Peachy

The continuing saga of a mother attempting to entertain her teenage son... while still managing to do things that she finds fun!

I'm not the best match for a teenage boy. Video games aren't my thing. (Especially games like HALO... they make me feel motion sick.) I'm not into robots or gizmos or wacky inventions. Manga? Also not my thing. Overall, you'd think that I couldn't manage to find activities that we would both enjoy.

But we're two-for-two lately.

Rules

a.k.a. Things to know when hiking with a teenage boy

Today (Labor Day) Stinky and I went hiking. Specifically, we hiked from the Jack Lake trailhead to Booth Lake. Originally we wanted to take the Canyon Creek Meadows trail but a big group arrived at the trailhead right behind us. So... we hiked the opposite direction. Because we could.

Unfortunately that meant we didn't know much about the trail. Except that it would go through nature, and hopefully past some beautiful places.

And hopefully not too steep. Mamma don't "do" steep. (Except, apparently, when I climbed South Sister. But that's a whole other story.)

Thirteen

Where does the time go? I swear, a few days ago this big gangly dude was just a little peanut. When I cradled his tiny head in my hand, his little feet didn't even reach to my elbow.

Lots of changes since then. Now he talks back. He has braces on his teeth. I don't even try to beat him at strategy games. He's attended college. And his feet are bigger than mine. (And that is saying a lot... I have pretty big feet!)

And now he's thirteen. That's years, not months. I remember when I used to count his age in months... but now that would make him 156. No wonder I stopped keeping track!

He's funnier now - in both looks and personality. (I can only say that because I love him so much!) When he arrives home after a long day at school, he calls me so that I know he is available to start working on chores safe. On his birthday, the first thing he said was, "You're ruining my life!" I had to think about it for a minute. No, there was nothing recent that came to mind that I had done that seemed that bad. So, I gave my standard intelligent answer... "Huh?" His reply?

"I'm a teenager now, Mom. Figured you might want to get used to hearing that."

Oh. Okay, then.

I still get hugs, now and then. But only when people aren't watching. (No, that's a terrible lie. Teenage boys don't ever hug their Mom. Forget you saw that!) He isn't "too cool" to spend time with me yet. But I think that has more to do with his expensive taste in food (sushi) and toys (Wii) than anything else. But he at least tries to make me feel cool. Nice kid, I guess! Smart kid, definitely!!

He smells pretty bad, too. I thought it was bad a few years ago, but it's getting worse. Nothing seems to wash that smell away. Someone should invent a special "anti-teenage-boy-smell" soap. I'd buy it. And I know lots of other mom's that would too!

For his birthday party we went to InClimb, which is a local rock climbing gym. Several of his friends came to hang out. It was fun, but Scott spent most of the party chasing the boys away from Q.P. (who happened to be the only girl). So I guess that's another thing to look forward to... yikes!!

To Stinky... I love you, dude. Stay weird and geeky. And please, solve the energy crisis by finding an alternative fuel SOON so that I can start saving money on gas. I know you can do it, buddy. When you do, we'll go to Mio to celebrate. Deal?

Skool

Where the heck did summer go?? Time flies whether you are having fun or working your tail off, apparently.

So... can you tell who is excited, and who isn't? Happy back-to-school!

C(o)urses

When you asked your kid what they wanted to do on their summer vacation, what did they say? Mine (well, one of them) said, "More school, please!!"

Stinky is away at Evil Genius School this week... thanks to some extremely generous local folks. We got a little sneak peek at what college tuition is like in the 54F household, and without a nice scholarship from the University, support from the community, and a good painting gig this great experience would not have been possible. So from both of us... Thank You!!!

So Stinky is living in a dorm room for the next two weeks. We knew he would be sharing with another evil genius. Turns out his roomie traveled here all the way from South Korea! How cool is that? I wonder if he will teach Stinky to say "My mom is the greatest" in Korean? Heh... right.

Tired

We are home from our trip to Ashland! When we arrived the house was empty - the girls were playing at the park and Scott was wrapping up 36 holes of golf. Gave Stinky and me a couple of minutes to unload the car and shake off a loooong drive.

This morning after breakfast we said "goodbye" to Ashland and headed east on the Green Springs Highway. Stinky slept for the first part of the drive, until I stopped at Tub Springs to fill our water bottles.


