Family

14

Today, C., my oldest son, turns 14.

14.

I know that 13 is supposed to be a “milestone year” — officially becoming a teenager, etc. But for some reason, as I write this post, 14 feels very meaningful. After all, it’s not as if I’m just becoming the mom of a teen. We are firmly entrenched in the teen years. Time is flying — more quickly each year. C. is growing into a young man right in front of me.

He asked me yesterday if the first year of his “teenager-hood” had been so bad. He’d heard horror stories about teens for years and when he was younger, he assured Chad and me that he wasn’t going to be “that kind of teen.” Though we never got that promise in writing, I have to admit, this first year wasn’t bad. Not bad at all.

We talk about big things, important things, heavy things. And though we — like all parents and kids — sometimes struggle to communicate well, we work at it. The other night, he told me that he felt we’d really had a good talk. And I agreed.

He’s becoming more and more responsible. He was in charge of mowing the lawn this past summer. He handles all the usual chores without complaint — taking out the garbage, helping with dishes, even babysitting his little brother on occasion.

He puts up with me and my silliness…with a minimum of eye-rolling. Even when I blast Toby Mac in the car and do disco moves while stopped at a stop sign. (And yes, I did just that recently. He just smiled and said he wondered what the passers-by were thinking.)

He loves to read, he’s a compiler of lists and data, he’s fascinated by old pictures and family history. He makes us laugh (or groan) with his corny jokes, he watches out for his Mom, he makes sure his little brother gets into school okay every morning.

He is seeking after God. And that, truly, is the most important thing, the thing that most warms my heart and makes me smile.

I love you very much, C. Happy 14th Birthday!

Posted on October 10, 2012 and Filed Under: Family 11 Comments

Hey you — what’s-your-name!

written by katrina 17 Comments

I only have two kids.

That’s it. Two. 2.

Not very many, in the grand scheme of things.

I have several friends who have four kids. One of Chad’s brothers just had his fifth child. (Well, technically, the brother’s wife is the one who had the child, but…you know what I mean.)

Chad himself is one of eight kids.

Me? Two.

So please tell me: Why in the world can’t I get my kids’ names straight?

I know my kids’ names. If you sat me down and showed me a picture of each of my sons, I promise I would be able to correctly identify them.

Yet, in the heat of the moment — or even in simple, everyday conversation — I say the wrong name.

All. the. time.

(To be accurate, it’s not all the time. But it’s often enough. As in, multiple times per week.)

I’ll be chatting along, and happen to refer to a child — thinking I’m referring correctly — when all of a sudden, a family member will interrupt.

“You said C. Did you mean L.?”

“You said L. Did you mean C.?”

Yes, yes, of course I did.

For the record, there is a 7.5-year gap between my two boys. I had 7.5 years of saying C.’s name before I even had to consider saying another child’s name on a regular basis. But here we are, six years after Child #2, and I can’t seem to get my brain to spit out the right name without deliberate concentration.

Maybe it’s because they’re both boys.

Or maybe it’s because I’m 39 years old and parts of my brain are just giving up on me. Like the part that assigns the correct name to each child.

I don’t know. But I’m wondering if I need to come up with a new strategy.

Some ideas:

Tattooing (or maybe just taping) each child’s name to his forehead, so I am always and forever confronted by the correct names, at least when I’m looking at them.
Giving up on the name thing all together and just pointing in the correct kid’s general direction when referring to him.
Using “hey you” or “what’s-your-name” as a general, all-purpose reference for either kid.

Sigh.

No, I’ll keep trying. I’ll muster up all the concentration I can, drink an extra cup of coffee, make intense eye contact…and hope the names come out right.

Posted on September 18, 2012 and Filed Under: Family, I am insane 17 Comments

A Photo Hunt

written by katrina 8 Comments

The truth is, I’m not exactly the most fun or creative mom. I tend to live my life in comfortable ruts — preferring each day to look an awful lot like the one before. For me, predictable is nice.

