Twelve

It's a new year and a new decade, and you are twelve. Time flies, for sure! It has been a pretty great year, and I have enjoyed watching you grow and learn and become more of who you are. You are such a great kid, and I'm glad I get to be your mom!

This year, you joined Boy Scouts, and you have enjoyed making new friends, learning new skills, and going on many campouts, including two week-long camps during the summer. You have completed many merit badges and have advanced in rank. You were even elected by your patrol to be the their very first Patrol Leader, and you have been the Grub Master for several campouts. I'm proud of the the things you have accomplished during your time in Scouts and for the ways you've stepped up to lead when no one else was inclined to do so!

Aside from campouts, you had the opportunity to travel Florida, Barbados, Washington D.C., and Lake Tahoe. You thoroughly enjoyed the beach and the snow and pretty much everything in between, and you delighted in our visits to lots of cool places like The Coca-Cola Museum, Mammoth Cave, The Corvette Museum, Monticello, The Louisville Slugger Museum, and The Spy Museum.

You played baseball in the spring and really enjoyed the season, though sports don't seem to be your true love. You tend to prefer to spend your time reading, building, playing with friends, inventing, and solving interesting problems. You have also gotten really into music this year and can often be found curating and jamming to your Spotify playlist. Currently, The Git Up is your favorite, and you can nail the dance from the video in a most impressive way.

This school year, you started attending the ischool STEM Academy, and it has been such a great fit for you. You have made many new friends, and you seem to truly enjoy your classes and teachers and the structure and opportunities the school provides. And once you got the hang of the way assignments are turned in and graded, your grades have been fantastic. Your teachers also really love you, and Ms. Hyde has pulled me aside on several occasions to tell me what an asset you are to her classes and to the whole 6th grade. She has talked about how helpful, attentive, and eager you are, and it made me super proud to hear these glowing reports. You really seem to be blooming in that environment, and I'm so thankful you have been given the opportunity to go to school there.

Shortly after school started, you started having lots of headaches, and we realized you needed glasses. I think you look very handsome in your new eyewear, and I think the glasses have made reading even more enjoyable for you. You also developed a wild case of blood poisoning in the fall that was scary and uncomfortable for a bit and required you to miss a day of school. Fortunately, you avoided being admitted to the hospital, but you discovered that you are definitely not a fan of IVs. I think you also learned the importance of thoroughly cleaning even minor cuts and scrapes.

You started attending the youth group at The Village Church, and you really love it. You are enjoying learning more about the Bible and about prayer, and you are especially enjoying the social interactions you have there.

We had the opportunity to spend the Thanksgiving holiday at the ranch, and you were able to shoot a small 8-point deer, which you were very proud of. You also got to get some more practice driving the Ranger on your own, and you are getting to be a pretty good driver.

Max, you are such an amazing kid! You have a big heart and often show so much love and care and thoughtfulness for the people around you. You are generous and kind and so creative. Your mind is always churning with curiosity and new ideas, and I love to hear about the things you think about and see you working to make the ideas in your head into realities. You still struggle sometimes with controlling your big, intense emotions, but you have matured so much in the last year, and I can definitely tell it is getting easier for you to manage them. I'm proud of the way you keep working to improve your happiness and make yourself stronger. I love you so much and I'm so thankful for these 12 years with you! I look forward to seeing what the next year brings! Happy birthday!

Love,
Mom

My favorite 12-year-old

Maximus Elevenus

Dear Max,

I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you came into my life eleven years ago! Since that day, you have been helping me learn how to love in ways I never previously imagined and to grow and improve as a person. You have helped me see the world in new ways, and I honestly feel that just knowing you is a privilege. That's not to say our life together is without challenges, but more and more I can see that getting through those challenges side by side is part of what knits our hearts together. You are an amazing young man, and I am so proud of you!

