14 Year Old in The House

Today is my son's birthday.  He's turning 14.  I can't believe it.  Everyone says it.  Everyone says they grow up in a blink of an eye and it's true.  This pictures explains what it was like for me.  One second the picture on the right, playing with light sabers and Buzz Lightyear, the next the picture on the left, growing into a young man.

He started 8th grade this year.

This past year I have had to purchase him three different sizes of shoes.  I had to buy new jeans every couple of months because they got too short and now we shop in the men's department.  It is strange.  I was not prepared.  He suddenly was taller than me and his fingers were longer than mine (not that that was such an accomplishment - my fingers are like Vienna Sausages).

He and his sister had always been 1/2 inch apart in height until this past year.  This year, this happened:

Last October he went to Falls Creek for a short fall break camp.  It was a dip-your-toe kind of thing for me.  First time away at a camp without either parent.  I survived.  Then came this summer when he wanted to go for a whole week to Falls Creek.  I did this every summer when I was in the youth group.  He would be fine.  I know this in my head.  I do.  However, I still went down for the day.  :)

He is growing in a fine young man.  He is learning new things like riding a motorcycle with a clutch and change his tire.

broken brake lever

The officer bought his uncle's old truck.  Eventually this will be the boy's truck.  There is a lot of work that needs to be done on it, but they are working on it together.  It's been a fun project for them.  They just got the motor back from the shop, and now they have to put it back together.  Fingers crossed. 

Although he's grown a foot, almost literally, he's not too big to get a hug from Grandma Margaret or learn chess from Papa.  I hope he never gets to big for either of those.

 Happy 14th Birthday son.

Getting to Know Them 2.0

I got on my blog to write a post about my son turning 14 tomorrow.  14!  I saw this post and I thought I would do round two since it's been a year.  You can find the original post here.

 September 2016

Answers in pink belong to daughter and answers in blue belong to son.  

1.  At what age is a person an adult? Why do you think so? 

18 years old - because you say it
18 years old because that's what I heard 

2.  If could change one rule that your family has, what would you change?

playing out in the dark by myself
bedtime 

3.  What is something that makes your family special?
 
we all love puppies
we are all different 

4.  Of all the things you are learning, what do you 
think will be the most useful when you are an adult? 

learning more things about dogs so I can help them 
things I'm learning in church 

5.  Are you a good friend? Why do you think so? 

yes, because I tell my friends about God
yes, and no because I like to watch out for my friends, but I also like to "jack with them" 

6.  How would the world be different if animals could talk? 

they could tell you how they are feeling
it would be a lot less animals - BANG! 

7.  Would you cheat on a test if you knew you would not get caught? Why or why not?

what kind of test? 
no, because "cheating is wrong" 

8.  If you could grow up to be famous, what would you want to be famous for? 

being a dog whisperer 
doing wild stunts 

9.  If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? 

prank my brother
prank my family 

10.  What is the best gift you have ever given? Why was it so special?

Saige, my American Girl Doll
my truck 

11.  What is the hardest thing about being a kid?

rules
adults

12.  If you were a teacher and the kids in your class would not listen to you, what would you do?

detention 
I'd drill sargeant them:  10 pushups each

13.  Where is your favorite place in the world? 

go see Ma and Pa again, ride my dirt bike and eat some of Ma's biscuits
home

14.  If you could give one gift to every single child in the world, what gift would you give?

a Bible
a Lego set

15.  If you could travel back in time three years and visit your younger self, what advice would you give yourself?

don't tattle on your brother so much
start studying for your truck now

16.  What five words do you think most describe you?

awesome, truthful, pet-loving, loves God, daring
daring, awesome, cool, amazing, and ignorant

17.  If you could invent something that would make life easier for people, what would you invent?

super speed
teleporter

18.  When was a time that you felt lucky?

when I got my dog
when I was alone on a dodgeball court with a bunch of college kids and I lasted as long as I did


19.  What do you think would be the hardest thing about being blind?

you wouldn't be able to do some sports
everything

20.  If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what rule would you make? Why?

just be nice
no war 

I was surprised some of the answers were the same - verbatim.  Not surprised my girl's love for dogs still shines though.  I giggled when my girl said, "What kind of test?" and sighed when my son said his favorite place is home.  What more can a mom ask for right now from a one day from being 14 year old boy.  Love them both!

Getting to Know Them

I found a questionnaire I thought would be fun to have the kids answer.  Answers in pink belong to daughter and answers in blue belong to son. 

