddos are 11 and 9, I was pregnant with my son (11) when I first started following you. Next week is his last week in elementary school and I am so deep in my feelings I can’t articulate it well, the joy of his accomplishments and the devastation of his childhood speeding away so much faster than I’m prepared for.
But I’m grateful I’ve kept following you into the big kid years to prepare me for all the joys I have in store. Thank you.
Way to go Mazzy! Every detail of this is just 'so Mazzy', like you said, but what made me laugh out loud is golf being her sport of choice! Amazing 😆 I appreciate you being candid about her working up to this point. My eldest (same age as Harlow) is a wonderful kid but lacks motivation for such mundane tasks as schoolwork. She's still doing well, but I'm kind of waiting for her to have the internal kick that you describe Mazzy having.
I have a few mum-brag moments from the past school year.
- Mia's (12) teachers stating she is kind to all her classmates and tries to ensure everyone feels included 💖 That's worth more than any Spanish grades!
- Max (10) struggles with dyslexia and adhd. His teachers sharing that he is WAY more focused and engaged since starting medication, and that he 'asks the most interesting questions! It's like getting a glimpse into the super neat way his mind works, and gets us all thinking!' Made my heart soar. - -
- Our youngest are identical twins Ruby and Lucy (6) who absolutely thrived this year at a new school in a dual-language program. Next year they'll do full language immersion.
I love hearing all about the delightful and determined young women you are raising. Their individuality is so special. I hope you remember to pat yourself on the back for being such an attentive parent. I believe part of the reason they thrive is that they have a mum who picks up on their strengths and interests, celebrating each milestone (even the short-lived ones). You're doing a great job guys! Thanks for sharing the wins with us x
I loved this story about Mazzy so much. Not gonna lie, semi teary eyed bc they are both just so grown from when I started following you. Happy to see she is accomplishing all her goals. As her parents how could you not be proud? Best summer ever to her and can’t wait to see where 11 th grade takes her 🎉💜🎉💜
My 3rd grader is moving to gt math next year (so two grade levels above grade!) which he did ALL on his own. We resisted any additional tutoring to get ahead. So proud!
Our 1st grader won TWO hula hooping contests (lol!) but last year she couldn’t hula hoop at all. And we are so proud she practiced something she didn’t know independently and found success (she also mastered monkey bars!). She’s also reading!! Dogman, princess in black and owl diaries. Those are legit books!
Our 4 year old twins can write their names. One is recognizing almost all her letters! The other is a gross motor fiend and we can’t wait to start soccer!
I've been around since Harlow was born - I can't believe how grown-up all these kids are (yours and mine)! I'm constantly amazed by the incredible people they are all becoming. It gives me hope for the future.
My oldest will wrap up 8th grade on Thursday, we have his promotion celebration tonight. He's a green belt martial artist (I have no idea if all the disciplines use the same color scale, but for him, it's two levels below black), a travel hockey player, takes a full set of honors classes, and plays the saxophone in both symphonic and jazz band. He rarely wants to brag about himself, so I had to laugh when he came home a couple of weeks ago and said, "My civics project presentation went pretty well. I think I advanced to the next level of the contest." And then I got a comment notification in our school gradebook software from his civics teacher, and it turns out that "pretty well" meant "best rated in the school", and the "next level" was NATIONAL - he'd already been advanced out of the school, district, and state levels!!
My youngest made the big transition to middle school this year, and I was pretty worried about it. He's a gifted ADHD kid, and big changes have ALWAYS been a struggle. But he showed up to all his classes and mostly did the work and turned it in on his own! He's coming out of the year with several new friends, a preponderance of A grades, and a new love of theater (he chose Speech and Drama for one of his electives and had a blast). I had honestly been prepared for the worst outcome, and he was amazing. Plus, he's a pretty fantastic guitar player for an almost 12-year-old.
Loved reading this! Way to go Mazzy. I hope she enjoys every minute of summer. I also have a rising junior and can’t believe I’m at this point with our “baby”. She knows what she wants and goes after it. Her big summer plans include a 2 week pre-college, pre-law program at Duke which she is super excited about!
Mazzy is so ready for Junior year! Get ready for a super busy and important year ahead. I just survived my granddaughter’s JR year! I am so happy for Mazzy 🩷
You are raising some pretty special girls! It is awesome to see the way you balance life, career, and motherhood in this ever changing climate. As a young follower I love seeing your enthusiasm and engagement with social media represented in such a healthy way. I look up to you Ilana & love all your content 😊
I really love this ode to Mazzy. You definitely miss the babies but it’s really awesome to see them come into their own. My youngest just graduated high school and my oldest girl is a rising junior in college so this gave me all the feels.
I am pregnant and this post brought me to tears thinking about how children turn into real, whole humans that we get to watch live amazing lives. Your take on motherhood is so inspiring and I appreciate how you share your children in respect to their boundaries. Overall, I appreciate your viewpoints, and I look forward to motherhood for myself because of you.
Way to go mazzy!! So impressive. Thanks for sharing a bit about her. I have been following for almost 10 years.
My 3rd grader received the language arts award. This was her biggest struggle in first grade and she has improved so much over the last 2 years.
My 1st grader is loving basketball and scored some points on Thursday (she is one of 2 girls on the team)
My 4 year old is writing his name
And my baby (2.5) is loving life
Oof, this hit me in the feels! As an internet Auntie, I’m so proud of Mazzy, and although I miss the pink posts for her, I love that she’s advocating privacy for herself.
