12 years old

Dear Alex

So 12 years snuck up on me. 12 years means 7^th grade. Junior high. Eek. A big adjustment that every family goes through. It doesn’t affect us the way it affects your non-homeschooled friends, but it still affects us. And by us I mean ME.

So 12. There are a few things I want to remember about you as you approach this milestone. The first thing, sort of a long story, but one that is so telling of your personality this summer. So I’ma tell it anyway

I snapped at you last week when your swimming coach had her hands full and you were completely oblivious. Which, don’t get me wrong, is totally normal for someone your age to not notice. But you notice these things. You always see it when someone else needs a hand and spring forward to save the day without any prompting from anyone.

Which is why I had to laugh at myself for getting mad at you at the pool that afternoon. Sorry bout that.

And for the record, when I pointed out the problem you did jump up and ask Coach Kelly what you could do.

The second thing I want to remember about you from this year isn’t exactly summer related. It’s school. I try really hard to emphasis the joy of learning and not the glorify the fact that you’re a bit of an overachiever. I’m a bit of a stickler about not comparing ourselves to other learners. It’s never a good idea to think that you’re better at something than someone else. Which is why I like that you’re in a class of 1.

That said.  This year with school we did something new. In August I handed you an entire years worth of curriculum and said “do it.” And that was all you needed as far as direction. You set your own pacing schedule, and organized all your own documents. You planned and organized the whole stinking thing without a bit of help from me. Which is so awesome. But the part of this story that surprised even me is how driven you were to keep yourself on track. Not only did you finish the entire years curriculum a month early, but you dug in and completed some of next year’s curriculum just for fun.

And yes, I did have to tell you to cool it more than once when you wanted to work on your lessons and I needed you elsewhere. Sorry bout that.

So to my just turned 12 year old boy. You rock. We love you. You’re fun to have around. And it thrills my heart that you seek out your dad and me for advice and companionship.

But you give the worst massages ever. EVER.

Yeah. You know what I’m talking about. Stinker.

Love,

Mom

(nearly) wordless wednesday

11th trip around the sun...

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11 times around the sun

Dear Alex

As your birthday approaches and I sit to write the yearly birthday letter I think back to the adventures you’ve had without me this summer. Camping with one group of friends, serving with another. Both groups of friends extended you the opportunity for growth, and you reached out to accept the life lessons they had for you with vengeance.

Hearing the stories your leaders shared with me, hearing the stories you had for me, all I can do is look at you and think, “who is this fine young man living under my roof, and what happened to the ornery stinker who was here yesterday?”

On the eve of your eleventh birthday I look at who you are becoming and I smile.

You are every parents dream child. Beyond being the easy compliant kid, you are hard working, caring, reliable, and goofy as all get out. I wish I had 10 of you. I think we all do.

This planet needs more people like you. More people who jump at the opportunity to lend a hand, no matter the task. More people who are willing to sacrifice a few moments from their own agenda to help even when there’s nothing in it for you. More people who seek wisdom and purity as earnestly as you.

Although your dad and I have secret dreams of locking you under the stairs so no one else can have you, we both know that God has a different plan for your life. As you approach young adulthood, you also approach a time when you will have an enormous impact on this world.

Don’t silence that voice in your head that says you can’t challenge status quo. You can. You should. Did you hear me when I said the world needs more people like you? Stand up. Be heard. Your friends need to hear what you have to say. There are many people who need to hear what you have to say.

So my advice for you on the eve of your birthday sounds much more simple than it really is, but here it is anyway. Be bold.
 

That’s it.

You are such a people pleaser. A gentle wind. You’re never the one who rocks the boat.

It’s time to learn how.

Rock the boat. Stop being a people pleaser, and start being a Jesus pleaser. Stand up for what is right, no matter what the people around you think. There is so much about you that Jesus loves, and wants you to share with the world. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by trying to ignoring the injustice you see for the sake of keeping the peace.

Love you dude. Can I getta head bonk?

 

Mom

10 things about Alex

In honor of Alex's 10th birthday I thought I'd write a little top ten list in his honor...

1. He puts up with an insane amount of crap from his little brother. I'm not quite sure how he tolerates it as well as he does, but we are all so entirely grateful that he takes everything in stride as well as he does.

