The Perfect Gift for a Teenage Boy!

 

With the family gathering coming up fast, Aunt Sharon asked,
"What would Hockey Player like for his birthday?"

 

Not such an easy question to answer.

 

Hockey Player wants new club(s) from Golf Warehouse

 

Itunes gift cards

 

Net for practicing hockey in the driveway.
Now this can't be just any net!

This net has to be strong.

Really strong.

We have even talked about buying him steel trash cans.

This is why ~

He hit the puck so hard he put holes in his first net.

Then Daddy O recommended he hit at the trash dumpster.

Well he hit the puck so hard, he put a hole in the side of the dumpster.

AND...

the puck bounced off and went flying towards the vehicles.

Fortunately no damage to the cars.

Anyhow, a net for this kid to practice is going to pricey.

We have shopped and looked.

 

Hmmm, what else would make a good gift.

 

The kid likes food

 

food

food

food

 

The amount he can consume in one sitting is astonishing.

 

Golf time with Uncle Terry and Grandpa would be cool.

 

Aunt Sharon sighs and says good bye. 

Nothing overwhelming exciting and affordable to choose from.

The kid has expensive likes, hobbies and preferences.

 

Then the weekend came and we celebrated with the family.

 

Aunt Sharon presented him this huge box with various theatre candies

attached to the outside. 

I laughed and said there was probably a small little gift card down in the bottom.

 

Nope!!!

Instead there was food!

Can you see the smile on his face?

This smile says it all.....IT IS ALL MINE!!!!!!

ALL MINE!!!!

 

 

Oh yeah, Aunt Sharon scored.  Scored really big.

In our house that would be called a Hat Trick!

Happy Birthday Hockey Player

Hockey Player recently celebrated his 13th birthday!

Took 2 weeks for him to let us know what he wanted to do to celebrate.

Actually, we had to give him a deadline.

He is our thinker.

He is strong.

He is quiet.

He is witty.

He is patient beyond belief and puts this momma to shame.

He loves God's word.

He is stickler for doing what is right.

He is intelligent.

He likes school and doesn't have to be told twice to get it done.

Actually, he usually starts before I have blood flowing in me in the morning.

He loves to cook.

He has been in the kitchen since he could get around.

He is an all around good kid.

 

He finally told us he wanted to go to Laser Quest for his birthday.

Then we waited days for the guest list.

Another deadline.... We didn't give him a number count, that would have

required much more though on his part.

 

His family birthday was delayed...the family was out of town.

So we had a quiet celebration.

Dinner out.  His choice Outback.

Did I mention he loves food!

Dad and I quietly give him his gift.

A nice card and cash.

Cause everything on his list of ideas was over the top expensive.

So we contributed to his saving up money.

Then he went to youth group and became the walking wounded.

 

We had to delay the Laser Quest birthday per Doctor's orders.

Two weeks later, the cast is off. 

He finally celebrates with his friends.

Two days later we end up at Grandpa's for cake and ice cream.

 

Cake at Grandpa's

Lemon with Lemon icing

His annual favorite.

 

Cause food is important when you are 13.

Pizza and Pop!

 

Carrot Cake cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting

Another favorite!

 

Reading the cards

Cause that is what you do as a guy.
Give a card and moola

Better than shopping.

 

The guys hanging out and Little Princess holding her own.

 

With Malachi in the party room, hanging out and being,

well, quiet. 



 

The Man rescues Fun Girl!

On our way to church one Wednesday night this conversation occurred:
Hockey Player, Little Princess and Fun Girl do not take off once we get to church.  Help carry in the cupcakes.
Hockey Player: OK
Little Princess: OK
Silence.... "Um waiting for one more word of affirmation....."
Look at DaddyO.  He looks at me and raises his eyebrows. 
Me: Fun Girl???
FG:  What?
Me: Are you going to respond? 
FG:  Were you talking to me?
DaddyO: Yes
Me: You will help with cupcakes.
FG:  Um yeah... kind of distant and far away.
DaddyO: She is staring off in space day dreaming about the cute guys at church.
FG:  Nooooo!
DaddyO:  (dripping with sarcasm)  OH, like there is no cute boys at church!?!
FG:  Embarrassed and saying "But....
The Man interrupts:  There are too cute guys at church.  I am one of them!!!
Giggle and laughter all around.
Yep, TM, you are right.  There are lots of cute guys in the first grade.  You are soo very right!
Saved by her little brother.