1.  At what age is a person an adult? Why do you think so?

19 years old because they don't live with parents
18 years old because that's everyone has told me

2.  If could change one rule that your family has, what would you change?

later bedtimes
I'm pretty satisfied with everything right now.

3.  What is something that makes your family special?

We love everybody.
The way we do things differently from other families.  

4.  Of all the things you are learning, what do you think will be the most useful when you are an adult?

Reading
Being a Christian

5.  Are you a good friend? Why do you think so?

Yes, because I'm nice and help friends if they need help.
Yes, because I care for my friends.

6.  How would the world be different if animals could talk?

You could understand them and it would be lot noisier.
It would probably be a lot less animals and more guns.

7.  Would you cheat on a test if you knew you would not get caught? Why or why not?

No, it's not the right thing to do.
No, it's wrong and I need to get the fair grade that I deserve.

8.  If you could grow up to be famous, what would you want to be famous for?

Being good with dogs or babies.
... maybe acting

9.  If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

Pick on bubba
Pull pranks

10.  What is the best gift you have ever given? Why was it so special?

Jetta because she's crazy and smart.
The LEGO tumbler because it was really detailed and big.

11.  What is the hardest thing about being a kid?

Not being able to drive
Obeying rules

12.  If you were a teacher and the kids in your class would not listen to you, what would you do?

I would take them to the principal or call their mom and dad and tell them they are not behaving.
I'd "drill sergeant" them, if one of them does something wrong, they all get punished.

13.  Where is your favorite place in the world?


At home.
Disney World, that place was awesome!

14.  If you could give one gift to every single child in the world, what gift would you give?

A puppy
A Bible in their translation

15.  If you could travel back in time three years and visit your younger self, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself to not be as naughty.
I would tell myself to just stay on the path you're going on because you're doing good so far.

16.  What five words do you think most describe you?

awesome, sweet, nice, helpful, listener
awesome, kind, black-belt, fast, honest

17.  If you could invent something that would make life easier for people, what would you invent?

Jetboots
Teleporter 

18.  When was a time that you felt lucky?

When I found $10 in my jeans pocket.
Winning dodgeball in p.e.

19.  What do you think would be the hardest thing about being blind?

Building LEGOs
Learning how to move around and reading braille.

20.  If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what rule would you make? Why?

You have to adopt one puppy or more, unless you are allergic to them then you have to adopt something OR be kind to one another.

Not wage war against each other.

I completely enjoyed doing this questionnaire with the kids.  I should do this every year with them.  I would love to see if their answers change and what the new answers would be.  

Most of their answers didn't surprise me. However, I was a little surprised about my son saying he would like to be famous for acting because he doesn't like to be on stage at all, except for tae kwon do.  I was also surprised my son wouldn't change any family rules, especially since he said obeying the rules was the hardest part about being a kid.  

I was not surprised at all about my daughter wanting everyone in the world to adopt a puppy.  It was amusing that my daughter would tell her younger self to not be so naughty.  

Also, I gave the kids a short test to see what was their love language.  The five love languages are quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service and receiving gifts.  I was surprised that my daughter's primary love language is physical touch.  She loves hugs and sitting in my lap, but I thought it would be quality time.  Whenever daddy's out of town, she sleeps with me.  Her leg is always draped over me or she snugged up against me.  Her secondary love language is words of affirmation.  Her last love language was receiving gifts.  My son's primary love language is acts of service.  His secondary love language is words of affirmation and his last love language is physical touch.  

I wonder if these will change over time.  It was very enlightening.  I need to make sure I am telling my kids that appreciate them more.  I don't want to give them a false sense of accomplishment, but I want to make sure they know when I think they've done a good job or have worked hard complete a project.   I think most people tend to give love in the way they like to receive it.  It's only natural.  I have realized that my kids are different from me and from each other.  I would like to make sure I can find ways to show my kids love in their love language.  

What do you do to get to know your kids better? 

Catch Him If You Can

It's been an eventful morning on the Treasure's island.  I took both the children in for their well-child annual doctor appointment.  My son had not been looking forward to this visit because he knew he was going to get two immunization shots.  

We arrived early, as we usually do, to do paperwork.  The nurse called us back to the small room and took the kids' vitals.  Our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. B, came in did part of their exam.  She was called out of the room, so the nurse came in with my son's immunization shots.  My daughter didn't want to watch so she stepped out of the room.

