Dec. 9, 2008 - I Now Have a Teenager
Yes, we have a teenager in our home now. And this year, he and I discussed what he might like to do for his birthday. He decided he would rather "do" something than have a party. It warmed my heart that he decided that spending time with the special people in his life was more important than getting "things". I pray he will always feel this way.
It was interesting to hear some of the comments I received from people about having a teenager. It seems that our society feels this is the start of a very volatile time for teens as a whole. However, from our experience it is a sweet time of transition. No doubt these teenage years are about change--but the change is for everyone in our home. I have to tilt my head up now to look in his eyes, his shoe size is larger than his dad's, and he reminds his younger brothers about safety while roughhousing. My husband and I feel very privileged that we are so present during these changes. That's what I love about homeschooling--YOU get to be there--not just when they have a problem, but for all the good stuff too! I know I am not alone in being excited about the teen years. Other homeschooling families have similar stories. Maybe they will blog about their experiences too--hint, hint.
I believe one of the most "challenging" things about having boys is keeping them challenged! We have 3 boys and they all seem to be up for a challenge or adventure any time of day or night. Therefore, it just seemed natural to have a "Paintball War Birthday"! So here are some pictures of the fun day. Our good friends, the Carters, came to celebrate the day with us.
Here are the boys and their dads getting their gear together:
Here are the boys putting on their "yellow team" arm bands.
Up above: Gear on, paintball guns loaded, ready to take those dads down!
The "orange team" comprised of the dads and J. J. is the oldest boy of the family that went with us. I wonder if the dads know just how much the other boys are anticipating getting to shoot them. Hmmmm. You may think these teams are unfairly divided, but it's interesting to note that the young roosters above wanted it this way.
Meanwhile, after watching the "Great Paintball War of 2008", my friend and I took the two younger boys to a park near the river. It was sooo cold on the mamas, but the boys didn't seem to notice. It was a really fun day for us all!