We stopped in Klamath Falls to visit Scott's folks (hi there!) and have some lunch. Stinky played pool with Scott's dad and I enjoyed chatting with Scott's mom and watching the birds in their yard. It was very nice to see them both! (I have to say that since they are reading this, heh!) :-)

The drive from Klamath to Bend was uneventful. The skies were sunny and clear, and Stinky fell back to sleep even before we got to Klamath Lake. I managed to get some pretty good "hold up the camera and hope" photos from the car, too!



It's good to be home!!!

Pouty

Day two of our Ashland trip is in the books. It was very rainy so I didn't get many pictures today. I did get a nice shot of Stinky and his new friends though:

We got to go to a special dinner with some of the actors and staff of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Stinky was seated next to Christopher Rivera and they hit it off pretty well. Actually they spent most of dinner talking about "Family Guy". Boys are weird.

Since he had a play to go to (he is "Demetrius" in Midsummer Night's Dream), Chris had to leave dinner early but stayed long enough for me to snap a few photos of him with Stinky and another actor, Eddie Lopez (who played "Cobweb"). He also posed with my mom:


But... how was Midsummer? VERY good! Extremely good! Visually it was outstanding, and the interpretation was SO much fun. But not for the faint of heart. Some people told us ahead of time it was the "Rocky Horror" of OSF. Have you ever been to a play where some of the audience members dress up like their favorite characters? There were fairy wings and donkey ears on more than just stage. That's not enough? The fairies were all played by guys. And they were fairies. Geddit? Even if you don't like Shakespeare, you might like this play. And if you like Shakespeare, you might love this play. I had a BLAST. And Stinky found it amusing too.

Ashland

Stinky and I are enjoying a weekend in Ashland, Oregon. Today was our first full day after arriving late last night. We wandered the town, had a couple of very nice meals, and saw an excellent play (The Clay Cart).

Nothing

Today, I am doing nothing.

I could have gone to work, but why? I already have the day off, so that I could drive to a quilter's retreat at Camp Cascade. I was finally going to finish Q.P.'s quilt and get some work done on other projects. But apparently Mother Nature doesn't agree with my quilting habit, since it's dumping so much snow on the pass that chains are required and they are discouraging anyone from traveling that doesn't have to.

So... instead of heading off to the office I am "doing nothing." And it feels pretty good. Actually, it's a lot of work to do nothing. Since the kids were planning for me to be gone I let them take over the living room as planned (including the "good" TV with the DVR and Wii) and stayed in bed late to read a book. That's right, I had some quiet time to read for fun. Bliss!

A little later Shannon mentioned that they were going to head over and check out the new Trader Joe's. Ordinarily I wouldn't go to an eagerly anticipated store on opening day but heck, why not? Q.P. decided to come with me, while Stinky stayed home to enjoy some "alone time" with the Wii. Yes, it was crowded. But we picked up some good stuff (some needed, and some just because) and for the most part everyone at the store was friendly and happy. Say whatever you will about Trader Joe's... but you have to admit that their price point on a lot of "staples" and produce can't be beat elsewhere in town. And I love the little mini gingersnaps and dark-chocolate-dipped "Joe Joe's". We used to stock up on those when visiting friends in Portland or Scott's daughter in Eugene... it might be a little dangerous now that I can just drive to the north end of town for them!

Since we were in that neck of the woods anyways, we went to Target next. I knew that at least one child was in desperate need of socks, and we still owed Burger an iTunes card for babysitting earlier this month. There is some mystical force at work inside Target, and I can never get out without buying lots of extra stuff. But it's usually stuff that is so marked down that I can't resist. There was still a lot of Easter merchandise, and all of it was marked down 75%. Can you say "score"? One of the best things about post-holiday clearance is the stuff that is only marginally holiday related. Like the sports-themed baskets, socks, and dishes that we picked up in addition to jelly beans and Reese's peanut butter eggs.

After all that shopping (and looking at candy) we were hungry. I love crepes and have been wanting to try Batter & Beans in downtown Bend. Q.P. was intrigued by the idea of crepes and agreed that was the place we should go for some lunch. We took the owner's suggestion to order one "savory" crepe to share... so that we would have room for a sweet crepe for dessert. I let Q.P. pick the fillings for both. We had one with ham and cheddar (and added tomatoes on my half) then one with bananas and caramel. (After which I ran home for some migraine meds, since bananas are a MAJOR trigger. But it was just too good to resist!) Yummmm... we will definitely be back. I want to try a crepe filled with spinach, mushrooms, bacon, and cream cheese. The one thing they are missing from the "sweet" menu is cinnamon apples. I think a sweet crepe with cinnamon apples and caramel would be perfection!!

