A sign of maturity

A SURE SIGN OF MATURITY - When your 14 year old doesn't pitch a fit, start an argument, or a debate about the effectiveness, but just simply uses the allergy nasal spray - without hesitation!!!!

This is a huge feat since a year or two ago the nasal spray was neglected and all of the above; fit pitching, arguing and debating, is what happened and instead of spray reaching those nostrils.
It seems a random act to notice but when you live with the worlds most determined (nice twist on stubborn) person, you notice these little things, and you welcome them.  Not because they are a "told you so" moment.  I'm truly not 100% sure that this kind of spray will ease his allergies.  You notice these moments because you are grateful for them.  When you are an over-nurturing/worrying mom, you appreciate the respite from worrying about your sons runny nose.  You are grateful for these little moments because you see that he is realizing he can take good care of himself.  And you are grateful you see a boy becoming a young man, and he is quite a wonderful, almost sensible, beautiful young man. 

Now the fact that you caught him, on your way home from the gym, walking to the bus stop with a granola bar breakfast behind him and a bag of Doritos ahead of him for lunch, you are also grateful that you can be there to nurture a little longer.  So home we went, added some protein to that breakfast, added some nutrients to that lunch, and drove him to the bus where he almost missed it because he and I had so much to say to each other.  I'm glad he is still my little boy in a few ways too. 

some serious soccer

This boy, is splendid at soccer.
Still slight, Seth plays with an intensity that draws others attention.
He plays defense and he plays it extremely well.
This fall has been double soccer since he is playing on the Jr. High team and his competitive league.
Seth is a starter for both and whenever he is out, the defense suffers.
I personally have a love/hate relationship with sports. 
They can be painful and heartbreaking.
But the extreme delight in watching your child work so hard, and truly excel at something is worth the risk.

Love that #51

the little pleasures - Easter

This was the purpose of this blog to begin with.  To catch the simple pleasures along the way.  To find happy moments with challenging teenagers.  Sometimes it takes me a while to find one, most the time things are status quo around here, good, everyone happy, but boys who tease and challenge each other every bit as much as they support and enjoy each other.

But this week was easy.

Formula -
Easter + cousins = happy!

My brother Joseph, his lovely wife Erin, and their 4 awesome kids, came to share their Easter break with us.
We played: at parks, bounce places, golf courses, and movie theaters.
We ate: Belgian waffles, subs, a gigantic pizza, Bahama Bucks (a must do in AZ), Del Taco, and lots of Easter Candy!
We worshipped: at the Mesa Temple Easter pageant, in an Easter Eve devotional, and in church.

But dearest to me are the little moments when my boys are loving the little moments with their cousins.
Peter wowing them in Super Smash Brothers, James entertaining and educating (in music or other teenage arts) Isaac, almost 9 and Max, 7, Seth teaching them knife throwing, or just visiting with Annalyn, almost 12. 
Each of them was completely wowed by Kayla, the two year-old baby doll that wraps anyone and everyone around her tiny little finger. James and Seth would willing take a turn watching her outside on the trampoline or dipping her feet in the pool.   Even now that the cousins are gone the boys reminisce about the fun and funny times when Max would laugh, or Kayla would talk baby talk.

Dave and I loved every second with our dear family, even though Joseph and I butt heads.  Erin and I can't ever get enough time together. 

I love so much that our boys value that time with their family and don't hide away a teenage recluses.  Sure attitude comes and goes (we swore Seth and Annalyn were poured from the same teenage grumpy mode) but we now only remember all the happy moments from this past week.

please play on

James is good at the guitar.  He has been taking lessons for about 2 years and he is really good at it.  He can do some pretty "sweet" stuff on that first guitar we bought him.
One exciting development is that he plays it without being commanded to practice.  He plays it to pass the time.  He plays it for the sheer pleasure of it.
Having him bring me into his room to listen to his latest accomplishment, is a treat.

A sweet treat, to both the ears and heart of a Mom.

boys to men - volume 6 - Pimples

This isn't a lesson as much as it is a warning.

Be prepared for detailed synopsis of pimple popping triumphs.

I don't know if this will be true of all teenage boys but it is true of mine.

Regardless of the many times I have sweetly asked them to refrain from sharing their pimple adventures with me, they have not honored my request.

The satisfaction of a pimple popped drives them to disregard my distaste.  I have heard many a story. 

Be Warned. 

Peter turns 16!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you see that number.  16!  Do you know what that means! 

Peter is such a wonderful, unique, interesting, funny, handsome, adorable, quirky, boy.  So how do you celebrate that appropriately.

Well. . . this kid still wants Star Wars X-box games for his birthday.  We made him use his birthday money to buy that, but it made his day.  He invite a couple of boys from the ward over to play with him.  Several of them came and gave him an aweomse birthday poster, wishing him luck in Priests quorum.  Only one could stay and play but that was Peter's favorite birthday memory.

