Keeve the Thirteen-Year-Old

Today, my baby boy turned 13, and despite all the warnings…. I wasn’t quite ready. He’s my baby boy for goodness sake. He is our only child, out of four, who was born in the USA. (We have two Canadians and one Colombian.) I felt the need to display the American flag picture for all to see.  He was so darling…. and the sole child with an American photo shoot.

We also tried to take a NICE family photo during his birthday party… but I guess I didn’t stress the word NICE loudly enough.  Believe it or not, THIS is the best one we got…… (sigh)

Yes, the birthday boy has his eyes crossed.  Typical.  Why am I surprised???  I don’t know.  He does bring lots of laughter and joy to our home, for which I’m thankful.  Keeve was our easy child.  From birth, every time anyone looked at him he couldn’t help but smile.  See?  Darling. 

I tried to liven up the party and did a little jig for Keeve…. he picked up one of the birthday cards he had just opened and held it up to me.  It said, “WOW!”… then he turned it over so it said, “MOM”  Hahahahaha.   Then I stopped dancing.  If every kid was as mild-mannered and sweet as Keeve, this world would be a better place… albeit moving at a MUCH slower pace.

Happy Birthday, to my little sunshine huggy buns. (Oops, did I type that out loud?)

 

My Salt & Pepper Boys

Sometimes life comes at you too fast.  Vividly I remember the days of two boys in diapers.  I remember my husband deciding that he was done paying for diapers and he pronounced that it was underwear time for the little man still sporting Huggies.  We went through a looooonnnng week of him wearing every pair of big-boy undies that he owned….. every day…. and the laundry going every night…. all week long.  Then I pronounced that we were paying for diapers for a while longer.  It simply doesn’t seem that long ago.  I remember yelling out the back door, “If you have to go potty, COME INSIDE! We’re not cavemen!”  I miss the stuttering and the lisp… long since missing from the family dinner table.  I STILL stand outside their bedroom door and listen to them talk to each other at night… just like I did 11 years ago when we first moved them together in the “boy’s room.”

Alas, this Friday, my little salt and pepper boys will be THIRTEEN and fifteen.  Teenagers.  Both of them.  How can that be since I’m still 27????  hahahaha. This great awakening caused me to take a jaunty trip down memory lane in the photo box.  Enjoy… my boys when they were little and cute and I dressed them the same.  Now they are big and cute and I rarely have a say in their clothing.  I AM happy that they aren’t “watering” my flowers any more….. at least that I am aware of.

 

And here they are NOW…… 

One Weekend!

Seems I missed quite a few activities while I was away for four days!  Larisa and her father attended a Pride and Prejudice ball in Regency Era regalia.  Oh boy, did I miss out on preparations for this entertaining event.  Rick decided to escort his daughter the day before I was leaving town…. so I did nothing but give instructions over the phone.  I did call my sister, who is here nursing my mother, and gave suggestions and was much relieved that costumes and hair were in her capable hands. 

On Friday night I got a call from our youngest son, Keeve, half in distress.  He explained, “Mom, we’re in Walmart and dad is buying a shirt for himself from the girls department and the brand name is Miley Cyrus.”  I laughed.  He cut the ruffle off of the front and hot-glued it to his $3 Goodwill shirt and on the cuffs.  Actually, I think Christy may have done the gluing.

Then, don’t laugh, Rick wore my white cotton capris and tucked them into knee length socks that he bought also at Walmart.  He donned a dark dinner jacket and Larisa found some black and white checked fabric from my stash and Christy turned it into a cummerbund with some folds and safety pins. 

Larisa wore my mother’s 1978 Gunne Sax dress that I added blue ribbon to and Auntie Christy saved the day by curling and pinning up her hair.  I really do need to post some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  I’ll see if they have any available.  YES!!!

ALSO, Keeve starred in his first ever flag football game as the winning quarterback!  I can’t wait to go see him play next Saturday!  Three touchdown passes and 3 other passes for something else, because they don’t kick field goals.

ALSO AGAIN, Rick was given three GREAT tickets for the opening game of the Phoenix Coyotes… but it was the same night as the ball where he wore his wife’s white pants.  So Grandpa took the boys and they got free shirts and pompoms because it was a white-out at the game.  The Coyotes lost, but they had a great time…. eight rows from the glass!

Mom’s home.  Back to normal boring life!  hahahahaha