PUMPKIN SMASHING, ANYONE?

How do you keep your teens interested in the Thanksgiving holiday?  Add in a little pumpkin smashing, of course!  A wonderful tradition started many years ago by Uncle Joe and Aunt Lori brings us to their home on the outskirts of town where we toss, hit, and smash pumpkins to our hearts' desire!  Bystanders, beware of flying pumpkin debris!

SO JUST WHAT DOES A STAY-AT-HOME MOM OF TEENS DO ALL DAY?

Yea, I know you're wondering. Well, besides PRAY ALOT, I get myself into all kinds of volunteer positions at school and church! Here's one of the latest projects: make 30 something locker signs to encourage the performing arts kids at school on their accomplishments. Football players and cheerleaders get them, so why not singers? So, time to go navigate the halls of the high school finding the right lockers!

REFLECTING ON MY FIRST BORN LEAVING THE NEST...

Yesterday a friend asked me how I was doing regarding my daughter going to college 3 months ago. I told her I was doing great, much better than I ever expected! I am continuing to be a busybee with many activities in my life. There have been a few moments I wished she was here, but it makes the phone conversations, emails, and visits (2 so far) more meaningful. Then I realized my friend was referring to seeing me the last Sunday at church before she left for college. THAT DAY I WAS A BASKET CASE! The tears flowed freely during the worship service as I listened to her sweet voice singing in the pew, between her brothers. I just had to ask God to forgive me for not focusing on Him that morning. All I could think of was that my life would never be the same again. My family would never be the same again. And like my good friend Gladys said to me, "No, it won't be the same again. But it will be okay." She's right.

An 83 in Calculus II? It's an A in my eyes

My daughter, who is a freshman in college, informed me that she recently got an 83 on her Calc II test!  Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so proud of her for attempting the impossible, in my eyes.  I did not get the math gene from my father, unfortunately.  Way to go, girl!

THANKS FOR CLEANING YOUR SHOES, SON

So this morning instead of eating breakfast, my 17 yr. old son is SCRUBBING, yes you heard right, SCRUBBING, IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM! He was actually cleaning his tennis shoes! Puts a smile on my face just thinking about how nice he's going to look today! But after he leaves, I discover the mess he left behind....I think I know what somebody will be doing when they get home from school!

CREATIVE GIVING

Wow! Am I proud! I gave my boys $20 to go to the grocery store to help stock our church's food pantry. I also gave them the list from the bulletin which included peanut butter, various canned goods, etc. I thought this would be a great lesson for them to go together without a parent and see exactly what food costs are, and to keep track of their spending, to basically learn to be thrifty! What did they get?
40 POUNDS OF SUGAR!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

Teaching Responsibility? NOT

I was so proud recently when our son left at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. As he said goodbye, we sat up in bed, and said, "WHAT? WHERE?" (the two most important questions) and he reminded us he was going to Enid to try out for All-State. I told my husband later in the morning how proud I was of him. I had totally forgotten about it since I hadn't turned my calendar over to November. He had gotten himself up and out the door on a SATURDAY at 7A.M.!!! My son is getting more and more RESPONSIBLE.

HERE I AM AGAIN, EATING MY WORDS.......

Only later that afternoon when he got home, did he tell me he had awoken by the buzz of his cell phone because his alarm did not go off for some strange reason (couldn't have anything to do with him, of course) and it was his friend from school, asking where he was. It was 7:06 a.m. and he was supposed to be there at 7 a.m. He rolled out of bed and made it up to the school before they left for Enid. Thank goodness for friends, huh? YEA, HE'S RESPONSIBLE.

The latest school project...he spent 8 hours on this!

GETTING TIRED OF ALL THOSE CUTE BABY PICS
Hi Friends,Maybe you're like me and just getting a little sick of all those ADORABLE baby pics!!! Been there, done that, right? Well, our kids are cute, too. Well, at least they were 10 years ago! I thought it was time someone told the truth about life with teens. And I definitely qualify with a 13 year old, 17 year old, and 19 year old. So here's a bit of our exhausting, entertaining, enriching life with teenagers!