We all went to see the Lego movie, the only appropriate movie available at the time, but since Peter has a long history with Legos and still displays his best ships in his room, it was the perfect fit.
Meanwhile, back at our home, 2 exciting birthday events were unfolding.
First, our dear neighbors across the street, who all adore Peter (Jared, dad, Aimee, mom, Taylor, 11 year old girl, and Logan, 8. Austin, 5 , and Tallin, 3) were busily giving us our first toiletpapering in Arizona.  Aimee, having led a life of a teenager raised in a small town, is quite the toiletpapering proficient.  It was complete with posters all over and even window paint mocking Peter's Utah Ute's alliance, with Go Cougar messages and even blue cougar paws leading to the door.
I can tell you there is nothing that makes you feel more thought about than a good, loving, toilet-papering!

But wait!  There is more. . .
I just didn't have the umph to throw a party, but everyone deserves a surprise party sometime in their life.  So instead I through a surprise birthday cake and ice cream party.  To be exact it was a homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cup-ice-cream-cake-party. 
The day before I had texted all the boys in the ward that know Peter.  Both the teachers and the priests, a few leaders and our neighbors across the street.
I had a couple of the boys come over during the movie to let everybody in.
So first we walk up to the spectacular toilet-papering and then walk back into our kitchen/great room area where about 20 people were there to shout surprise and enjoy cake!
It was perfect!
He felt so loved!
I felt so grateful for a wonderful ward and neighborhood.

These events made the new mountain bike almost seem insignificant.
Although Pete's favorite present might have been his University of Utah tie from James.  Very selfless on James, the huge cougar fans, part. 

Driving is going to take a little time for Pete since we have pretty high expectations for boys before they get behind a $30,000 wheel and take everyone's life into their own hands.  Will post when that milestone is crossed.

Seth turns 13

My Baby Boy:
We love to watch family movies.  We would do it every weekend if we could.  Seth was the most adorable baby.  When I get technologically smart enough to load our family movies onto the computer I will play my favorite movie of Seth as he is singing "Do as I'm Doing" while balancing on top of an old compost bin in our backyard in Sandy.  He is three and it is one of my most precious possessions. 

Seth's thirteenth birthday was memorable as well.  How can you ever forget what 14, 13 year olds, running around your house and yard, feels like.
I didn't help.  Having them play "minute to win it games" that included transporting dog biscuits from bowl to bowl, slurping jello, digging through spaghetti and earth worms, and more, I couldn't except much more than the total exuberant antics and reactions of this great group of boys.  I even made them play the "poopy diaper" game.  Popular at baby showers this is a great early teen game for boys as well.
They have to guess what candy bar was melted in a baby diaper. 
It was beyond a hit to be sure.  One boy wanted to keep the diapers as souvenirs. 

Let it be known throughout the world that Seth was probably the oldest teenager to get his own phone.  And it was a dumb phone, not a "smart" phone, I refuse to pay for that.  6 months later is it broken.  (glad I didn't sign away $600 plus on that)

He also bought James' iPod touch off of him, which now spends more time with Dave then with Seth since as part of the rite of  passing through male teenagehood you must be unable to put down a small electronic device.  It seems controlling your amount of time mindlessly playing games or watching meaningless video clips, is not part of their nature.

Seth is, however, an amazing boy.
He has a heart of gold and not only looks out for others, tries to include othesr, he even challenges a bully or two, in defense of others.
Seth is particular loving to those with special needs and he has signed up to spend one class each day, next year, working with the special needs youth at the school, and helping them enjoy their P.E. class. 
Seth is a follower of Jesus Christ with a budding testimony.
He is very smart and now how good control of maneuvering his 3 honors classes along with piano, and soccer.

(I am hoping that keeping your room clean comes with age 14?  James does, but Seth's is a pig sty)

undoing my first resolution

I should be thrilled.  I have already accomplished one of my goals for the year.

HOMEMADE BREAD

I ground my own flour, used coconut oil and honey, and finally put my second hand Bosch to work (obviously I do not buy in to the Gluten is Evil philosophy, unless you are allergic to it of course).  None of my kids have any sensitivity to gluten so bread is a valuable staple being underused at our house.  To increase the nutritional value of their bread intake I proudly did a first.  I do not remember ever making homemade bread in my 22 happily married years.

It was GOOD.  Too good unfortunately.  In less than 12 hours I have consumed, all by myself, at least half (possibly more) of one very large loaf, complete with butter and honey.   Considering bread hasn't played a role much in my diet for the last several years (I am not a growing teenage boy, and am still carrying the same 10 pounds I have been trying to shed for those bread-less years) , not to mention butter, this addition of irresistible bread is not a good thing. It's like a primal instinct to eat that bread.  It's like a childhood memory. 
But if I can't gain any control, the bread goal will be revoked.  Wish me luck.

If I could just think like James, it would be so much easier.
     "Homemade whole wheat bread?  Sounds disgusting."