2. He started rolling his eyes at me this year. Which I love. It's like a rite of passage for moms. You know that you've finally earned your stripes as a parent when your child rolls his eyes at you.

3. I love listening to the odd things he prays. He's consistantly thankful for the strangest things. Like that we don't live in Siberia. I imagine God enjoys hearing all the goofy things that little boys pray for.

4. I love the goofy goggle tan that he's got going on this summer. It makes me chuckle.

5. I love that the list of stuff that he wanted for his birthday wasn't a list of gifts he wanted to receive, but a list of fun things he wanted to do with friends and family.

6. I love that he didn't freak out when I didn't get his birthday blog post posted until he'd been 10 for nearly an entire week. Sorry dude.

7. Sometimes when he thinks no one is looking, he puts his arm around my waist or grabs my hand. But don't tell anyone or next time he's going to yank my arm off.

8. I love how fascinated he is with design, and how he uses inspiration from his every day environment to come up with fantastic design projects.

9. Little man has been waiting 10 years for his first street ride with is dad on the Harley. Where did they go for such a momentus ride? To the movie theatre to see the Avengers.

10. Mostly I just love him for who he is, and who he's becoming.

Joy in disguise

So this is the weekend that I've been dreading for months. All of the extracurriculars descended on us for an overly scheduled weekend. I've secretly been calling it the 'weekend of the perfect storm'. Some people can do it with style and grace. I on the other hand do not. I prefer peaceful, freeform weekends where we can plan spontaneous trips to the park with friends, and I can catch up on whatever didn't get done during the week.

All that to say it was a "divide and conquer" kind of weekend.

Bleh. 

But you know what? I was wrong. Very wrong. I started to realize just how wrong I was while goofing off with Alex as we waited for the results of the design contest for the regional Pinewood Derby.  48 hours, entirely way too many performances of the church musical, and a trip to the symphony later, I was convinced.

This weekend that I was so sure was designed by the enemy to turn me into a stressed out tornado was really a gift. A weekend to reconnect with my oldest child, and cherish him for who he is. And who he's becoming. To be totally psyched about how much he loved that symphony performance, and to laugh at him as he teased me in the grocery store.

He's been through a crazy whirlwind this year, and he's been thrown into more stressful situations than he ever signed up for. But he's taken it all with grace and determination. He's a keeper that's for sure. And we're so lucky to have him.

Author interview

Hey remember our old buddy Brock Eastman? We met him a few times before to talk about his other books. Well he's back to answer some questions from my son Alex about Taken, the book we reviewed here. 
Before we get started though, I just gotta say how much I've enjoyed working with this author. He's been great to work with, and frankly I feel like I should invite him and his family out for pizza after church on Sunday.
That said, here's how he humored us by answering my son's questions:

AJP: What made you want to write this book?

BE: I wanted to write The Quest for Truth after having a conversation with a friend in regards to violence and death in the media. Such events took place commonly not only on television, but in books and magazine articles as well. I set out to write a book that kids could read and find an adventure that didn’t portray violence and death as entertainment. Neither of those things when they occur in reality are fun or something we smile at, or even get excited about, so why should it be that way in a book. On the flip side, there are battles and fighting in Sages of Darkness, but then again it’s against demons, which are evil at the core.

AJP: Are you going to put my mom in the  next Sage of Darkness book? (Elissa interrupts - I had nothing to do with this question!!!)

BE: Hmmm. Quite intriguing, if not BlizzardSage, I am sure an Elissa find her way into one of my next books, The Quest for Truth: Unleash, Tangle, Hope, or Sages of Darkness: CrimsonSage.

(Elissa interrupts again - sweet. Make me a prayer warrior for the team of Sages.)

AJP: Which series do you enjoy writing more? The Sages books or the Quest for Truth books.

BE: This is really hard, because they are both unique stories and written in totally different styles. I’d say I have always been in love with the Wikks and their adventure, but Taylor and Ike are quickly growing on me. Being with them when I write is non-stop adventure. So I’d say I like both, but I’ve been with Oliver, Tiffany, Mason, and Austin for far longer, having started writing them in 2005.

Thanks boys! It's been fun talking. We can't wait to talk again soon.

