Remember when his blog name was Bitty Bantam?
He has different teeth now.
He's looking like an orthodontist's nightmare (or dream come true, depending on your perspective_!
He's a total ham.
At least he's still shorter than his mom--my only son who still is!
(Aside: This was taken at the Christmas tree farm where the boys worked in November and December. Those are "kissing balls" hanging from the roof, which B12 may have assembled. He got pretty good at them!)
He's determined.
He's competitive.
He has great focus and energy.
4 Comments on My Baby Turns 7, last added: 2/11/2012
We already celebrated 25 years of marriage with a cruise last March.
But today is the actual day!
Sometimes, in all the busy-ness, our marriage feels a little like Tevya's and Golda's, from Fiddler on the Roof. With our anniversary looming, it seemed an appropriate choice for us to perform at the last Light of Christ Talent Show!
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:12b
So grateful for that third cord, Jesus Christ, who holds us together when we start to fray.
And so grateful for my good, generous, faithful, funny, providing, honoring, wise and loving husband!
She's a college girl now.
She got a music scholarship, so she's been taking voice lessons, participating in choir, and singing with the worship team in chapel. She sang recently at our All-Church Talent Show:
She probably wouldn't want me to post this, since it wasn't her very best performance; she was at the Urgent Care the next day for an ear infection AND an upper respiratory infection. But no one else could tell!
She's planning on switching majors, though. She can still be in choir, voice lessons and worship team, and probably keep most of her scholarship, but she can tell she's just not cut out for the hours in the practice room that a music major requires. She's not thrilled about her required keyboard lessons or Music Theory class either. Music Theory is, in fact, the bane of her existence this semester.
And she's coming home tonight, on her birthday, for Thanksgiving break! Her siblings are excited.
(I call this "the blonde team." Half our kids have the white-blonde hair, and we honestly can't figure out where it came from! No blondes among their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Yes, my husband is half Norwegian, but Grandpa says that out of the 11 in his immediate family, only one sister was blonde.)
Mugging for the camera is one of her favorite activities!
These two have always been close. Ask either one of them who their BFF is, and they will name the other.
(It is one of my great joys and blessings that my kids all seem to like and enjoy each other. I don't know if we've done something to cultivate this or if it's just a gift! I think homeschooling has contributed to a great extent, and it's probably the right mix of ages and genders too. Recently B16 told me that one of the best things about being home this year has been re-establishing his relationship with B12--they are enjoying each other a lot. Too much, sometimes, given their school workload--but I am so grateful!)
0 Comments on Update on the Birthday Girl--Blondechick19! as of 1/1/1900
I was so happy that my brother-in-law grabbed the camera and took these shots! PR takes so many fabulous photos, but he's never in them. I loved this shot of him with our two youngest and my niece (in the orange goggles).
This photo captures something special about my husband, one of the big reasons I married him--he has a gentle soul.
May the Lord bless you this day...this year...my love...as you bless so many others with your care, your love, your compassion and your prayers. You are a
good man, and I am blessed to be yours.
***
In honor of your birthday, apparently, I had a dream last night. This dream incorporates a Latin expression which you made up in high school. My subconscious seems to think that you have been just itching to include it in a liturgical service!
We were at church, and you and our deacon and the altar boys were processing in. But what was this? In the procession, there was also a young man in his 20's, dressed in a robe of some sort, but underneath it was an inflatable suit that was inflated, lifting the robe above the young man's knees and revealing silky gym shorts. He definitely needed a longer robe and different footwear than gym shoes, to pull this off. Who was he? I wondered. Why the inflatable suit under the robe?
Ahhh, then I knew. It was the
magnum saccum ventorum, the "big bag of wind." A little-known liturgical element you were trying out this week.
You and our deacon conferred afterward and decided that it just hadn't worked. It looked a little silly and it made the young man uncomfortable. (It may have been his first time at our church, since I didn't recognize him. Talk about "seeker-friendly"!)
And that was it. You were matter-of-fact, and you moved on to another topic.
You big bag of wind. I love you!
So the birthday party was a success!
I admit I was a little worried.
B12's idea of a Lego building contest sounded fun, but didn't it also hold the potential for a good deal of conflict? I could just imagine the guests fighting over special pieces, arguing over who needs what bricks, complaining that there aren't enough whatevers....and generally working themselves up to the dreaded "This is not fair...not fun...I quit."
I shouldn't have worried.
In the first place, it seemed we had plenty of Legos to go around.
In the second place, our guests not only enjoyed the building process, but they seemed to enjoy helping each other find needed pieces. A more congenial and helpful atmosphere I could not have imagined!
Eleven boys were invited; nine were able to attend, so we had nine categories which were announced beforehand. Guests were encouraged to build toward multiple categories, since there would only be one winner of each award category.