And now... back to my not-regularly-scheduled day of doing nothing. I highly recommend it!

Faddle

A few weeks ago we attended the kids' first orchestra concert. Last night (two weeks later to the day) we attended their second.

This was a little different, though. The evening was all about strings, and we got to see the intermediate and advanced groups perform too. The high school groups performed later but we left at intermission (at 8:30pm). As the "grand finale" for the middle schoolers the three groups joined together to perform "1812 Overture". The 6th graders stood in the back, and Stinky and Q.P. were next to each other.

Stinky held onto second chair for the 6th grade performance again! It's nice to see him doing well and thriving in a non-technical activity. (Though he keeps reminding me that music is all based on math, anyways.) He is planning to continue next year, and wants to audition for the advanced orchestra as an elective. I don't think Q.P. will continue, but there are lots of other choices so hopefully she will find something that is a better fit for her.

Fiddle

When we found a spot on the bleachers, I leaned over and told Boo, "no matter what happens, remember that I love you very much." She looked at me with a confused expression. I reassured her that soon she would understand.

Kids dressed in black pants and white shirts (some with ties!) started to filter in and find their seats on the gym floor. We spotted Q.P. and Stinky among them. It was almost time to begin.

Our chosen seats had a good view of Stinky but it was tough to see Q.P. which was a little disappointing. Finally the teacher appeared... and the 6th grade orchestra concert began!

Some time during the first number Boo asked me, "Is this supposed to be 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?" And by the look on her face I knew that she understood my earlier comment. But all things considered, it was pretty good for a bunch of kids who just started playing assorted stringed instruments. And it was QUICK too... they only played for about 20 minutes. There were few surprises - I think they played the same tunes that I probably played at my first orchestra concert.

But there was one large surprise - Stinky was the second chair for the first violins.

When it was over, I could tell that the kids were relieved. That first performance is a tough one. Next year music classes are optional. I hope they will both continue with something, if not orchestra.

Tea

Quiet time
Originally uploaded by fiveforefun

Yesterday was a mostly lazy Sunday. But some time during the afternoon we decided it would be a good idea to get out, even if just for a little while. Stinky and I decided to swing by and try the new tea shop in downtown Bend. It's a nice little place, and they are open 7 days a week until 10pm.

The variety of teas, chai, infusions, and so on is dizzying. They also serve "build your own" bubble teas, and tea lattes. It was hard to decide! And I was surprised to find the shop very busy late on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently, this spot is enjoying some early success.

Our tea was piping hot and good, and our snacks were tasty. They don't serve much food, just a variety of baked goodies. However the teamistress told me it was perfectly acceptable to pick up a sandwich next door at Great Harvest and bring that in to enjoy with your tea.

Brace Face!

Brace Face!
Originally uploaded by fiveforefun

Yeup, Stinky got braces today. And so the fun that is orthodontia, has officially begun in the "Weird" household.

Q.P. isn't far behind and will probably get hers this spring. Boo is slated to have them as well, but probably not for a few years. (Which means, probably right after the big kids are done!)

Genes

Genetics are a real bitch some times.

When we found out that my cholesterol still sucks, my LNP urged me to take Stinky to his doc to get his checked. Boo can apparently wait for a couple years. Last week he had his blood drawn, and the doc called me today with the results.

The magic number is... 340.

Ouch!

He referred Stinky to a pediatric cardiologist. So begins Round 2... I am so glad we have good insurance!

Suckas

Merry Christmas suckas!
Love, Stinky

Inservice

Today was an Inservice day, grading day, or some obscure holiday (Pearl Harbor Day?) so the kids didn't have school. But Scott and I had to work. Boo is off at her dad's, but I planned to work from home anyways because we have many stashes and caches of Christmas loot around the house. I didn't want to give Q.P. and Stinky the opportunity to dig around. Then last night Q.P.'s friend (we'll call her Miss M) spent the night, and she ended up spending the day here as well.