On a completely different note

We appreciate all the feedback we've gotten about our struggles to adjust to our new family dynamics. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers as we redefine "normal" for our family.
But we're done soul searching for the week.
Time to have a little fun. .
I have a gazillion pics of my daughters together, and poor Alex has been waiting for a "brothers" shot for a really long time.

He finally got his chance. Here are my boys. 

 

  

It feels so good to say boys...

Architectural design with food

This is my 9 year old. He's been studying architectural design this week. We found a fantastic book full of design projects for kids his age so I had him create something from the book and plan a presentation. Of course he wanted to share his presentation with you! I  hope you enjoy it :)

We have 2 videos, one "in progress" where he explains his plan and the materials he's using, the other is the finished product and the pro's and con's of his design and materials. Disregard the roaming toddler that makes an appearance in the first one.

Heaven, According to Alex

In Heaven, everyone will have their own swimming pool. Alex's will have a fountain that he can make water balloon turtles with.
We will live out in the country with a great big yard, like the one we currently have here on earth
Mom will have a room for scrapbooking (and way more time to scrapbook - says Mom)
Alex will have a whole room just for Legos
The girls will have a GI Joe room
Alex and Max will have bunk beds very much like the ones they have in their bedroom now. except they'll be allowed to jump on them.
There will definitely be free Mr. Freezie Ice Cream, and you'll never have to wait in line to get it.
We can also eat this magical thing called "hot fudge cake" at every meal, and we'll never have a sugar crash. 

You know you're a good mom when

My Alex recently decided to give me my very first performance review. As in how my ratings are with the 8 year old demographic.
Since I scored in the 90th percentile I feel qualified to give you some hints about how you too can score so high in your reviews.
Step 1: Let you kids eat candy for breakfast (true story! The girls were away spending the night at Grandma's and I let him try some of the taffy that Grandma brought back from the beach for his breakfast). Mother of the year. I know. But hey it helped my ratings so don't judge me.
Step 2: Let him play video games (ok, it was bejeweled blitz on facebook and every point he earns goes to my overall total - so I was really the winner in this scenario)
Step 3: When girls get back from Grandma's, feel guilty that the boy hasn't had any quality time with her, so send them off together to the lake house for the afternoon.

That my friends is how you score so high on your performance reviews. If you should be in the position to be evaluated that is.
We won't talk about the two girls who cried and moaned for a good hour after Alex left with Grandma, because Alex got a "better" treat than they did.
I fear my performance levels for their demographic would not have been so high.

Guest Blogger

(Self Portrait, by Alex)

Today we have a guest blogger. Alex has taken over the reigns today so that I can work elsewhere. Ahem. Hi Alex, how are you: good What are you up to today: looking at a book How old are you: 8 What are you looking forward to the most right now: sumer vacation What's something funny about Mom: tickling About Dad: tickling What is your favorite thing to do when Mom's not paying attention: jump on mom's bed What do you like to read: books What makes you laugh: dad pretending to be grumpy hmph. If you could travel anywhere in the galaxy where would you go and why: Russia, to see max kapustin

Repurposed kids clothes - day 1

I recently cleaned out the kids dressers in an attempt to make room for the new stuff they got for Christmas. After sorting out all the stuff that was still nice enough to pass on, I had a few pieces that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. I had several pieces that were still cute but had stains or holes, and a few old favorites that my children absolutely loved that I was reluctant to get rid of. So I pulled out my sewing machine and started experimenting. I ended up with several pieces that I'll share over the next few days.
The first one is a little sack that I made for Alex. I started out with a pair of well loved brown sweat pants that had a hole in the knee. I cut the one pant leg off (the one with a hole in it) just below the hole, and set the other leg aside for another project. With the piece I'd just cut off I stitched up the side that I had just cut to be the bottom of the bag. Then the other side already had a finished seam on it which I thought would be perfect for a drawstring, so I just made a small opening and ran a piece of ribbon through it. It took me about half an hour at most.

So we ended up with a cute little bag for Alex to keep treasures in. At first he was a little miffed that I'd cut up one of his favorite pairs of sweat pants, but his initial annoyance quickly passed and he was thrilled that instead of just pitching them that I'd put them to good use. It quickly became a sleeping bag for one of his little stuffed pals that he sleeps with.

