Thursday, May 20, 2010

My Special Boy

My Eleven Year Old Boy
At last night's School Spring Concert
(NOTE: Sami plays the drums and the drummers
were hidden in the back. Thus, no photos! ACK!)


Jake's Big Present!
Is waiting in the garage.. right now!

Jake's Teaser Big Present
Is waiting at his spot at the table for when he comes running in from the bus.
In about 20 minutes.
Asking, again...
"Is my big present here YET????"
We've been doing this dance since Tuesday!
The store was not open on Monday, when I arrived, after having this on hold for over a month!
And it took this long for me to get to the right town to get it!

Jake's Party - Monday Night
Along with $50 from Grandma Pat, a new Basketball, a chipboard album of his favorite kitty Teeny Tiny Tiger Toes (who went to Kitty heaven 2 years ago)
and some Axe 'big boy' shower supplies,
Jake got his own Goldfish.
And he was excited!
Sami has ruled the goldfish aquarium for about 4 years.
Now Jake has a contestant in the fish races!
(We watch their antics from the dining table - hilarious)

A Cake Made By You Know Who!
His special request: Vanilla, with Vanilla icing, and Vanilla IceCream.
Oh. and the strawberries were a hit!
(P.S. The cake 'look's yellow because of our ranch eggs!)
Sami: 'How come I don't get strawberries on my cakes?'
Me: 'Cause your birthday is in January, and strawberries are not in season then'!
We are tough with the 'in season' food stuff
Just ask Mexico.
I have not bought their stinkin' hard skinned rubberized tomatoes for months!
I am patently waiting for local - anything grown in the US will do at this point!

******************
My little boy turned 11 this week. On Monday.

It's hard to watch your kids grow up and older. They begin to need you less, demand less of your time, and want to distance themselves from you when they are around other kids. I know that pain. I experienced it last week when I chaperoned Sami's 6th grade class to the coast. Sami hardly said a word to me during the trip. I was like the 'old friend' who got traded for the newest and coolest girls.

Jake is my special hug giver. He's warm and cuddly. He is also my sidekick at the Boise Farmers Market. His job is to keep me awake when we are driving home - by talking. He's good at that. I learn a lot about how his mind works when we are alone together on those 3 hour drives.

He has a lot going on in that brain of his. He is very smart and just comes up with some real zingers. I wish I could remember a few! He is known at school as one of the smart boys in his class (not 'smart*ss smart silly! Brains smart!). Sometimes I feel really 'stupid' around him - and to think that at one time 'I was smart'! HA! I have a Masters degree with minors in Math and Computer Science, however, for some reason, I am now dumb as a fencepost. I try to help him in Math but he gets mad and wants to do things his way. That's the interesting part. My way is 'the school way' but Jake's mind works in a whole different dimension.. and he's right! I wish my Father could have met him! Oh my gosh they would have had some great conversations.

Jake also inherited his Dad's devilishness. He began enforcing the word 'no' at 2 something. He would also get put to bed at 8pm, then come down stairs a bit later, and repeat the 'to bed' cycle quite a few times. Unlike his sister, who hit the pillow at 8pm and stayed there until the morning! No. Not Jake. About 10:30 pm or so, he would come downstairs once he could crawl out of his crib - in the dark!!! - and find our bed, and sneak in. This went for several years. The bed thing. I mean, until he was seven or eight people! Not as frequent, but enough.

But now. He is his own little man.

He reads his own style of books (dragons, etc.)

Plays his own kind of computer games (Myst, things like that)

Plays chess.

Wanted throwing knives or an ax for his birthday (woah! Who is this kid? Thor? The mighty hunter?). And we said.. no. But I got him Axe shower supplies. No one made the connection.


Wants to play real dungeons and dragons with real people.

Laughs a sweet belly laugh.

Makes friends with anyone in his class.

And has his mommy wrapped around his finger.

Happy Birthday sweet little boy man-child. Who, during last night's prayers ripped a big one and was furious that I left the room holding my nose - and laughing!

Dude!

5 comments:

Elise said...

You've got a "dude" on your hands, alright! What is it about the pre-pubescent lads and their "functions"... Sheesh! Oh, Andi! What a breath taking recollection of your feelings and experiences around this beautiful boy and your family/ranch life. I have a few tears of joy... Ahhh, sister. I feel you! {Mine is 12!!!*Gasp! Unless I'm providing necessary services, such as sleepover plans, money for a slice of pizza at Skate night or an extra cup of water at night, I'm pretty invisible. Sad, but I knew when I signed up that 11 was sort of the last age of "connection" before the long drought of the teens.... All we can do is hope that the good parenting will see us through to the OTHER side... *sob*

Meanwhile, we can HOPE that one day, your sweet lil' man will know what a FANTASTIC card-maker his lovely mom is, because, honey-bun, that card ROCKS! You are SUCH an inspirational and fantastic mom... I so love your blog!

xo- E.

Tami B. said...

I love love love this post. Only the mother of a boy can appreciate all this boy stuff and still love them despite the ripped ones at inopportune times. You may as well buy stock in Axe products now. We're almost 15 here and still swimming in it. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family, Andi.

Karen said...

Happy Birthday, Jake!!

What a fantastic share Andi! Your sweet boy is lucky to have a Mama who appreciates all of his 'boyness'! We are swimming in legos in this house.....all of my boy's, plus some of his Dad's from when he was young, plus the several dozen Star Wars legos (that are his DAD's!!!), plus the pink tub & pink Bellville horsey legos that are our wee girl's....seriously, SWIMMING! As for those body noises, my boy just learned how to make them with his armpit.....oh joy. I hear ya on the perfect enjoyment of hearing your kidlet's brain at work on your drives. We don't do three hour ones, but we do go on a country drive just about every single day after school and on the days he wants to talk, its always an interesting ride! We're not quite up to eleven yet, but good to know the Mamas who are.....so I can learn and knock on your door (well, maybe click an email your way!) when we do! :>

Carla said...

Love your card:)

Maria@Crafty Cre8tions said...

Looks like he had a terrific birthday!!! Hope he's having fun with his goldfish too :)
Maria

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