Certificates (along with a treat bag) were given for:
Indiana Jones Award--Most Adventurous
Concorde Award--Most Aerodynamic
Bat-Tumbler Award--Most Compact & Sturdy
Pegasus Award--Most Fantastical
Mad Scientist Award--Most Ingenious
Camelot Award--Most Medieval
General Patton Award--Most Militaristic
Suburban Award--Most Realistic
Golden Starship Award--Futuristic
We let the nine builders watch funny videos on YouTube for a few minutes, to give the judges (B12 and B20) a chance to judge the entries in private. As the winners were announced (with appropriate drum rolls), each boy seemed pleased with his award; there were no complaints over the judging. The candy in the treat bag may have helped take their minds off any disappointments; however, it seemed the most fun was in the building. And as one of the guests pointed out, B12 would enjoy playing with all the creations after the builders went home!
Yup, B12 came up with a winner of an idea. And his guests were all winners in my book. His golden birthday was truly "golden"!
No, he's not opening birthday presents in this picture; it's from Christmas. And yes, he's super-excited about getting jeans for Christmas.
(Not just jeans--skinny jeans. Or "skinny pants," as we like to call them, harking back to "stretchy pants" from
El Nacho Libre.)
Anyway, I love B12's enthusiastic personality. He's interested and talented in so many things--piano, acting, singing, tap dancing, improv, art, writing, graphic novels, the
Redemption card game, Legos and soccer. Papa Rooster and I speculate all the time about what he'll eventually end up doing with his life!
He's also got his endearing little quirks, like really hating to wear a shirt, and loving silky bed sheets and a particular soft fleece jacket. But he loves hand-me-downs from his big brother and listens carefully to his fashion advice. Thus the skinny jeans at the top of his Christmas wishlist. Well, one down from an enormous Lego set.
Such an interesting age. Still a kid in so many delightful ways...but starting to leave childish things behind him. He told me just a couple days ago that he's not as interested in Legos as he used to be, and he and I both had a moment of mourning over that.
But today, for his "golden birthday" (meaning he's 12 years old on the 12th), 11 other boys are invited for a Lego Building Contest! B20 is home from college for the weekend, so that he can be a judge for the event. Every Lego creation will be awarded a prize. They're also going to play "Creationary" which is like Pictionary, except with Legos. B12 planned the whole thing on his own.
So, welcome to the Golden Year, B12. Twelve is a great age. You're at the top of the childhood totem pole, but there's no pressure to feel or act like a teenager yet. You are such a delightful member of our family, and we love you so much. May God bless you, son, today and always!!
There is something about your youngest child turning 6 that signifies the end of an era. I think I felt this way about him turning 5, too, but last February he wasn't even entering kindergarten for another six months, so I could somewhat fool myself by calling him a preschooler, at the time.
Now, he's truly a big boy. He can get his own snowsuit on, ride a bike, make a sandwich, take out the trash, sign himself onto Lego.com...and even has begun reading and writing! I just can't call him my baby anymore. Out loud, at least.
This is one of my favorite pictures of our son. There is a quiet focus about him when he's at rest, gearing up for some period of intense movement. He has so much inner energy, but it's not uncontrolled. He's a force.
His vitality is such a blessing, especially if you know his history: He nearly died at 5 weeks of age, of severe pneumonia caused by RSV. I recently opened a box and immediately found tears springing to my eyes at the sight of his nebulizer, which we had to use so much for that first year. They were tears of rejoicing, though--at the realization that we haven't needed it since he was two, despite the warnings that he might have respiratory issues for years, even life!
Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this, our son---your child--and his life, his spunkiness, his humor, his abilities, his energy. Grant us wisdom, love, discipline and energy to parent him...in the particular way that
he should go. Bless him, Lord, as you have blessed us--with him.
My baby girl is all grown up! Eighteen years old last month.
She's driving, she's busy with a job, she's paying some of her own expenses, she's applying to colleges....
She's full of energy, individuality, creativity and fun....
I miss her already!
These are some of the finalists in the "senior picture" photo shoots she and her dad took this summer when we were visitng the Ohio farm where I grew up.
As you can see, you can't take a bad picture of her.
This one's my favorite, I think--though it's a tough choice!
Which one would you choose?
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
(Proverbs 31:30-31)
Hear, my child, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your
Let it never be said that I am an uptight mother. Or an obsessive-compulsive house-cleaner. Or that I never let my kids do anything.
I now have proof-positive to the contrary.
Last night, I allowed Blondechick and B15 to host about 20 friends for a dance party in our basement, in honor of Blondechick's 18th birthday. And not just your regular dance party. Of course, we had loud music,
When we were in Ohio, we overlapped with both my brothers and their families for one beautiful afternoon on the farm where I grew up. We were all dressed up for my mother's retirement party at the hospital where she's worked as an RN since the 60's. It was a great photo op, and I'm so glad that Papa Rooster got us all to stand still long enough for him to take these photos!
Here's our family..