Which made "working from home" more like "referee between emails". I didn't accomplish as much as I would have liked, but I probably still got more done than if I had been in the office.

It was actually pretty quiet until about 11 this morning. By then everyone was up and milling around, and wanting to watch cartoons or whatever. Stinky was hanging out in the living room, and made some paper snow flakes. Q.P. needed to clean her room and get her birthday party invitations ready. After the room was sufficiently un-messed, the girls ran over to Miss M's to pick up some supplies. When they came back we had a quick lunch and they got to work. They made some really cute invite's that look like flip-flop sandals. They also made a big, crafty mess.

Next they all gathered around the table and I took a break to teach them how to make these really nifty 3-D snowflakes. This kept them busy (and quiet) for about an hour. If you have older kids (probably 9 and up) this is a really fun way to keep the kids busy for a while. And who doesn't have paper, tape, and a stapler (I recommend the red Swingline model) around the house? Okay... so I couldn't find our stapler, so we borrowed Miss M's. But I know that I will find it some day.

Miss M hung hers around Divot's neck. Doesn't she make a nice model?

Finally it was time to clean up. And then a wrestling match (girls vs. boy of course). Miss M and Q.P. had Stinky pinned to the floor in no time. Then time to finish cleaning. :) Just as they were done Scott got home, and admired their handiwork. For once he thought one of our cheezy day-off-school craft projects was cool. He wants us to make some ginormous snowflakes to hang around the house.
Stinky, Miss M, and Q.P. are snow flaky.

Abstain

In Stinky's writing class they are learning how to conduct interviews. Right now all the kids are interviewing each other. Stinky thinks this is great, because now he is finding out which kids already have "Halo 3" or which ones know how to play chess.

As a motivational tool, the teacher turned part of this into a contest. I am not exactly sure how it works, but they can earn raffle entries as they complete the interviews. But Stinky told me he isn't entering.

Why?

Because the prizes are gift cards for Wal-Mart.

That's my boy!

Runner

It was a cold and windy day... but the runners ran anyways! (Cuz that is what runners do.) It was beautiful and sunny outside, but many of the spectators were wrapped in blankets and the rest of us were shivering. Brrr! Winter is definitely on it's way!

First pass through the park...


Kicking it into the finish line...

Twelve

Happy birthday, Stinky!!!

That's right, the Stinky one turned twelve today.

To celebrate? He had a couple of friends over to hang out and play video games and foosball for the afternoon. I was allowed in the room for the purpose of delivering food, but other than that I was... er... excused. They had some pizza, root beer, watermelon (there are rinds so I know someone ate a little), and cookies. Nope, he didn't want a cake. He didn't want us to sing either. But he still liked the presents and enjoyed the chance to "hang" with the guys.

I put the MBP up there for a little while with Photo Booth running. They took some pretty funny pictures so I burned CD's for them to take home. That is a cool party trick, thanks for the idea Rassmass!!

The verdict? Preteen boys smell. Bad. And not just their feet, either. It's a whole body aura thing. Pretty gross! They also like to talk about blowing things up. It doesn't matter how nice and well mannered a boy appears to be - he still likes to talk about blowing things up. With grenades (especially German ones?!) and machine guns.

But overall it was a quiet afternoon for me. I managed to get some housework done, and they pretty much did their own thing. MUCH easier than a girls' birthday party - now that's a lot of work!

P.S. When I delivered the food I managed to sneak in some really cute "Happy Birthday" napkins decorated with dinosaurs wearing party hats. Left over from maybe birthday #5? I am mean like that.

Happy #12 dude... Love you!

Eclipse

It's 4:24am, are you looking at the moon?

In our neighborhood somewhere, a dog is howling at the orangey-red, somewhat obscured disc in the sky. The air is crisp but not freezing. Eclipse weather, maybe? And Stinky has something strange growing out of his face.

Ooops, that is how his face normally looks. Sorry 'bout that, Stinky...

Anyhoo. I overslept, since this whole thing was supposed to get rolling at 2am. I woke up at 4am. It's all good... still a beautiful (and unusual) sight to see. I am glad that I got to see it with at least one of the kids.

Now... back to bed with us. Morning should be an adventure....

updated - Really cool animations and pics of the eclipse, if you missed it. I was just too darn tired to look for my tripod and gear. Next time I will prepare better and have everything ready the night before!