You Know Your Kids Are Growing Up When...

they start shaving.


This morning he work up looking like Pedro from "Napoleon"
as my hubby would say,
and by the time he left for school,
he was clean shaven.

Okay, it wasn't that bad,
but it had grown very noticeable to me over the last month,
and I guess it finally got to him.

He probably wouldn't want me to be sharing such personal stuff
on a blog, but it is through him that I experience
my many FIRSTS as a mother.

Welcome to a lifetime of shaving, son.

Hello Teenage Years

My oldest is now a Teenager.
What a fine young man he has become.

His SPECIAL day went something like this (poor kid)-

Wake up at 4:00am to throw up.
Continue throwing up every 20 or so minutes
until there is nothing left inside.

Go back to sleep at about 5:30am.
Breakfast with Dad-CANCELED because of the throwing up.
School-NO WAY, not in this condition.

Instead, sleep and relax most of the day.
Late Lunch with mom to get a Jamba Juice.
He keeps it down - YAY.
After school a friend comes over to see why he didn't go to school
and "hangs out" with the Birthday Boy for a while.

He helps his younger brother build a Lego.
Dinner - a couple slices of Pizza.
8:15pm - his yearly interview with the Bishop.

Back home for a small bowl of his favorite ice cream,
and Happy Birthday sung in Spanish-
per his request.

Unfortunately, not much of a birthday celebration,
welcoming him into the TEEN years.
Nonetheless,
Happy Birthday
I'm the lucky one because I got to spend the whole day with you.
Just like 13 years ago.

Halloween Scene

As much as I like this time of year,
I am glad we are done with the Halloween Scene.
It really isn't just one day around here,
It starts with the kids figuring out what they will be
And ends with candy and candy wrappers all over the house.

Plus, at our house we throw in a Birthday before Halloween
And a Birthday after.
It makes for a couple of crazy weeks.

So here is a taste of the madness.

Wednesday - Well I already blogged about that day here.
Thursday - You can read about that here.
Friday - In the morning we attended the elementary school Halloween Parade and in the evening a ward Halloween Dinner and Carnival.
Saturday - First we went to a soccer game. Then we made a few costume adjustments and at 6:00pm while it was pouring outside I tried to take pictures of our Halloween Characters. Half hour later when the rain stopped, the trick or treating began.
Sunday - In sharing time we had a few Dads dress up as the prophets from the "Follow the Prophets" song and they talked about who they were and the primary sang to them. Nothing to do with Halloween but it felt a little like it with all the dressing up. Anyway, later that evening we had a family birthday party for my two oldest boys. So we made mummy pizzas, and cookies that looked like spiders and witches' hats.
Monday - I had to help prepare payroll taxes because like Halloween they come around this time of year too.
Tuesday - We tried to celebrate the birth day of my now teenage son. You can read more of that in my next post.


Anyway, needless to say I am glad
That the Halloween Scene at our house is over.
As I take down the Halloween Decor,
My four-year old proclaims to me again and again,
"Halloween is NOT over!!" -everyday is Halloween to him.
I know that I will look forward to doing all this again next year
When October comes around.

5 Little Pumpkins

A few weeks ago

we took a field trip with Miss C's Preschool class
to the Pumpkin Patch.

We explored the field for just the right pumpkins
and even had a few photo ops.

We came back in from the field to have a snack and
to enjoy a book reading.
Do you recognize the reader who is in disguise?

We hauled the pumpkins,
and a few kids
to the car.

And then these pumpkins sat on our front porch until...


Tonight when we carved them into five beautiful
NO, original Jack-O-Lanterns.