You tried some new things this year, including yoga, an online coding class, a foam run, seeing a Broadway musical (Les Mis), visiting several new countries, saxophone lessons, camping with the Boy Scouts, packing and delivering boxes for Lovepacs, and classes one day a week at Arrow Christian Academy. It takes bravery and a sense of adventure to attempt new activities and to do things you've never done before, and it's important to have many different experiences so you can start to find the ones that light you up. I'm so proud of you for your involvement in and openness to each of these experiences.

Arrow is your favorite, and you are specifically enamored with your robotics class there, though you also enjoy your other classes, which include History, Science, P.E. and a couple of study hall periods. You look forward to working on your robotics project every week and to interacting with old and new friends.

Your great love of reading continues, and you have read numerous books both for school and for your personal entertainment. You have explored classics, fantasy, biographies, National Geographic magazines, and many other genres. You have many interests and are never really bored as long as you can find something to read. And you are particularly fond of series that allow you to really connect with the characters over a longer period of time. Reading helps foster your curious mind and creative imagination, and I'm so glad it is a true love of yours.

In the spring, you wrote your first in-depth research paper for Essentials about Abraham Lincoln. You read many books about him and developed a great love for him. And you did a wonderful job presenting your paper, in costume, in front of a large audience at the end of the year.

You've been really in to board games this year and have especially enjoyed playing Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, and Dungeons and Dragons. Through the games, you have been learning a lot about strategy, teamwork, adjusting your plan when things don't go your way, and many other important skills. Plus, you've been having lots of fun!

You have also spent lots of time outdoors having Nerf wars with your new neighborhood friends, playing outdoor games with your siblings, hiking with the family, whittling, and working on our new outbuilding with Dad and your brothers. You genuinely enjoy the Great Outdoors, and I'm amazed at everything you've found to do with a simple stick.

We spent a couple of months in the summer traveling in South America. You got to hike around Machu Picchu, fish in the Amazon River, sandboard in the Atacama desert, fly over the Nazca drawings, ski in the Andes, feed and pet llamas and alpacas, get up close and personal with the Moai on Easter Island, see where the desert meets the sea, visit ruins, eat different foods, practice some Spanish, and experience some cool cultural activities. You are a great traveler and enjoyed all the experiences tremendously!

You planned your birthday celebration completely on your own, working within the budget Dad and I set for you and the time constrictions our schedule required. You managed to squeeze in donuts, fun and games at Corky's Gaming Bistro with your friend (which included arcade games, axe throwing, and an escape room, all of which you were pretty awesome at), a lasagna dinner and movie at home, mint chocolate chip ice cream and homemade (by you) cake pops. You demonstrated determination, creativity, flexibility, and frugality throughout the planning process, and it was so cool to see how hard you worked to create the perfect day for yourself.

Max, I have seen you push yourself this year in a variety of ways to try to become the best version of yourself you can be. I have seen you work hard, and I have seen you play hard. And, I have seen new levels of maturity from you. You have a curious mind, an incredibly sweet heart, a passionate spirit, and a strong, healthy body. You have so many skills and talents, and you are an extraordinary person, who has a very bright future to look forward to. Thanks for letting me be part of your life! I love you, and I hope your birthday and the coming year are truly amazing!

Love,
Mom

Killin' Eleven!

Back in Texas

We flew all night and were terribly spoiled in the First Class cabin. We finally made it back to DFW around 5:30 this morning. Even at that early hour, Summer took us into her sweltering embrace, and it was quite a shock since yesterday Winter had us firmly in his grasp. Since some of our people stayed up all night watching movies on the plane instead of sleeping, they were completely wiped out when we got back to the house and crashed immediately. Those who remained awake were in a flurry of activity, checking the mail, cooking, buying groceries, unpacking, and taking care of the neglected business of the last two months.

So spoiled in First Class

Five minutes prior: "I'm not sleepy. I just want to play."

Our first order of business was to shower and store up some water to use throughout the day because we had a notice attached to our front door stating that the city would have our water off from 9:00 until 4:00 today. Ironically, our list of things we were especially looking forward to contained both "hot water" and "flushing toilets" since our last place in Santiago was a little inconsistent on both of those points.

