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!

mom gives a mohawk

I am sitting here try to take in the fact that today is the last day of school for most of my kiddo's.
I seems like it was just a month or so ago that I the year started....
My senior was done last week and has been hanging out the last few days waiting for graduation.

My sophomore has been frantically finishing up her online class and studying for exams that she says are going to be easy. I ask her "why are you stressing over studying when they are going to be easy?" and her response is that "she would rather be prepared... just in case." Can't really argue with that logic.
 
My soon to be high school er is counting the days till he is out of his school--but that does not keep him from continuing to cause havoc and bring home a note because he was being a tad bit too "chatty" in one of his classes. I also am counting the days till he is done with that school. It has been somewhat of a thorn in my side...so grateful that my husband took point on that one. I don't think, actually, I know that i could not have dealt well with the "rules" and pompous attitudes that exude from that school.

SOOOO....with that statement being said I am allowing and even encouraging my soon to be freshman to rebel against the man just a bit. He has promotion tomorrow. Personally I find the whole idea of promotion a bit ludicrous. I had never heard of it until I moved here...but it seems to be a tried and true tradition that for whatever reason we can not give up. It has been scaled WAY back over the years. I guess things were getting really out of hand with Limos and fancy dresses and it being celebrated with the idea that this was indeed the end of the kids schooling instead of the start to the next step. Why we celebrate the kids finishing the 8th grade is beyond me--I expect it. That is part of the continuous step to HIGH School graduation--then college.

Promotion has changed since my oldest child did it. When she promoted it was held in the multi purpose room/cafeteria. We had tickets. There were student speeches, and awards. It was a bit of a celebration. Then the next child came two years later. Same sort of event but scaled back. Then my third child. Talk about a change. Hers was held in the classroom. It was a joke, but for those looking for validation of  promoting, I guess it fit. I spoke with a teacher/friend about it and she made the comment that the ENTIRE district was scaling way back the idea of promotion, with out completely eliminating it. Fine with me--I would even be in favor of elimination but alas my opinion was not asked...So here we are a promotion time again. Apparently my son's school did not get the SCALED back memo. NOOOOO.! We are having a promotion breakfast...catered....away from the school...at a church. We had to RSVP months ago. They are charging $18. per person for the luxury of going to promotion. Personally if I am going to pay $18. per person I would rather pick where and what i am eating. And really? $18. for breakfast foods? When we spoke with the principal about this we were told "the kids have worked really hard and they deserve to be recognized"
WHATEVER....I can tell you that my daughter who's promotion that was held in the classroom worked just as hard, if not harder than this son. So I have to take off work and pay for the opportunity to watch my son promote. Personally I am going just to see their reaction.

Reaction to what you ask? Remember the part of being a rebel and sticking it to the man. Well.....in all their ability to make my son conform, he has. Until NOW.!? He mentioned weeks ago that he thought it would be funny if he had a flat top Mohawk for promotion. I agreed. My husband was not in favor of it. He does not like to make waves. I on the other hand, like the bumpy ride on occasion.
I caved.
Or actually.
I shaved, is more like it.

It is only hair.

It is only temporary.

It will grow back.

He was told that he has to have a "normal" haircut to perform his priesthood duties. He agreed. It could always be worse--he could have dyed it some wild color or even bleached his hair like his brother did. I know hubbers is not happy with my encouragement of the rebelling against the man--and the fact that i cut the Mohawk right before seminary graduation--but it wasn't his seminary graduation. Plus if it was going to be done i wanted it to look good, and if his brother had done it, there was no telling how it would have turned out. I did have to do some touch up the next morning before his actual promotion....but that is a blog entry for another day

My charmer

My fourth child has always been a charmer.

Maybe it is the dimples on his cheek and his BEE-UTE-IFUL blue/green eyes
This has always been one of my most favorite pictures of this punk.
Perhaps it is his fun personality,

or his guns he likes to show off

(how many boys do you know that can pull off pink sequence?)
Or his ability to rock the "gangsta' look"

He loves little kids--including his own brother

Today found me with a horrible headache after a long day at work. I came in and crashed on the couch. My son had just started a movie on Netflix--TRON--not exactly what i had in mind to decompress to. I looked around the room and it looked like a bomb had gone off. Seeing my son just vegging there I started a conversation with him, and this is how it went

Me: have you done anything around the house today?
(knowing full well that NOTHING had been done)

Son: "mommy, have i told you how much i love you"
(batting his long eyelashes and flashing me a grin)

me:( Ignoring his attempt to sway me)
"Like i asked before. Have you done anything today?"

Son: "But you are the best mommy,

I L--OOOO--VVV--EEE YOUUUUU."
(said in the most condescending,

sickening sweet voice

a 14 year old boy could muster up)

Me: "It would be nice if you would do something to show me that you love me"
(me, thinking the "showing" would involve a chore of some kind)

Son: (Reaches over and gives me a KISS???)
"That is showing you, or would you prefer a hug instead?"

(this coming from my child who runs the other direction when i try to elicit a hug)

I caved

--melted as it were.

--gave in, or better yet gave up.

If he is gonna to go to that extreme to get out of doing a job who am i to argue?

And quite honestly i just didn't have it in me anyway.

Who knew that under those beautiful eyes,
dimples, and the hat held a devious mastermind.

international eats week

It is not a secret that i DO enjoy food--
food is more than just a necessity of life,
it is more than something just to keep me alive.

It is a pleasure,
something to be savored,
ENJOYED!-
and i do ENJOY it.

Maybe it was the fact that i grew up with a mother who ran a cooking school and we were her test kitchen for various recipes--depending on the new lesson plan being written up determined what we would be eating. In my foggy food memory i remember tasting a variety of cold cherry soup? Dinner time was always fun with all gathered around the table and when she was testing a new recipe we were allowed to give constructive criticism--it helped us learn to distinguish the food that was placed on our palate--the varying spices and the way something was put together. I love the fact that i was exposed to so many different flavors at such an early age and that i was given the opportunity to experience different cultures through food. I think it also helped that I was raised in a home where picky eaters really were not allowed. Now that doesn't mean that we ate everything and that we liked everything. We lived by the two bite rule--you had to take two bites and then you could be finished with it. I have continued on with that rule in my life and i have found that some of my earlier dislikes are now tolerable or even likable. I have found that tastes do change as you get older....most significant example of that is my husband and his great disdain for asparagus--now he is the one picking it up and cooking it, when not to long ago he was snubbing his nose and making gagging noises when he would be confronted with it. We have tried to incorporate that same attitude toward food with our kids and for the most part they are adventurous when it comes to new flavors.


Now i will go on the record saying that while i know how to cook i am not the one that takes the role of chef--that would be my husband and my middle son is quickly following in his footsteps. Often you will find these two together in the kitchen

usually my son plays the role of sous chef--
(yes that is a micro planner he is using)

he will make some girl really happy one day.
He has been caught on occasions bragging to the "chicks" about his (to quote him) "mad cooking skills" He loves being in the kitchen--loves whipping up stuff--he is working on his knife skills--and i don't mean whittling--

even his dad wanted in on the mincing, dicing and slicing action.
They sorta had a knife off

in reviewing the pictures i couldn't help but notice my daughters face in this one

not sure if that is a look of disgust for what they were chopping up (shrimp) or maybe the way it smelled--or perhaps she was noting the competiveness of the male cooks in her household, whatever the case she didn't want a part of it until the poststickers were finished.....

to be continued......