Some Random Birthday Pictures

It was a low-key kinda birthday for the thirteen year-old.

It's a family tradition that the birthday person chooses the menu on their birthday. His choice? Our friend Tammey's "famous" Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves, mashed potatoes and green beans. He jumps for joy whenever I make these meatloaves. Thanks to Dad, he even will take a cold, meatloaf sandwich in his lunch, which he did the day after his birthday.

He is still thrilled with new legos and nerf guns and with a mini air hockey game thrown in, he was a pretty happy camper with his birthday gifts.  The sister played "happy birthday" on her violin and a birthday phone call seranade from his aunt and cousins rounded out the day.

He had been anxiously awaiting the opening of the new movie "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief".  Over the weekend, we took him and his two best friends to see the new movie. The afternoon was spent outside in the snow and then inside playing nerf guns and Wii.  "Make your own pizzas" was on the menu along with Mom's homemade chocolate chip cake -- birthday style. 

These three boys are just awesome -- they get along together so well and were so happy to just hang out together. 

What a Happy, Happy Birthday!

Telephone

Do you remember playing the game "telephone" when you were a kid?

Health class is one of the required courses at my son's middle school. In the few weeks he's been in the class, they've studied the muscular system, skeletal system, making good choices and lately, communication.  As part of the unit, they played the old-fashioned game of telephone. The teacher must be a baseball fan. The message started out as: "Indians spring training starts soon."  By the end, the message was: "Indiana Jones sprays his hair, too."

Both the seventh-grader and his sister found this quite amusing as he retold the story at the dinner table that evening. Last night during dinner, they decided we should play our own game of telephone. This is just the type of game that you have to be careful when Dad is in the mix. He's not afraid to use his creative license and I have a feeling that some of the words were changed -- on purpose.

What began as, "The rain in Spain fall mainly on the plain,"  became: "The reining great dane ate the plane."

"Only the best tomatoes for the best ketchup" was transformed into: "The last potatoes will have to catch up."

"Pass the pepper" turned out to be: "My, you look dapper."

There were more, which I've already forgotten. Anyway, cheap dinnertime entertainment for everyone.

Super Book Olympics

For the last six weeks the kids have been participating in the Super Book Olympics at our church.  Kids are divided into teams and points are awarded for such things as bringing your bible, completing your weekly worksheet and memorizing a bible verse.  At the end of each weekly event, the kids play some sort of fun race/game and the winning team has first chance to answer a question from that week's worksheet.  If the first team can't answer it then the second place team has a chance.  Points are tallied from week to week and the winner is determined at the "Closing Ceremonies". 

The fourth-grader's team was comprised of eight girls and two boys, how that happened, I don't know. 

Poor guys. 

Their team name was "The Chillers".  Each team made their own cheer, and I have to say that their cheer was pretty cute and loud.  Mostly loud.  Eight girls, what do you expect.

The seventh-grader is now too old to actually participate in the program.  Instead he volunteered to help.  He was the organizer's "right-hand man".  He loved it.  He would come home almost as excited as the fourth-grader. 

At tonight's closing cermonies there were medals and cake for everyone. 

I'm so thankful for those who put the time and energy into organizing these activities for our kids.

 Thank you, thank you, thank you!

THIRTEEN

Thirteen years go by so, so quickly. 

Thirteen years ago you came into our lives and turned everything upside down and wonderful all at the same time.  For the last thirteen years, you have showed us a new kind of love, a new kind of patience, a new kind of pride.

You have been such a special baby, toddler, boy and young man.  You've made us so very, very proud.

Happy Birthday!

Washing Dishes

We don't have a working dishwasher, so we wash our dishes by hand. For the most part, I really don't mind. Emphasis on "for the most part."

The other night, it was a light homework night for the seventh-grader. It was gently suggested -- and then a little more strongly enforced -- that he help me with the dishes. At first, he wasn't happy about this. Who wants to help with dishes when there are Wii games to play or books to read?

What's nice about doing the dishes with someone is the chance to talk one on one. We always get the "report of the day" at dinner, but it was nice to have another chance to talk more specifically about what is happening at school. The kid loves social studies. I swear that he can't remember what I asked him to do five minutes ago, but he can remember facts he learned about Ohio three years ago in social studies. Go figure.

"So, what are you studying in social studies?" I asked. "The fall of the Roman Empire," he said. He proceeded to tell me all about failing family farms, cheap labor, falling prices, joblessness and economic crisis. Failing farms? Joblessnes? Economic crisis? Sounds a bit familar.

He put the last of the dishes away and I went to help the fourth-grader with her homework. I received a little peck on the cheek as he passed the homework table on his way to his room, ready to resume his reading.

I guess helping Mom with the dishes wasn't so bad after all.

To the Snow Gods

A few weeks ago, John wrote a column about the shenanigans performed by our fourth grader in an attempt to conjure up a snow day from school.  You can read the column  here.  The little girl found the column quite entertaining, especially when someone brought it in to school for her teacher to read.  A few weeks later, she and a friend are taking a different approach in their appeal to the Snow Gods.  Apparently, the letter is written in the language of the Snow Gods, which even the girls who wrote the letter don't quite understand.  A uniquely written letter or a few ice cubes flushed down the toilet, guess we'll have to wait and see which approach will appeal to the Snow Gods.