Hence, the lack of creativity.

My kids tolerate my boringness pretty well, I have to say. But on those rare occasions when I actually plan a fun activity, something out of the ordinary, well…let’s just say that their response makes it totally worth it. Such was the case recently, when I was overtaken by an unexplainable burst of creativity.

Summer was winding down, school would be starting in a matter of days, and I wanted to give the kids something extra-fun to do one morning. But since our kids have an age gap of 7.5 years, it’s not always easy to come up with an activity that appeals to both of them.

There is one thing, though, that everyone in our family enjoys: taking pictures. C. recently spent some allowance money on a nice camera and L.’s been using an old point-and-shoot we had lying around. So in a moment of inspiration, I knew just what I’d do…plan a Photo Scavenger Hunt.

After the kids went to bed one night, I made a list (attempting to make its difficulty level somewhere between “too easy for a 13-year-old” and “too hard for a 6-year-old”), planned a reward, created a flyer, and prepared for the next morning. When the kids got up, this was waiting for them:

I made sure they knew this was not a race, it was a challenge. For both of them. And I didn’t deny the fact that I would enjoy a Starbucks outing just as much as they would — if not more so!

Bottom line: the Photo Hunt was a hit. Both kids took the challenge seriously, really got into it, and did a great job.

They hunted for bumblebees in flowers…

Built things out of Legos…

And completed their lists in record time.

At which point, we hopped in the car and went to Starbucks, as promised. Fun for all!

It will no doubt be quite a while before I come up with anything quite as exciting and inspired as this scavenger hunt. If we’re lucky, maybe something will occur to me by next summer. We’ll see… In the meantime, I’m hoping the memories of this event tide my kids over!

Posted on September 12, 2012 and Filed Under: Family, Fun, Photography 8 Comments

A little update

written by katrina 4 Comments

First day of school 2012

Today begins my kids’ third week of school. To be honest, I’m not sure where the first two weeks have gone.

As the start of school approached, a part of me was thinking, “Oh, it will be nice to get into more of a routine. Since L. will be in morning Kindergarten, I’ll have every morning free to write or exercise or read or relax. Life will be more predictable.”

I was wrong.

The first two weeks have been rather hectic (at least for this particular mom, who likes to keep a good bit of “margin” in her life). There have been errands and appointments, meetings and obligations. I think I’ve had a grand total of ONE free morning so far. Not exactly the leisurely start to school I’d envisioned.

This week holds more busyness: a dentist appointment, two meetings at school, kickoff of our church’s midweek activities on Wednesday night, etc.

I know the quieter weeks will come. Just not in September, apparently.

The kids are off to a good start. C. is in eighth grade (which is rather hard to believe, because I can’t possibly be almost fourteen years older than I was when I first brought him home from the hospital). He loves his teachers, has some good friends, and is finding 8th grade to be “not bad.”

(Technically, “not bad” is high praise. After all, who would call middle school “fantastic” or “the best thing ever”? Not me, anyway.)

L. is in morning Kindergarten. We went back and forth on the half-day/whole-day thing a bit. L. is six years old, and I know he’d be able to handle full day, but honestly, I’m not in a big hurry to have him in school full time. He’s a kid who loves to imagine, loves to read, loves to play made-up creative adventures. And I want to make sure he still has plenty of time to do just that. First grade will arrive soon enough…one more year with plenty of free time will be perfect for him.

He settled into Kindergarten quickly, has made a few friends, and his primary disappointment is that he hasn’t had any homework. How’s a kid supposed to be just like his big brother if his teacher won’t give him homework?

As for me, well… this is a year of change for me as well. For the first time in a long time, I have both kids in school every day. I know those morning hours will fill up just fine, but it’s still different…not having my little shadow tagging along with me everywhere. Yes, there will be moments when I’m thankful to have a bit of quiet, but there will be plenty of other moments when I miss the chatter and the giggles.