My son had to have a shot in each arm.  As the nurse was getting things prepared, my son had hopped on the bed.  I could tell he was very nervous because he was breathing heavily and pretty quiet.  Not laughing and chatting like we were just a minute before.  The nurse laid everything out beside him and started to prepare his arm.  She rubbed it with an alcohol wipe and told him to relax his arm.  Then she told him to relax his arm and look away, again, and then again.  I'm not even sure he was breathing regularly.  She pinched his arm and gave him shot.  She asked him how it was.  He said, "Well, it just felt like pressure.  Well, actually I feel light-headed."  Then his face went pale and he slumped forward.  He had passed out on the nurse.  Fortunately, she was standing right in front of him.  She held him for a minute and tried to talk to him to see if he would wake up.  He didn't wake up, so she laid him down onto the bed.  

While I had gotten up walked over to them, I was laughing because I couldn't believe he had passed out.  My laughing turned to crying when the nurse laid him down onto the bed because his body went  rigid.  His left arm was stiff against his chest, his right arm straight out and his legs both pointed straight out.  His body started to move like he was having a seizure.  As soon as that started, the nurse ran out of the room to find the doctor.  I don't think she was gone more than 30 seconds, but it was a long 30 seconds.  My son's body shook a bit more then stopped.  When he opened his eyes, his face was flushed and sweaty.  He was agitated and asking what happened.  He had no idea what happened and was wondering why I was standing over him.  The nurse and the doctor came back in the room and I told the doctor everything that happened.  Dr. B asked my son a series of questions to make sure he was alert and aware of his surroundings. The doctor didn't seem to think it was a seizure because he was fully alert and oriented just minutes after it had all happened.

I think he had just been so nervous about getting the shots he had stopped breathing and that's why he passed out.  The doctor had my son lay down for a while and then sit up and later stand up to make sure he wasn't light-headed anymore.  My daughter came back into the room.  Truthfully, I had forgotten she was out there in all the commotion.  When I saw her face, I could tell she was upset, confused and scared.  She broke down crying.  I'm pretty sure I started crying again too.  The doctor continued the rest of the well-child exam on both of the kids.  Everything else with the exam was fine.  My son still had to get his last immunization.  He did fine, no problems at all.

There doesn't seem to be any other side effects besides a sore arm and a little tiredness.  He's back to his usual wise-cracking, quick-witted self.  Thank the Lord.  Now I just need to remember about possibility of him fainting whenever he gets shots in the future and we're all good.  

Fall Is In The Air

Have I told you  I really love fall?  It's my favorite season.  Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Flag Football.  Cool weather.  Leaving changing colors.  Sweatshirts.  Did I hit all the wonderful fall things? 

This is the second season my son has played flag football.  He has really enjoyed it.  He is a tad smaller than most of the other guys, but he's pretty quick.  So far his team has only lost one game.

Okay, this has nothing to do with fall, but it happened yesterday.  A while ago, my daughter purchased a Disney John Smith and Pocahontas doll.  While she was playing with them, John's leg snapped off.  She put it away and hasn't played with it since.  The officer decided to try to screw the leg on so she could play with it.  Out came the power tools.  This is where my son enters the story. 

"Hey dad, why don't we put a Bionicle leg on John?  I think I can build one!", my son exclaims.  The officer replies, "Can you build one the same size as his leg?  Try it!" 

Viola....

Back in 2004, the officer, his dad and our friend, Matt, built an awesome two-phase playground in the backyard.  The kids played on that playground for many years.  This year, we got a trampoline.  We didn't have room for both in our backyard, so the decision was made to tear down the playground so we could put up the trampoline.

They have not regretted the decision.  The kids have thoroughly enjoyed the trampoline.  They've been working on perfecting the front flip.  Last night, my son finally landed it.  Then he landed again and again.

Sunday night when we put the trampoline up, the kids really wanted to sleep on it.  However, possible Oklahoma storms put the kibosh on that idea.  We had to move the trampoline again the fence and put sandbags on the legs.  With winds up to 60 miles an hour, we were really hoping we had a trampoline in the morning.  Fortunately, it was still there and intact the next morning.  Last night, the weather was perfect with lows only in the 50s.  The kids got their mummy sleeping bags out and put their sweats on.

I wasn't sure if they would make it all night long.  I wasn't sure if Jetta would try to hop onto the trampoline.  I was nervous because they were out there all night long by themselves.  The officer was nervous because the back door was unlocked.  So I opened the windows in my bedroom and opened the blinds so I could see them.  I did not sleep well.  I kept waking up and checking on them.  