Mama's bird house

At our most recent den meeting for Alex's boy scout troop The Powers That Be decided it was time for the boys to learn how to use power tools. Or more accurately, time for their parents to teach them how to use power tools. Now if I had been running the show it would have been something fun and simple like here's some scrap wood, now go experiment with it. But no. Not long after we arrived our cruel scoutmaster handed us a pile of wood and some nails, and told us to go build a bird house. No directions, no sample bird house to copy. Guess what. Mama doesn't know how to build a bird house. Fortunately the meeting was packed with Dads that did... I tried the old "Maybe if I stand here with a drill in my hand and look helpless they'll take pity" tactic. Nope. This Mama was on her own. The good news is that I wasn't the only helpless mom in the room. I buddied up to another clueless mom and together, with a lot of spying on the dads, we built birdhouses for our sons. With the boys help of course.

So without further delay, here is the beautiful birdhouse my son and I made. Be sure to notice it's key features - the dribbles of wood glue, and corners that don't match up. Awesome, I know. I'm particularly fond of the indentations in the wood left by the hammer. But yet it stands as a well earned trophy. Mama wrestled with the power tools, and came out victorious.

My apologies to my father, the tool man, who is undoubtedly groaning over this post.

a case of the sillies

After I was up all night with a sick Louisa I could use a little chuckle. I thought you could to. These are from a few days ago.

I don't know what it is about this one of Alex, to me it just shouts CREEPY OLD MAN!

Again with the creepy shots of my children. I know. But this one of Louisa made us all laugh.

And finally Annie, my most photogenic kid - um. No comment.

8 years old

Today is a very speial day indeed. My little buddy Alex is 8 years old. On one hand I think, "has it really been 8 years already?" but on the other it's "has he only been with us for 8 years?" He's such a fabulous little guy I thought I'd take a moment to record what it's really like being his mom. He's clever, creative, thoughtful and generous. He loves to build, read and create. He's a gentle soul who is quick to put the needs of others before his own. He's more nerdy than athletic. He's good with little kids. He likes his legos, GI Joes, and vehicles. He's never met an art supply he didn't like. He makes friends quickly, and will talk your ear off if you let him. In short, he's a fabulous mixture of the best qualities of both Jory and me, and we love having him around.

So it goes without saying that we're in the middle of birthday week around here. I'm not sure when celebrating a birthday turned into a week long ordeal, but it's fabulous so we're going with it. On Tuesday we had a birthday dinner #1 at the chinese restaurant with my parents, my brother, and our dear friend Sandy. Yesterday we went to the Air Force Museum in Dayton. Our friends from Columbus, the Alexander's, met us there to celebrate the joint birthday of Alex and Hope. Even though we were just there in April, it was very very fun. (Yes, there are pictures, but they're all still on the camera). Today is the actual birthday of my boy, we're having an ice cream sandwich birthday cake, presents, probably birthday dinner # 2, and probably something fun of Alex's choice like a trip the the playground (or dare I say it...) the pool. Then tomorrow, Alex's last day of birthday is when his biggest gift arrives... he's getting a brother! A temporary brother, who doesn't speak English, but it's the closest thing he'll have to a brother for now.

So yes, all the preparations are made, as far as we know, there are no more hoops to jump through in Russia, the children are going to be on the airplane within 24 hours. There are 10 coming, ours is the youngest. We have friends from church who are in the process of adopting 2 children who are currently in Russia, they managed to get on the same flight back that our kids are coming on, so they'll be able to help chaperone them. I can't imagine traveling across the globe with 10 kids (and 2 adults) who don't speak the same language. But I made sure she had a big bag of goodies to entertain the kids with before she left.

But yes, the reality of having a homeless child who speaks no english, and comes with little to no clothing that fits, has probably never been in a car, nor been in water deeper than his ankles is setting in. As much as I want to introduce him to everything that's good about life in America I have to be realistic about the amount of stuff that I can throw at him. Yes, we can try every flavor of ice cream that Meijer's sells, think of 20 different ways to play with water, and learn how to make our own snacks. But we probably can not visit all the tourist attractions in town, or let him pick out a snack at the supermarket. We'll be sure to keep a running list of all the things that were a hit, and what totally bombed.