Veggie Tales growing up? ?

We have had to make some HARD decisions lately. It is hard being 14.
It is hard to be 14 and social.
It is even harder when parents decide to cut the social part of life so that "business" around home can get done.
But if it is hard to be a 14 year old under these circumstances, it is even harder being the parent.
In all honesty as a mom, I want for her to have it all. Should I let her have it all.... No.
In all honesty, I don't want to punish my children. Should I, to help teach them from right and wrong and hopefully direct them in the way to becoming the kind of people we pray they will be... Yes.
So what do I do to cope, I try to find humor in the struggles and heartache of being a parent. Unfortunately, my sense of humor is totally lost on my oldest and sometimes my other children. But what is a mom to do? I am trying to not go crazy. I really don't want my children to have to take me on a road trip somewhere quiet, peaceful, where the bars on the windows are to only keep people from breaking in (**wink, wink**). The place where I can rest, and maybe learn to stop doing the chicken dance.

So, I find myself tonight, remembering the Veggie Tales song that goes...
God is bigger than the boogie man, He is bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on tv...and He's looking out for you and me.

So as Fun Mom comes upstairs, obviously very perturbed with me and won't look me in the eye, my silly side starts singing. (I admit all very quietly and not within her earshot.)
God is bigger than my teen-ager, He is bigger than the monster in my basement, God is bigger than hormones and He is watching out for you and me! !

No Dad ~ Daughter Shopping Trips anytime soon

Fun Mom, is online shopping.
She is wanting a dress or two for Spring or Summer.
She's a girl, I get that.
the conversation goes like:
FM: Want to see my dress?
Mom thinking: It is not YOUR dress, you haven't bought it yet.
Mom says: sure
MOM thinking: It is very cute. Fits her personality.
FM: It is modest.
FM: It is cute.
FM: It is me in 2 ways. My style and it is called "FUN MOM" (not quite, but I don't post kiddos' names.)
MOM: I chuckle and say it is $42, I don't think so.
FM: I didn't ever say I was cheap.
Isn't she adorable. (Rolling my eyes here)
She is so not taking her dad shopping. He would cave. Her bubbly spirit, cute little smile and bouncy ponytail. Then she plays the modest card. AIY! Definitely no shopping with dad.

The beginning of wisdom..

is knowing when to be silent.
This sweet little saying is recited quite often in our home these days.
What happened to the innocence of our older children. The worst part is they are corrupting our younger ones. The older ones, didn't have older siblings to teach them how to mock and laugh at their parents. But now.... it is all over. There are 5 of them, and they all think they have a future in comedy.

So, I think there should be an ALL NEW but very important rite of passage for turning 13.
The new teenager should lose all ability to speak for one year!

It is amazing what comes out of Fun Mom's mouth these days.
She saw me taking pictures of some pants to put on Ebay and asked why I was selling them. Easy enough.. they don't fit anymore!
You know what she says, "Good, now you just have to get down to a size ??"

I couldn't believe my ears! I think she needs to lose her tongue and vocal cords for a year.
Next I try on a top I am trying to decide whether to keep or not.
In all fairness she can't help herself, in her opinion she is the know all of fashion. It is one of those super cute, form hugging tops. But as you go about your day it creeps on up to your middle and there it stays all scrunchied up. I try to explain I am not going to be walking around, pulling a shirt down to straighten it all day long. She very seriously replied, "I am not going to say it."
And then she does, "I do it all the time."
" Well I am not 13, I am 29 years old and a mom to 5 children and that is just not realistic." I quickly told her.
She dropped over laughing. She just had to tell the 2 others that came by, that I was 29!
Alright I am not 29. I know that. I just couldn't exactly remember how old I was at the time. But did they all have to collapse in fits of hysteria. Then, did they have to go on about what a "Beautiful (with great sarcasm) 29 year old" I am.