However, they were fine.  I tried to not be all "GO TO SLEEP!" mom because I was so tired.  I heard a lot of giggling.  I saw someone running around the yard.  I saw glowsticks being thrown around.  I saw a headlamp continuously sweeping across the yard and shine into our bedroom.  I heard the springs of the trampoline squeaking.  I heard lots of talking. I heard some crying.  I heard the dogs walking back and forth and their tag jingling because the kids were in the backyard.  I know memories of a fun fall evening sleeping on their trampoline under the stars was being made, so I relaxed and enjoyed all the sights and sounds.  They slept outside all night long.  They got cold, but they made it.  My son woke up at 6:40 a.m. to come use the restroom, but then went back outside and laid there until sister woke up.  They came in around 7:20 a.m.

Lastly, a couple of days ago when I was jogging, I started to notice all the leaves that are starting to fall onto the ground.  They are starting to change colors.  On my last lap, I was wondering how many shades there were so I picked some up.  I found all the wonderful, brilliant colors of fall.  

And then I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.  In a couple of weeks, daylight savings will happen and I won't see too many of these sunrises so I'm enjoying them now. 

So many reasons fall is my favorite time of the year!

Flags and Parades

My son started flag football on Thursday.  This is his first time in any kind of team sport.  I've always been interested to see how he would do in a team sport.  We just had a practice.  He was nervous going to practice because he's never played football or flag football.  He has no idea how to play, but he can catch a football.  

He has seven other boys on the team.  Three of them are homeschoolers.  Three of the boys have played football or flag football before but no one else has.  That made my son feel better.  He wouldn't be the only one out there learning the rules of the game.  One of this friends signed up to play on the same team and he found out another boy used to do tae kwon do with him.  He's the smallest on the team, but he's quick.  I told him it was an advantage.  His coach was great.  My son had a lot of fun practicing. 

On Saturday morning, we went to a Founder's Day parade with my sister, Mistie, and her kids to watch her girls in the parade.  One of her daughters was marching in the high school band and the other is a cheerleader.  We arrived early to get a good spot along the road.  We saw my niece marching in the band, but when the cheerleaders came by they were walking with the football team and there was just so many of them that we didn't get to see her.

My kids said they'd never been to a parade.  Throughout the week they kept asking me, "When is the march?",  "When is the band?", and "Now, why do they throw candy at you?"  I knew they would have a good time.  My niece and nephews especially loved picking up the candy. 

We saw old cars, Boy Scouts, fire trucks, horses and a green slugbug!  I got it.

After the parade, my sister had to leave.  The kids and I walked around their Founder's Day festival.  A woman was doing balloon animals.  My son got a sword and my daughter got a wiener dog.  This is what was left of the wiener dog.

Of course, free snocones put smiles back on their faces when their balloon animals popped. 

As we walked around, they got free tote bags, juices and more candy.  Not sure they needed more candy.  :)  They had a lot of fun at their first parade.

Maybe Monet, But Then Again Maybe Not

This past week has been a good week.  Last Wednesday, my friend, Jill, and I went to Heart to Art.  I purchased a gift certificate the last time I did it.  It had been exactly a year.  We signed up to paint the Maybe Monet painting.  It is so much fun and very relaxing.  It was a very different painting than the one we did last time.  Last time, we painted exclusively with brushes, but this time we painting with sponges and brushes.  Also last time, the instructor told us exactly what to do.  However this time, the instructor told us what to do, but it was much more subjective.  Here is the model painting.

These classes are fun because even if you can't paint or if the only time you've ever painted was once in 40 years, you can still do this.  The instructor gives you step-by-step instructions.
 

Okay so maybe my "poppies" look like I just got a papercut and smeared it on my painting. 

Our paintings.  One of the things I love about taking the class is that you can see everyone's interpretation of the model painting.  Everyone's just a bit different, but the same.

On Thursday, we went swimming.  We thought we'd give daughter's "waterproof" cast a trial run.  She did fine.  No problems.  It took a couple of hours, maybe more, for it to dry out, but did not irritate her while it did.

Thursday was my mom's birthday.  We ate dinner with my mom at my sister, Mistie's house.  After dinner, we went to a scrimmage to see my niece, A, cheer in her first game.  She did great. 

On Saturday, the officer and my daughter had a daddy/daughter date night.  They went to with another daddy/daughter to Chuck E. Cheese, Golden Corral and Pink Swirls (or Pink Squirrels as my daughter likes to call it).

My son and I had a mini mom/son date night.  We ate Chick Fil A (his choice) and then went to Target to get toilet paper.  Glamorous huh?  We ended the evening with frappuccinos at Starbucks. 

I'll end this post with a little craft my daughter made for me.  Made me smile.  Thank you Grandma for helping her.