Look at that Mona Lisa smile! My baby girl appears even older and wiser than her eight years in this shot, taken by Papa Rooster at Mount Vernon. One can almost imagine it as an oil painting, a study in shades of wheat, with the Grand Master symbolically placing her by the harvested but unthreshed wheat to indicate a maturity that is both now and not-yet.
I can't believe how old she is, how
Well, we had a birthday back in May...
But we didn't have a good picture of him, since he got his braces off in February...and Mama Hen was barely keeping her head above water to finish out the school year afloat...Bantam19 was accepted at college and we had a graduation....
...and today, he left. For two weeks at camp. Back to Honey Rock, where he went last year--quite against his will--but
But I’ve been enjoying the sunshine in San Antonio!It has been a crazy couple of weeks. In between Mulan and our getaway, I was hard-pressed to get everything in order to be gone for five days, including getting ready for Showcase--the final week of theater classes--tomorrow night, less than 48 hours after our return! But ready or not, I left last Wednesday to meet Papa Rooster, who was already
No, not mine...It was on TV last week, during an episode ("Vital Signs") of White Collar. Peter is a happily married FBI agent whose partner Neal thrusts him into an encounter with a prospective informant, a beautiful woman, and hisses, "Flirt!" Clearly out of practice after many years of marriage, he manages to get her business card, plus her private number at the clinic under suspicion.Later
Can I still call this young force-to-be-reckoned-with my "baby"??
Only one more year as a teenager! I can't believe it.The coming year holds many momentous events: graduation from high school, getting a driver's license (hopefully), getting a job (hopefully), starting college classes (hopefully). You will need God's wisdom and direction for your life more than you ever have!My birthday wish for you is that you will become a man of the Word, and a man of
Yes, today is my 45th birthday, and New Year's Eve marked 4 years of blogging! I was a little too busy hosting a soup supper and talent show, though, to notice.I know my readership has dropped this fall, since I was only posting once a week or so, but to celebrate these auspicious anniversaries, it would be fun to hear from whomever is still out there! Even if it's a week late. Even if you've
Christmas Eve at our church was a lovely service with carols, violin and trumpet solos, a children's sermon and quite a few visitors. A highlight was our newly formed children's choir (of 6-11 year-olds) singing "The Friendly Beasts," complete with solos for each beast. Precious.Mom and Dad Rooster joined us for the service and for our traditional Christmas Eve Italian dinner afterwards--this
The very first 45 record I ever bought, when I was in junior high, was this song. Loved the melody, the voice, the guitar, the 7-note trumpet solo, the poetry--and I wondered if I would ever know a love like the song described.Thirty years later, I do. Thank you, Papa Rooster, for 23 wonderful years. I'm so glad I spent them with you!I've always loved the last verse especially:Longer than
Actually, these pictures were all taken while she was six (by her dad, who is having fun teaching himself photography!) But it's finally time for an uber-belated birthday post for Chicklet, who turned 7 nearly two months ago!(at the beach near our house)(taken at my parents' home in Ohio)(taken at the fair in Ohio, actually just before she turned six)(taken in downtown Kenosha! Yes, it's that
And Papa Rooster kicks it off! After today, we have birthdays in September, November, our anniversary in December, two in January, two in February...and one in May, all by itself.I am never prepared for any of them.Papa Rooster bought his own gifts this year--photography equipment for the hobby he's been getting into--so that made my job easier. The kids have made him cards, and I bought him an
We had such a fun visit with Professor Brother's family! All the way from Kansas they came, so we had to show them a good time. (Photos compliments of Professor Brother.)First stop: the Jelly Belly Factory!!Waiting in line, as the anticipation builds......for the 35 minute train ride through the factory! Hats are FDA regulation. Also part of the fun!After the tour, you get samples in the
This is the old Baptist church that Papa Rooster and I were married in.My dad's side of the family has attended here for generations. I used to sit in that balcony to sing with the Junior Choir, and I was baptized in that baptistry.My brothers and husband helped carry my grandfather's casket through these same doors nine years ago.This time, two of my sons were old enough to join them. Grandma
Happy Birthday, Son!!It is a delight to have you in our family! We have always loved your sense of humor, your kindness, and your compassionate heart. Now, as you are becoming a young man before our eyes, it is exciting to see you growing in qualities like leadership, courage, responsibility and your love for the Lord.May He bless you always!!
Bantam10 today!His party was yesterday, though. Here he is (on the far right) with all but one of the other nine-year-old boys from Light of Christ. He's the first domino to fall--all the rest will be turning ten over the next few months!! Aren't they a handsome little group?Er...maybe not.(Pity the one nine-year-old girl at church!)In honor of his birthday, we present "The Many Faces of Bantam10
View Next 21 Posts
We love your Bantam 7 too!
Thanks, Mrs. A!
He's very handsome and sounds like a wonderful guy. I will give his number to Alex. ;) Happy Birthday Mr. 7!
Haha, I bet he and Alex would be quite the pair! ;)
~Jeanne