Anyone who knows my little brother can appreciate this.  “Uncle Dude,” as he has been called since he first became an uncle, is as fun a guy as you’ll ever meet.  We  celebrate that.  However, he gave my parents a run for their money growing up.

Apparently, God – in His infinite wisdom and divine sense of humor – decided that there should be another one of him for the next generation.  And since my brother didn’t want to be the one to raise him, someone had to.  Enter #4.

He has an unparalleled zest for life and too few outlets for that zest.  Winters get long around here so we have had our share of moments.

For instance, my daughter told me the other day that while they were at the phone store picking out my new phone, he took a picture of himself on each display phone and then set the alarm on each phone to go off after they left the store.

Observe the latest outlet (that we know of):

He honestly can’t remember why he did this nor with what implement.

Spreadin’ the love!

Today we served as prayer ministers at church during communion.  It is a special time where folks who need prayer come forward after receiving communion and share their needs and requests with the prayer ministers and then the prayer ministers pray for them.   There we stood, waiting to pray for whoever came forward.  You can imagine how touched we were when #4 stepped forward.  What a great moment this would be – praying for our son.  As he stepped forward, I was trying to imagine what request he had on his heart – would this be a confession, a request for strength for the week, or would it be a new issue that he needed help with?  We put our hands on his shoulders and he put his hands on ours.  He looked down, cleared his throat and then looked up at us and said “Can I have people over for lunch?”

I would like to get a cell phone.  I do not care what kind it is at all.  I am going into 6th grade next year.  Although I will NOT be going downtown and to the mall with just my friends, I might be going to a lot of friends houses.  Well, actually, I probably will be.  Plus I will be needing rides home from the Sports Center after dance and school and who knows if I may be joining any new activities.  I really think I am a very responsible person.  I am not asking for texting right now and don’t need to have it for a while after I get it if you guys think that is too much.  You can have my phone at night for awhile after I get one.  I don’t think that it is fair that just because #4 got one in 7th grade that I should have to too.  I really do think that I am responsible.  I won’t do stupid things with my phone and think that I am grown up and mature enough to have a phone next year.  Thank you for the time you have taken to listen to this speech.  I hope this gives you lots of inspiration when you choose to make your decision.  Please take your time.

The Elvis Marshmallow

A few months ago, #2 picked up a serious strain of senioritis.  He’s continually assured us that he would pull thru and finish strong – even though edline continually said differently.  We gave him the latitude to prove to us that he could indeed pull it off, but today was the last straw.

This morning his guidance counselor called and informed us that he was at risk of not graduating – he was failing a class that was off of our radar and he was worried (like we were) about several of his other classes.

No more latitude.  We needed to structure his environment to make sure he graduated.  So, we got to work framing out #2′s grounding orders – it would need to be swift and strong.

Oh, the irony… (as seen in this text volley with him this morning)

Dad:  Come home after school and don’t go anywhere until I come home at 2:00

#2:  Why

Dad:  Mr. L just called and said you might not graduate.  I’m done messing with you and your grades.

#2:  No, I’m getting an A in Creative Writing.  I talked to Mr. P and I just need to turn my stories in so I’m not failing anymore.

Dad:  Then turn them in!  I don’t like getting calls from guidance counselors saying they are worried my kid won’t graduate and they are failing classes I didn’t know about.

#2:  Mr. L just came to see me and we talked and it’s no big deal.  So, I’m just gonna turn those in.  And, he said I can get a full ride to a local college.  So, I’m gonna to talk to him after school.  Can you pay for my application?  It’s on the computer.

Dad:  OK, good.  Let’s talk about the application later today.

My fourth-grade daughter was telling me about a boy in her class who likes her.  I think she likes Connor, too, although she won’t realize it until at least 7th grade.  Anyway, another boy told her that Connor said she’s “hot” and also said this:

“If she was Harriet Tubman and I was John Tubman, that would be sweet.”

(By the way, can a skinny, flat-chested 10-year-old really be “hot”?)

On Sunday evenings, my husband co-teaches Confirmation to a dozen 8th graders (mostly boys) at church.  Last night I got to be his helper/sergeant-at-arms.  On the way home, with 4 of the boys in our car – who were releasing all the gas they had pent up during Confirmation – we overheard this conversation.  I promise I’m not embellishing…

#4: In Social Studies I farted and I pretended I didn’t.  But Alyssa Schmitt knew and said, “I heard that!”

Sam: Who’s Alyssa Schmitt?

#4: You know, Alyssa Schmitt!

Nate: No, who’s that?

#4: She’s got glasses and sort of an underbite?

Sam: I don’t know who you’re talking about.

#4: Oh yeah, and she has really long fingers.

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Today we are launching a new category: How Come You Never Write About Me?  We get this question from time to time.  Feel free to submit ideas – in question form, of course.

Our first entry under this category is our “adopted” 20-year-old son, Joe.  Joe and our firstborn met in 6th grade, when he moved to town and joined the soccer team my husband was coaching.

While he was a little shy, he gradually became more comfortable at our house.  It was sort of like getting a woodland animal to trust you: you feed it and talk soothingly to it; eventually it makes its way onto your porch, and you hope that it will someday eat out of your hand.  Joe doesn’t eat out of our hands, but he eats a lot out of our fridge.

Joe’s voice changed before the other boys’, and I remember one day saying, “Who is that man up in #1′s room??”  Fortunately, it was just our little Joe with his new, deep man-voice.

Joe comes from a family background that is quite different from ours.  That is, he has one sibling, who is out of college, a dad with a disability, and a hard-working mom.  They are awesome, and they have created a pretty awesome son.

I was hoping to find the youtube link of Joe’s teen idol video, but for now, this will have to suffice.