My kiddos are 11 and 9, I was pregnant with my son (11) when I first started following you. Next week is his last week in elementary school and I am so deep in my feelings I can’t articulate it well, the joy of his accomplishments and the devastation of his childhood speeding away so much faster than I’m prepared for.
But I’m grateful I’ve kept following you into the big kid years to prepare me for all the joys I have in store. Thank you.
Way to go Mazzy! Every detail of this is just 'so Mazzy', like you said, but what made me laugh out loud is golf being her sport of choice! Amazing 😆 I appreciate you being candid about her working up to this point. My eldest (same age as Harlow) is a wonderful kid but lacks motivation for such mundane tasks as schoolwork. She's still doing well, but I'm kind of waiting for her to have the internal kick that you describe Mazzy having.
I have a few mum-brag moments from the past school year.
- Mia's (12) teachers stating she is kind to all her classmates and tries to ensure everyone feels included 💖 That's worth more than any Spanish grades!
- Max (10) struggles with dyslexia and adhd. His teachers sharing that he is WAY more focused and engaged since starting medication, and that he 'asks the most interesting questions! It's like getting a glimpse into the super neat way his mind works, and gets us all thinking!' Made my heart soar. - -
- Our youngest are identical twins Ruby and Lucy (6) who absolutely thrived this year at a new school in a dual-language program. Next year they'll do full language immersion.
I love hearing all about the delightful and determined young women you are raising. Their individuality is so special. I hope you remember to pat yourself on the back for being such an attentive parent. I believe part of the reason they thrive is that they have a mum who picks up on their strengths and interests, celebrating each milestone (even the short-lived ones). You're doing a great job guys! Thanks for sharing the wins with us x
Oh dear Mazzy! How proud of you I Am! Can I get some credit of all our subway rides and Starbucks trips? 😆😆😆
I loved this story about Mazzy so much. Not gonna lie, semi teary eyed bc they are both just so grown from when I started following you. Happy to see she is accomplishing all her goals. As her parents how could you not be proud? Best summer ever to her and can’t wait to see where 11 th grade takes her 🎉💜🎉💜
I love that they are both artists but in different ways. I hope they both have fun summer. And will you have two kids in highschool next year?
No, Harlow will still be in 8th!
Oh gosh…does that mean you are starting the college search with Mazzy and the high school application process with Harlow at the same time?
Incredible Mazzy!!
My 3rd grader is moving to gt math next year (so two grade levels above grade!) which he did ALL on his own. We resisted any additional tutoring to get ahead. So proud!
Our 1st grader won TWO hula hooping contests (lol!) but last year she couldn’t hula hoop at all. And we are so proud she practiced something she didn’t know independently and found success (she also mastered monkey bars!). She’s also reading!! Dogman, princess in black and owl diaries. Those are legit books!
Our 4 year old twins can write their names. One is recognizing almost all her letters! The other is a gross motor fiend and we can’t wait to start soccer!
It’s nice to finally brag on your kids successes.
Hi twin mum! We also have 4 with twins last. Sounds like they're all doing well!
You must be so proud of your girls!!!
Mazzy seems so effortlessly cool
I've been around since Harlow was born - I can't believe how grown-up all these kids are (yours and mine)! I'm constantly amazed by the incredible people they are all becoming. It gives me hope for the future.
My oldest will wrap up 8th grade on Thursday, we have his promotion celebration tonight. He's a green belt martial artist (I have no idea if all the disciplines use the same color scale, but for him, it's two levels below black), a travel hockey player, takes a full set of honors classes, and plays the saxophone in both symphonic and jazz band. He rarely wants to brag about himself, so I had to laugh when he came home a couple of weeks ago and said, "My civics project presentation went pretty well. I think I advanced to the next level of the contest." And then I got a comment notification in our school gradebook software from his civics teacher, and it turns out that "pretty well" meant "best rated in the school", and the "next level" was NATIONAL - he'd already been advanced out of the school, district, and state levels!!
My youngest made the big transition to middle school this year, and I was pretty worried about it. He's a gifted ADHD kid, and big changes have ALWAYS been a struggle. But he showed up to all his classes and mostly did the work and turned it in on his own! He's coming out of the year with several new friends, a preponderance of A grades, and a new love of theater (he chose Speech and Drama for one of his electives and had a blast). I had honestly been prepared for the worst outcome, and he was amazing. Plus, he's a pretty fantastic guitar player for an almost 12-year-old.
Loved reading this! Way to go Mazzy. I hope she enjoys every minute of summer. I also have a rising junior and can’t believe I’m at this point with our “baby”. She knows what she wants and goes after it. Her big summer plans include a 2 week pre-college, pre-law program at Duke which she is super excited about!
Mazzy is so ready for Junior year! Get ready for a super busy and important year ahead. I just survived my granddaughter’s JR year! I am so happy for Mazzy 🩷
You are raising some pretty special girls! It is awesome to see the way you balance life, career, and motherhood in this ever changing climate. As a young follower I love seeing your enthusiasm and engagement with social media represented in such a healthy way. I look up to you Ilana & love all your content 😊
Love this so much! It’s so fun to see how different two kiddos can be and appreciate the unique qualities of each. My kiddos are the same!
I really love this ode to Mazzy. You definitely miss the babies but it’s really awesome to see them come into their own. My youngest just graduated high school and my oldest girl is a rising junior in college so this gave me all the feels.
I am pregnant and this post brought me to tears thinking about how children turn into real, whole humans that we get to watch live amazing lives. Your take on motherhood is so inspiring and I appreciate how you share your children in respect to their boundaries. Overall, I appreciate your viewpoints, and I look forward to motherhood for myself because of you.