One Busy Saturday

Alex turned sixteen on Saturday. That should have been a big enough event to fill the whole day; but not in this family...

Because of a busy morning, Alex spent the night at Mommom's house so she could take him to his school first thing, for a Flea Market sponsored by his Mission Club. They are raising money for their trip to a Native American reservation where they will do mission stuff (I don't know the details yet). He raised the most money of anyone in his club, just selling old books and videos for dirt cheap. He sold a ton of stuff, which really helped clear out some space around here. I guess he got home around 1 o'clock.

I spent the morning shopping for food for the afternoon party for Alex. We weren't supposed to need food because we planned the family gathering right between lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, the 11 o'clock recital (see below) got pushed to 1 o'clock, pushing the the party to later in the afternoon. Vicki spent the morning 'motivating' the kids to clean up the house. She 'motivates' by turning very red, and shaking the walls with her vocal chords (if you get my meaning). I like to 'motivate' with a big stick. Her method leaves fewer marks.

I then took Connor and Kenzie to their Chamber Music Festival. We were told it was being held at the same place as always, over in College Park. We got there, and it wasn't. We had to backtrack to a new location, arrived a bit late, but still got play. I was not happy, but it all worked out, as things usually do. Below are Kenz and Connor's pieces. Although this is Connor's third time doing this, it was Kenzie's very first time playing with an accompanying orchestra. I am so proud of her. I wish I could upload HD videos because my new camera has me spoiled for quality, but those files are just too huge. So, here's the fuzzy versions:





On the way home from that, I dropped Kenzie off with her soccer coach so she could go play futsal, and headed home. I think Alex had a good birthday. The whole family, grandparents, in-laws, and us pulled together and bought him his own laptop. We had to do something special for his sixteenth, and it wasn't going to be a car.


We wound up around an hours-long game of Risk, which Connor had bought for three dollars on Friday, at the first half of the Mission Club flea market.

Sunday started the same way, with a 9 am futsal game for Connor, home to church, and afternoon of Risk (where I had my way with global domination). I don't think anyone missed football this weekend.

Kenzie Turns Eleven

With everything going on around here, I forgot to wish Kenzie a Happy Birthday on this blog. I can't believe she's done all the things she's done in just eleven years. Now, she just walked into he classroom, grumbling. She's mad at me because it's MLK Jr. day, and we are doing school, even though government schools are off. Oh well, I want to be finished up in May (and so do they) so we can't afford to take too many days off now.

Back to the birthday. Kenzie got her guitar, which she has been really wanting. She has talked a lady at church (Eileen), who Kenzie (and Connor) sings with on Sunday mornings, to teach her to play the guitar. God Provides. We can't afford both piano and guitar lessons, so what does He do? Sends us yet another un-asked-for blessing. I'm really glad Kenzie has focused her energies on music again. It is much less expensive (and local) than all that travel softball stuff (I did enjoy it, but I don't really miss it).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENZ

Birthdays Galore!

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Bekah. She turns four today (I think it's her day, maybe it's Kearsyn turning two? No, it's definitely Bekah, that's what's on the calendar).

October is a crazy birthday month around here. We have six. Our nephew, Josh, on 10/1. Bekah on 10/5. Our neice, Lauren, on 10/8. Kearsyn on 10/10. Vicki's sister on 10/20. Vicki on 10/30.

This morning, Connor commented that he just LOVES October. It's cake, cake, cake, cake, cake, cake, and then Candy to top it all off at the end of the month. He didn't mention the dentist bills in November...

43

Ugh.

Connor Turns Twelve (Yesterday)

We didn't have much time, this weekend, to celebrate Connor's twelfth birthday, but he got his biggest gift when his soccer team won their first game of the Spring season. He played Goalie in the first half and had some great saves. One is pictured below, when he had to slide-tackle the ball away from his open net. In the second half, as center halfback, he played a key role in keeping the ball on the opponents side of the field. We did, finally, have cake and ice cream, tonight, around 7 PM, a day late but he didn't care. His grandmother stopped by with some gifts. I already bought, and gave him, his gifts a couple weeks ago. We stopped at a sporting goods store and he got re-supplied with his choices of soccer cleats and baseball cleats. I usually buy cheap soccer cleats that can be used in all sports (and Connor usually gets hand-me-downs, poor fellow), but since he didn't want anything else for his birthday, he got to pick a really nice pair of cleats for each sport. Happy Birthday, Connor!

That's Connor on the ground.

Making a Goal Kick.

Finally, Connor gets his cake.

And a few bucks.

Happy Birthday Alex

I wanted to get a "Happy Birthday!" in for Alex before this day ended. He turned 14 today (only two more years until he's driving, ugh). I'm very happy that we survived his first teenage year. Unfortunately, there seems to be quite a few yet to be survived. He's my first teenager, so we're learning this stuff as we go, and it tends to get rocky every so often, more so lately than usual. Still, there are more good things than bad, if you just stop and look around.

For example:

1. I really could not have asked for a better 'first born'.

2. He helps in in every possible way that he can in taking care of his younger siblings.

3. He's got more nurturing instinct than any other teenage boy, and most teenage girls, that I've ever met.

4. He has been a trailblazer in our homeschool adventure, bouncing back from his (and my) mistakes and achieving more than I can express in these few words.

5. He makes friends more easily than I ever did or ever will.

6. He never hesitates to help someone in need, even a stranger.

7. He loves talking to older women, especially if he's holding one of his younger siblings at the time.

8. He loves chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

9. He says he doesn't want to be a priest, but he'd be a wonderful one, and would restore people's faith in the Catholic church.

10. He still hugs his dad goodnight.

11. He hugs just about anybody who needs one, just because he genuinely cares about people.

12. He desperately wants to learn to play guitar. I just need to find an affordable guitar teacher.

13. His favorite food is Beefaroni. This is good because even Vicki can make it, and she had to make dinner for his birthday because I was out with other kids tonight.

14. He's just one of the nicest kids you're ever going to meet in this world, and that's not just me talking. Ask anybody who's spent five minutes with him.

Kids Answer the Challenge

The kids attempted to answer the erasercar challenge. I have to say, they came close. The only thing that stopped them was they used nickels, which are much thicker than pennies. Here are the results of Kenzie and Alex.

Kenzie's Erasercar.

Alex's Erasercar.

A Nickel Cross.

We all got up in the attic last night to get down our Christmas decorations. With this awful, rainy, foggy, dreary weather, I need to be ready to put up the outside decorations at a moment's notice, especially since it hasn't been very cold lately. I tend to wait one too many weekends before putting up the lights, thus missing the last decent day of the year, and not doing it at all. The kids are old enough now where they can be very persistent about doing the decorating. Hopefully, we'll have pictures before Christmas.

And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR AND TYLER! I'd do that thing with the birthday lists, you know, the 7 things I like about them in honor of each of their seven years, but I'm really busy now.