For now, I’m looking forward to the aforementioned routine of school days, I can’t wait for the cooler jeans-and-sweatshirt weather of fall, and I’m compiling my Fall Into Reading 2012 list. If those quiet mornings ever arrive, I hope to fill at least a few of them with some good books.

Posted on September 10, 2012 and Filed Under: Everyday Life, Family 4 Comments

A Historic Adventure

written by katrina 7 Comments

Some families go on vacation to relax, read, sit on the beach, sleep in, and do a whole lot of nothing.

But not us.

Our family goes on vacation to explore new places, learn new things, and fill our days with adventures. And that’s just what we did this summer. On July 29th, we packed the car and headed off to Williamsburg, VA, and the “Historic Triangle.”

I happen to be married to a history buff (who was also a History major in college), and our firstborn, C.(13), is a history buff as well. So it goes without saying that many of out trips revolve around something historical. I will admit that I am not a history buff. (History was my least favorite subject in high school, in fact.) But I’m curious, and I like to see new things. So I tag along for the fun. And L.(6)? Well, he’s not a history buff either. But he tags along too, hoping for ice cream breaks, and maybe an occasional day of non-historical fun.

On this vacation, we spent most of our time in the towns of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. There was so much to see and do and learn, that I couldn’t possibly blog it all. But I’ll give you a little photo tour of some of the things we did.

Williamsburg

Our family does not sleep in on vacation, so Monday morning found us rising bright and early and taking the walking path to Colonial Williamsburg. Yes, there was a shuttle we could have taken, but the shuttle didn’t start going until 9:00 a.m., and we were ready way before then.

Showing up early has its advantages, and since we were in town before any of the attractions opened, we could admire and explore around some of the buildings without the crowds. Here’s the Governor’s Palace:

Before 9:00 a.m., L.(6) had already taken pictures of countless buildings, trees, and squirrels.

L. and I were the first people in the Spinning/Dyeing/Weaving trade house, and had the undivided attention of this kind lady, who taught us all about spinning and weaving.

At the Cooper’s trade house, L. tried out the various water buckets and declared that he might want to apprentice there when he turns 14.

We lunched at the delightful King’s Arms Tavern, explored many of the buildings and trade houses, took a break for pretzel rolls and cookies, went on tours of the Governor’s Palace and Capitol Building, and much more!

And, of course, I had to make my boys stand in the stocks before the day was done.

But I think my favorite part was simply enjoying the tree-lined streets,

the pretty gardens and courtyards,

and the overall atmosphere of Colonial Williamsburg.

Yorktown

The next morning found us off and running again, this time to Yorktown. After exploring the town just a bit, we headed to the Yorktown Battlefield Visitor’s Center, where we learned all about the Siege of Yorktown. (Apparently, this was the last significant battle of the Revolutionary War, but the truth is, I have no memory of learning much about it in school. Of course, this could be because I have completely blocked out all history classes.)

Then we picked up a CD and went on a driving (and walking) tour of the Yorktown Battlefield. My history buffs thoroughly enjoyed it.

We checked out earthworks. (That would be mounds of dirt that served as lines of defense, for those of you who are clueless like me.)

We read lots and lots of informational signs.

And we hiked all over tarnation, learning about how the Americans and the French defeated the British at this little port town.

Splitting Up

It was a fun morning, but by the time we were done learning all about the Yorktown Battlefield, L.(6) had had just about enough of historical exploration.

So in an act of extreme kindness, Chad dropped L. and me at the entrance to Water Country USA, and then he and C.(13) went to Jamestown. I can’t speak for the history buffs, but L. and I had a wonderful afternoon, cooling off in rides like Big Daddy Falls and the Hubba Hubba Highway. I think L. would have stayed there until they kicked us out if a storm hadn’t rolled in that evening.

***

We weren’t done with our vacation yet, but this post is getting long, so I’ll save more thoughts for another day. Thanks for tagging along!

Posted on August 8, 2012 and Filed Under: Family 7 Comments

14

Hey you — what’s-your-name!

A Photo Hunt

A little update