A's 13th Birthday

The youngest member of our household had a birthday a week ago. We hatched the plan for the birthday party almost a year ago. 13 is a special number- finally a teen- so it called for a little extra hoopla.

The Setting/Ambiance

 

The Place Settings

(Yes, the young Miss is "into" zebra print.)

 

The Guests (not pictured- their moms)

Classmates. For 2 months they are all the same age.

 

The Action - Fondue!

Course #1- cheese fondue with tortilla chips, herbed bread cubes & steamed veggies.

Course #2- broth with mushrooms, steamed potatoes, chicken & steak.

Course #3- chocolate with assorted fruit, angel food cake & marshmallows. Also tea.

 

If you've never had J's Flaming Turtle Chocolate Fondue, take my word for it- it is "to die for"!!! 

 

A. & I had had fondue meals before, but I believe it was a new experience for the rest of the guests.

We ended the evening around a campfire -with the moms sharing some thoughts on Beauty with our daughters. These beautiful butterflies emerging from their cocoons.

Yes, it was a successful, fun evening from start to finish.  

Boys vs. Girls

I grew up in a family of all boys. There are advantages & disadvantages to being the only girl. But that's a post for a different day.

Before I had any children, I shocked my in-laws by making the statement that if I had to choose between having all boys or all girls, I would choose all boys hand-down every time. (Them with a household dominated by girls.)
Now don't get me wrong, I am glad the Lord saw fit to send 1 daughter my way, but I still think boys are easier than girls. Ok, it's probably just because I don't know how to deal with all the drama of having multiple females under the same roof. (Certain people might say I make enough drama of my own. haha)

But one thing I'm discovering as a mom of 2 teen sons and a 40-something husband- there is a certain amount of drama with boys, too. Maybe a better way of saying it is that there is an constant undercurrent of power struggle going on. It doesn't involve the females in the household and I don't think there's anything we can do about it.
These 2 songs placed back-to-back "crack me up". Puts words to the drama we've got going here...

When You Are Eighteen  

When you are eighteen, You're a man who is ready,

Who is strong and who's steady, You know what I mean?

When you are eighteen, Then you should be respected,

And you don't need protected, When you are eighteen.

When you are eighteen, You are braver and bolder

Than that crowd who are older, You know what I mean?

'Cos when you are eighteen, With all those years to prepare you,

There's nothing can scare you, When you are eighteen.

I'm ready to travel, To follow my star

To the places I've been dreaming of.

I'm ready for living; I'm ready for life

And I know that I'm ready for love…

 

But when you are eighteen They say "Love's complicated

And so over-rated", You know what I mean?

When you are eighteen, They say "Wait, and don't worry",

And "Hey! What's your hurry? 'Cos you're only eighteen".

I'm ready to travel, To follow my star

To the places I've been dreaming of.

I'm ready for living; I'm ready for life

And I know that I'm ready for love…

When you are eighteen, With the world all around you,

It can sometimes astound you, You know what I mean?

Just how little they know, ha, All those cowboys and chancers,
I've got more of the answers, and I'm only eighteen!

You can listen to it here.

I couldn't find a video of the 2nd one, but here are the lyrics-

 

"Life In The Old Dog Yet"

In my time I've been a few places,
And I've many a story to tell.
Here I am still as strong
As I've been all along,
I'm not ready for heaven or hell.
There are people who do need reminding,
That I'm still the boss around here.
I still call every shot,
And I'll tell you what's what,
And what's not, do I make myself clear.

I'm not ready to roll over
I'm still, the daddy of them all,
I'm still the top banana,
They still answer when I call.
I'm older, yes, but I'm wiser,
And they better not forget,
I'm not ready to roll over
'Cos there's life in the old dog yet.

You can't put an old head on young shoulders
My advice is the best I can give
Let them make their mistakes;
Let them fight for their rights;
Let them learn how to love and to live.

I've only got the one daughter,
Time she married a man of her own,
And the one I have planned
Has got plenty of land,
She'll be grand, and I'll stand all alone.

I'm not ready to roll over
I'm still the daddy of the all,
I'm still the top banana,
They still answer when I call.
I'm older, yes, but I'm wiser,
And they better not forget,
I'm not ready to roll over
'Cos there's life in the old dog yet.

(Disclaimer: Ignore that 2nd line of the 3rd stanza! We are not ready to push our daughter out of the nest at the tender age of 13.)

 

Camp Out 2012

It's "funny" how a group of friends comes together. How life has a way of bringing people together. How some of our BFFs drift out of our life while others stand the test of time. There are 4 ladies from our church who are in my inner circle by merit of the men we fell in love with and the timing of our birthdays. Although 3 of us immigrated from the same home state, I never met any of them until we ended up in the same community. We started out in an accountability group together, then celebrated 40th birthdays together, before deciding to pull our families into the fun by doing an annual Camp Out.

   We are an eclectic mix. Some of us are raising teenagers, while others only have preschoolers. Some of us like onions & hate mocha, while others of us hate onions but like all things mocha. We've withstood 1 separation (when 1 couple went into V.S.) in the past and are about to experience the pangs of another separation [sniffle] when another goes international in mission work). Some of us define camping as outdoor living while others hold the staunch view that camping can only be done in an air-conditioned cabin with all the conveniences of home. Some of us love adventure and some of us prefer safe. None of us has quite the same interests & giftings, tho' we share similar insecurities. But we all love the Lord. I believe that is the glue that holds us together.

 

Here is a peek at some events of our recent 2012 Camp out...

 

This is all but 2 of the boys in the group. There is quite a gap between our 2 teens and the rest of the boys in the group, but you often see them surrounded by the little guys like this...  

Good practice for being a positive role model!

 

JS fishing with some of the little guys...

...he also gave lots of 4-wheeler rides.

 

One of the men just happens to be JS & A's school teacher/principal this year.

This was JS's favorite activity of the weekend - shooting bow with his teacher.

 

We did some traditional camping food- like mountain pies.

I'm telling you, we had some professional pie makers & marshmallow toasters among the younger generation! You want a perfect toasted marshmallow, talk to T! 

 

The real unforgettable moment of the weekend was a hike.

Supposedly to the lake.

Some how it turned into an adventure few us were prepared for. There were life lessons gleaned and trust issues to explore. And beauty [ferns, moss, and unidentified fluffy white things waving on tree branches] that one would completely miss when sticking to the mown paths. For the record- we never got to the lake, but we could see it off in the distance.  

 

 

In honor of my brave friends, who follow their men into the wild unknown, with babies in tow, I've composed this poem based on the nursery rhyme "This is the House that Jack Built"-

This is the hike that we took.

This is the maiden all forlorn,

that followed the man all tattered & torn,

that went on a hike

to find the lake,

that required a debriefing

that took till 2 AM!  

This is the hike that we took.

 

You gals are great! Glad to have you in my life!