Later in the morning, Jeff took Ruth to the DMV to try to set up an appointment to do her driving test so she can officially become a licensed driver. The first available appointment was a month from now, which was obviously disappointing. But, when they got home, Ruth searched around for other appointments at other offices throughout the state of Texas and finally found one for Monday...in Wichita Falls.

In the afternoon, when everyone was rested up, we celebrated Max's half-birthday by seeing Incredibles 2 in the theater, picking up donuts and ice cream, and watching a couple of other movies at home. 

A Perfect Ten

Dear Max,

I'm so glad you decided to join our family a decade ago! It's been a wild and exciting ride--sometimes terrifying, but mostly a lot of fun! You are such a special person, and it's truly a privilege to know you.

In the last year, I have seen so many changes in you that indicate you are truly becoming a young man. You seem to be maturing before my very eyes, and it is such a neat transformation to watch and be a part of. I see you honing your leadership skills, mastering your emotions, helping and respecting others, showing gratitude, powering through difficulties, making choices to ensure your happiness, and developing skills that serve you now and will continue to serve you in the future. I'm very proud of the young man you are becoming, and I'm thankful I have the opportunity to learn from you every day.

We spent three months this summer traveling through the western U.S. and Canada in our tiny RV, and we had a blast. You had your special platform bed in the front and would make yourself a nice little nest every night. You are such a great traveler and always have plenty of books and activities to entertain yourself. You were very proud of yourself for suggesting two of our stops (The High Desert Museum in Oregon and Old Trail Town in Wyoming), which you learned about in your Spelling book before we left. But, you seemed truly happy with all the places we visited, and you enjoyed every activity along the way. You were tickled that we visited some places that still had snow in the summer, and you loved all the hiking and outdoorsy things we did. You learned how to curl in Park City and got to see your first rodeo in Calgary. And you solidified your love of hot tea at the Celestial Seasons factory in Boulder.

In addition to our summer trip, we also had two other amazing trips this year. One was to Nashville for the total solar eclipse, which was such a spectacular thing to behold. And the other was to Washington D.C. where we saw and did so many interesting things. Your favorite things were Lincoln's Cottage, the Lincoln Memorial, and The Building Museum. The last you stayed at from the time they opened until the time they closed. No doubt you would have stayed longer if you'd have had the opportunity.

Speaking of which, you love to build and are constantly constructing structures out of whatever materials are available, but you are especially obsessed with Legos. You really love building and will happily spend hours creating masterpieces out of the little pieces. That is why we decided to give you tickets to the Legoland Discovery Center for your birthday.

You decided to try baseball in the spring, and you did a great job and had a lot of fun. But by the time fall came around, you were ready to try something new. Inspired by our visit to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado over the summer, you chose a gymnastics class and a tumbling and trampoline class. You have really enjoyed these classes and are clearly becoming stronger and more flexible as you learn to make very controlled movements with your body. You are sticking with the TNT class this semester, but you have traded in the gymnastics class for a Ninja Warrior class, which is a fun new challenge. I never cease to be amazed at your astounding athletic abilities and the overwhelming need you have to move your body. You often do sit-ups and push-ups just for fun, and you have some crazy big muscles for someone your age.

A few days after school started, I tore my ACL after convincing you and Weston to teach me how to ride the Ripstik. I ended up having to have surgery, and the recovery took quite a long time. From the moment I got hurt, you showed the utmost care and concern for me. You hardly let a moment pass without asking me how I was doing or if I needed anything, and you helped out with so many things while I was incapacitated. You have such a kind, compassionate heart. You are also incredibly sweet with Clay and with your younger cousins and, really, any younger kid. You are such a good guy!

You love to learn new things, and you usually take your school work seriously. You love to gather new facts and then share them with the rest of us, and you eagerly embrace new challenges. You are especially excited at the moment to be studying Spanish and feel that it will help you while we are traveling in South America this coming summer. This is your first year to be enrolled in CC's Essentials class, and you are loving it and are doing well.

