growing up before my eyes

Kids have a way of growing up and changing. It is just the way it is. Happens whether we want it to or not.

2nd born son has been away at scout camp and now he is at wrestling camp. Wrestling camp is across town and they are actually rooming at the University. He has been gone for 5 days and will be gone for another 5 days. Seeing as how he forgot some stuff we ran over there today and hung out with him for a bit. In just the short time he has been gone it looked to me like he had grown. This kid is changing right before my eyes--it is only when i step back and reflect do i realize how much he is changing in such a short period of time.

Recently at his promotion they had some pictures of the kids. One of the mothers commented on how young the group of boys looked--more specifically my son. She said "Oh, that must have been sixth grade"--only problem was my son was not at that school in sixth grade. That picture was actually seventh grade--less than two short years and my little boy changed into a teenager. He now weighs as much-maybe more than his brother who is four years older and is now taller than his dad.

I have added some pictures over the past few years of him in his scout uniform so you can see the change as well


April 24, 2008--11 1/2



September 18 2008--11 years 10 months

August 20, 2009--12 years 9months

13 years 4 months

February 20, 2010

May 19th 2011--14 1/2

the most recent documented scout picture of how he is changing--

he finally got his LIFE rank officially--

yes it is already sewn on his uniform--i refused to take it off from when his brother got his

My/our goal if for him to get his EAGLE SCOUT before he outgrows his shirt.

At the rate he is growing it better happen sooner than later!

whip something up

I am growing up...
hard to believe that after 42 years
(i think that is how old I am?)
I am still willing to try new things
that i am not soooo set in my ways
and that i am willing to step outside of the box.

When it comes to food

i think i am pretty open to trying new things-
at least that is what i think until i watch some of these food shows and then i think, well, maybe I'm not.They eat some shall we say exotic (ie: Nasty) stuff on some of these shows. Then there are the overeating shows that just gross me out. Whatever the case, I might not be willing to eat the "exotic" stuff--not that i have many opportunities but I am willing to eat things that were previously on my "not quite my favorite list". Not that this list was very long.

So what was on this list

that previously i would not eat, that now i do?

Cabbage--love it on tacos and a good coleslaw. This does not mean that i love all coleslaw--just some. I love cooked cabbage and love it sauteed in butter with onions. Honestly can you go wrong with anything cooked in butter?

I think not.

Brussel Sprouts--or when i was little i would refer to them as mini cabbages. My oldest brother would request them for his birthday dinner every year--I think he didn't like them so much as he just wanted to torment us by having to eat them. Somewhere along the line my family has adopted their like for this little vegetable and often it can be found on our table for Sunday dinner. Still not my favorite food and i probably won't request it, but i don't mind it.

With me growing up and eating brussel sprouts this has caused my husband to do the same...only with asparagus. Previously, just the mention of this pencil shaped vegetable would send him into a gag reflux.(i am serious when i speak about the gagging--even the thought or smell and he would be gagging--he swore he would NEVER eat it EVER!!!) I loved the vegetable so subsequently it made its way into our fridge and on the table until one day he actually ate it(after much persuasion and a few bribes) and he liked it--now he buys it, and prepares it.

The last veggie wasn't so much a dislike as it was more of an indifferent feeling toward it. Cauliflower. I found i liked it made this way but honestly it was loaded with a ton of calories so it has failed to make its way back to our table. Tonight though, my husband made a lighter version that was equally tasty with what he topped it with. He panned fried it briefly with some fresh garlic and then steamed it. Instead of potatoes as the base he whipped the cauliflower with a little butter and milk in the blender. It was great--so much lighter and not starchy like potatoes.

So this is what dinner was.
Doesn't it look pretty.

It starts with a scoop of whipped cauliflower. It was a nice creamy contrast to the sweet chunky fresh tomato sauce--and then you've got the stalks of asparagus to add a crunchy bite with the tender pan fried chicken.

So delish

So glad my husband is willing to whip up dinner for me.

I am glad that he has us try new and different things

I am glad that he keeps me

fat and happy.

well, maybe not the fat part,

but the HAPPY.

By the way--the item still on my list
LIVER--
doesn't matter how old i get,
or grown up and open minded i feel....
I am just not going there any time soon

veklempt

i don't know if i spelled my title right or not and since it is a Yiddish word i believe-trying to find it proved interesting. It is amazing the things you find when you Google words


My oldest called me this afternoon--just a normal day i thought
I was working at the convention when i got the call....
"Mom, I am done with school"
this was not an unusual statement--
often she would call me to tell me she was home and done for the day...
but today it was different....
the meaning was different...
"I am done with High school" she said.
All of a sudden--standing among many woman i got teary eyed
VEKLEMPT--
i could barely speak.
It had hit me like a ton of bricks
memories came flooding through my mind
and i realized she had grown up
She was done--she was moving on to bigger and better things
This milestone had come and gone
a door had been shut
and there i stood looking at it with tears in my eyes....