Some of your favorite foods include pizza, pickles, and pistachios. You are also crazy about sushi, and you are very proud of your chopstick skills. Your love of cooking continues, and you have been perfecting your scrambled eggs this year. It's so cool that you enjoy a wide variety of foods and that you are becoming self-sufficient in the kitchen.

Max, you are such an amazing 10-year-old! You make me proud every day, and you are constantly teaching me important life lessons. You are clever and sweet and full of passion. You have an adventurous spirit and a curious mind. You are a delightful person to know and do life with. I love you more every single day. Happy birthday, and welcome to the double digits!

Love,
Mom

Day Three in D.C.

We had the great privilege to visit Lincoln's Cottage this morning. It is one of the lesser known attractions and most people don't make the effort to get out there, even though it is only three miles from the capitol building. We really enjoyed the tour and museum and appreciated how our tour guide made Lincoln come alive for us.

Lincoln's Cottage

Max was so excited to "meet" his favorite president

Cannons are always a big hit with boys

After our tour of the Cottage, we headed over to Annapolis to tour the Naval Academy. The campus was lovely, and it was so interesting to learn about midshipmen life. When we finished up at the Academy, we made our way down to City Dock for lunch at Middleton Tavern.

Honoring America's first Navy hero

I loved this event building!

The Navy's first plane was built by the Wright brothers

The dorm building was designed to look like the Palace of Versailles in France

The kids really loved seeing the crypt of John Paul Jones

Clay being "Bill" the goat

Middleton Tavern

Eventually, we made our way back to D.C. and stopped by the Jefferson Memorial to pay our respects to another great man before heading back to our apartment to watch the Aggie game.

The back side of the Jefferson Memorial and the beautiful fall colors

Tribute to Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson Memorial

Day Two in D.C.

We did lots of fun things today. First, we visited the National Gallery of Art, which Clay especially loved. After seeing all kinds of art and completing Clay's self-assigned scavenger hunt, we had a picnic in the museum's sculpture garden. Then we made our way over to the National Archives Building, so we could view the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Magna Carta. We also visited the International Spy Museum and later got caught up in a real life police chase on the way back to our apartment. This evening, we had dinner at Capitol City Brewing Company and then stopped in at Dolcezza Gelato and Coffee for an after-dinner treat.

Beautiful entrance at the National Gallery of Art

I loved doing Clay's art scavenger hunt with him!

Feeling the "amor" in the sculpture garden

Having a rockin' good time

The National Archives Building

Ninjas at the International Spy Museum

Salted caramel/Thai coconut milk gelato

Super Saturday

This is the first Saturday since late August that we haven't had a kid's sporting event to attend. We enjoyed sleeping in, and since we aren't all going to be together on Weston's birthday in a couple of weeks (or on his birthday party day a couple of weeks after that), we decided to go ahead and celebrate his birthday today. His main request was Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which we don't have in Flower Mound. So, the men headed over to Roanoke to pick up the doughnuts, while Ruth and I went to workout. (For me, this is working out in the very loosest sense of the word, but I'm thrilled to be cleared to do anything that even resembles exercising!)

All the doughnuts!

Later, we gave Weston his birthday gifts, which included tickets to the OU/TCU football game in Norman, OK this evening. He did not see this coming and was thrilled about every part of it: football, TCU, two top-ten teams, going to another state for the game, and the fact that it was happening this very day. It was awesome to watch his face light up! I just love to give gifts that truly make the recipient happy! And, experience gifts are the best!

A new "Saturday shirt"

I can't tell you how happy this face makes me!

After that excitement, we headed over to Denton for the Pistons and Paint Car Show. It was so fun to see so many cool cars! But our favorite part was seeing Junior Brown, who is one of our all-time favorite musicians, perform live. Jeff and I have been trying to catch him live for more than a decade, but it just never worked out until today.

Max's favorite!

Clay asked several times how someone could get up in this

Weston's dream vehicle

I loved the pink Cadillac!

Junior Brown doing his thing

When we left the car show, Jeff and Weston took off for Oklahoma, and the rest of us came home for Clay's first Star Wars movie viewing. For all the other kids, we had decided they could see the movies when they turned seven, but since the new movie is coming out in December, the older kids voted unanimously to let Clay into the Star Wars Club at 6 1/2. And, they want him to get all caught up with the previous movies before the new one hits theaters next month. Clay was ecstatic!

The last thing on our Super Saturday agenda is tacos from Taco Ocho, and you can't ever go wrong with that! I'm so thankful for this happy day and the time spent with my people doing things that make us smile. 

6 1/2

Yesterday we celebrated Clay's half-birthday with lots of things that he loves. He requested all the chocolate for breakfast, so we indulged in chocolate donuts, chocolate muffins, and chocolate cupcakes. We gave him some art supplies and a gift card to an art store, which he had subtly suggested by bringing me the ad for the store, pointing out exactly what he wanted (and making sure I realized it was "only $5"), telling me he wished he could sometime get a gift card like the big kids often get, and then strategically and overtly leaving the ad on my dresser where I would be sure to see it every day. 😊  Then, he spent some time doing chalk drawings with Max and his cousin, Victoria. Another request for the day was to watch a movie and order pizza, so we did that at lunch time. And later in the day, Clay and Max competed in Ninja Warrior contests at the gym where Max takes gymnastics. It was such a fun half-birthday day. I can't believe this kid is getting so big! I'm so proud of him and just love him so much!

Chocolate Overload

Proud of his gift card

Chalk Drawings

Movie Time

Ninja Clay

The mother of all homeschool days

I think I can say with some certainty that there will never be a homeschool day as epic as this one. I seriously doubt the stars will ever align again where we experience scissors, glue, a fire set purposely in a sink, and lunch from an oven set up in the backyard all on the same day.  In fact, I may just retire now so I can go out on my highest possible note. 

It just so happened that we had three big projects scheduled for today in three different classes. Clay has been desperate recently to add scissors and glue to art class and has not been satisfied with my suggested drawing activities. He has also been hinting at paint, so I decided I better take my chances with what seems to me possibly the lesser of the two evils. I ended up doing most of the cutting because "the pieces [were] too small," but Clay was 100% in charge of the glue, which still wasn't dry several hours after the completion of the project. He did produce a cute little pizza though and was very proud of his work.

Pizza Project

The younger boys have been studying about the Great Fire of London this week in history. Today, our project was to demonstrate the rapid spread of the fire through the densely packed city by coloring a picture of some houses set very close together and then setting it on fire. The boys were delighted and somewhat shocked that I deliberately set fire to their coloring pages in the sink. I have no pictures of this event, because I was playing an active fireman role and just didn't have a chance to grab my phone. Priorities, you know. 

Max and Weston have been learning about various forms of energy in science and have spent the last couple of days building a solar oven. They finished up just before lunch and were happy to be able to make quesadillas in their creation. 

Edible Science

Sibling Week

Ruth's cross country team invited younger siblings to join them at practice this week and then participate in a special one-mile race at the meet today. Max, who was born to run, was the only one of Ruth's brothers to get in on the action, and he loved it. Both kids performed very well today, and we are proud of both of them!

Hitting it hard

Off they go!
(Apparently a lot of little brothers felt the need for speed!)

Focused on the finish line!

Cody, WY

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks have many wonderful features, but strong, consistent internet connectivity is not one. So, the next few posts will cover our last few days, if you are interested in seeing what we've been up to.

On Thursday, we left Yellowstone for a day trip to Cody, WY. Max had read about Old Trail Town in his Spelling book and was eager to pay a visit to the little historic town, which had been conceived of by Wild Bill Cody, for whom the town of Cody was named. It was interesting to see an example of an Old West town, but before too long, the heat of the day encouraged us to move on to cooler activities, like lunch at Proud Cut Saloon, followed by ice cream treats at Annie's Soda Saloon.

Max was proud to have discovered Old Trail Town for us.

Old Trail Town

Pile of antlers, you know, like you see in the Old West

A couple of cowboys practicing roping

Mmm. Ribs.

Sharing a special treat at Annie's