Growing Pains

Why is it that when my children are growing up, I'm the one having growing pains? It hardly seems fair.

Or maybe they're not growing pains. Maybe they're just pains.

Case #1: I mentioned to my husband last night that yet another one of our boys need to begin the wonderful rite of passage known as shaving. Although I probably really shouldn't worry about it. As soon as he's told to do so, he'll want to do anything other than shaving. Just like his older brothers.

Case #2: Three of the four that I'm homeschooling have finished their lessons for the year. And yet, they still must travel to work with me several times a week because, even though they're old enough to be left on their own, they don't necessarily do well when left unsupervised too many days in a row. So now I'm trying to find ways to keep them occupied five hours a day. One of them acts as though I'm killing him because I require that he read a chapter of a book each day. It's a fiction book that's geared to his age and lots of fun. You'd think I was making him read Scottish Chiefs.

I've got them doing a typing course, getting a head start on next year. They all love being on the computer, which is a privilege not often extended. But I've only got one laptop, and taking turns seems to tax their sharing abilities. Plus I repeatedly find them playing games on the computer instead of doing the typing.

I should explain, by the way, that my very gracious boss is a proponent of homeschooling, and has been wonderful in allowing me to bring the boys with me on the job. That way I supervise their schooling while completing my work at the same time.

Sort of. Some days it works better in theory than in practice.

Case #3: They all also have that end-of-the-schoolyear energy that is so detrimental to everyone's health and well-being. The boys sit in a conference room with a whole wall of windows to do their schoolwork. I can see them through the window from my office. Last week Son #2 brought a bag of candy with him to school. And no, I do not allow that. Son #3 began crawling under the conference room table to get to the candy. Son #4 started crawling over the top of the table to get to the candy. All of them began rolling around the table in their executive desk chairs, playing a form of candy keep-away. (Apparently I went longer than one minute checking on them through my window. My mistake.) I became aware of the problem when they slammed into a bookcase and sent a lamp crashing to the floor.

Who knew school was a contact sport? Lest you be confused, let me assure you that none of my sons are two years old. They are ages 12, 14, 16 and 18. They know better.

Case #4: Son #2--I'm not sure why I'm not using their names in this post, but live with it--is getting ready to graduate from high school. Among other things, I'm supposed to provide 20 pictures of him at various ages for a display that is being put together for the seniors. (A private school nearby is graciously allowing our homeschooled son to participate in their ceremony.) My problem is, I don't have that many pictures of just him. And the ones that I do have are awful, fuzzy and completely out of focus. I'm suffering major guilt that I have not done a better job of recording my children's lives through photography.

I think I'm signing up for a photography class this summer.

Case #5: Son #1 and Son #2 got into an argument recently. They brought the problem to me, mostly because each of them thought I would set the other one straight. Except that they were both right and they were both wrong. While I was trying to sort out the mess, they continued arguing, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I finally stepped between them--except that my head only comes to their chins. Their argument didn't even slow down as they continued talking over my head.

And that's when I struggled with the desire to share my growing pains. Or at least cause someone else some pain for a while. It's a good thing I'm going out of town for a few days because I definitely need the break.

I just hope at least some of my furniture is still intact when I get back.

In The Mind of a Ten Year Old

I had a little talk with Nicky this morning. This picture is of Nicky at VBS a couple of weeks ago. He's wearing the mask because he dressed as the Lone Ranger all week, and in this picture he's winning the burping contest. (He has a real talent for that sort of thing.) Nicky is ten and half (the half is important) and quite sure of himself and the world around him. We had a little conversation about his future and here's some words of wisdom straight from his active little brain.

"When I get to be Luke's age (that's 16), I'm gonna get a job at Steak n' Shake and then I'll get discounts on shakes!"

"When I get older, I'll waltz (yes, he actually said waltz!) into Cracker Barrel and start working for them." Sideways glance. "Tips, man."

"When I get to be about sixty-five ..."

Me:  You're going to work as a waiter at Cracker Barrel your whole life?

"They have tips. Matt made, like, seventy-five dollars in one night!"

"After I'm done at Cracker Barrel, I'm gonna travel around the world preaching. I'll preach in Paris and New York."

I asked if he would have a family.

"I'm gonna have four children. Twin boys and twin girls. I'm gonna name the boys, so my wife can probably name the girls."

I agreed that was fair, and then asked him who his wife would be.

"I don't know yet. But if she's hot and she's saved, I'm gonna get her!"

Dontcha just love his confidence? And His criteria! So what about you? What're you going to be when you grow up?

As for me, I plan on being a lot more of what I am now, only better. Hey, I can dream too!

A Camping We Will Go

Here are my campers at 3:30 this morning. I took several pictures, but they said I should post this one because they liked it the best. And by now they are almost three hours down the road.
It was fairly easy to get them packed. I told them what kind of things they needed, and then they laid all the items out on their beds. I went through and approved (or disapproved) of their choices, made a list of the things they needed and then took them shopping. When we got home I told them to pack everything that was still on their bed. Job done. I did check on a few key items such as, "Did you pack your toothbrush? Do you have your soap and a towel? Enough underwear?" You know, life's basic necessities.
As easy as it was to get the packing done, it was incredibly hard to get them to go to sleep last night. They had to be reminded several times to take showers, and then even after they were in bed they wouldn't stop talking. I went in for the final good night kiss and prayer together and they still wouldn't stop talking. But they have a long drive today so they can probably sleep most of the way. The drivers would probably be thrilled if all the teens slept through the trip. I don't envy them!
So, easy to pack, hard to get them to sleep and even harder still to let them go. I did a little analysis of myself and my feelings last night (in between tears) and finally realized why this was so hard. (After all, Paul is our fourth child to go to camp. By now I ought to be rejoicing that one more kid can go. And be counting the days until another one is gone for a week!) But in the past year or so, we've learned the hard way what kind of an influence others can have on our children. And since that happened, we've watched them closely. Oh they still mingle and get social interaction, but we're much more aware of who they're with and what is going on. Now here they're going to a big camp with lots of people in it. Some good and some bad, I'm sure. And I won't be there to help steer them in the right direction. I won't be there to protect them from wrong influences. This really bothered me until I realized something else: I won't be there, but God will. And He loves our children even more than we do. In fact, in the past few months He's given me verses over and over again about protecting our children and caring for them. I may worry about them at camp, but I don't worry at all about leaving them in God's hands.
Last night at choir practice we went over a song called "Trust His Word". We only sang it once, but I woke up with it running through my head. And then I realized that I really could trust His Word. He'll take care of my kids.

I'm content with that.

Tomorrow's Post: "She lied to me!"

That's My Baby!

I've mentioned before that we have six kids. Matt and Steph are twenty months apart, Luke came three years later, Paul came three years after that, then Paul and Joel are eighteen months (and one day) apart and Joel and Nicky are twenty months apart. For the longest time we've kind of mentally grouped them into the "older" kids and the "younger" kids. Luke's been one of the older kids ever since he joined the youth group. That was three years ago. It was hard to see our little boy start hanging out with the teenagers, even though he was a teen himself.
But he's grown and we've let him go. He's fifteen now. At our last youth service, Luke was the song leader for the entire congregation. The teens leave for camp on Monday, and this will be his third year. I worried some about how he would do, but he absolutely loved it. Especially last year when he walked around talking with a British accent the entire week.
So I've had three years to get used to Luke being a teenager. (I still can't get used to the fact that the two oldest are out of high school!) But guess who's going into the youth group now?
It's one of the "younger" kids. Paul turned twelve, and he will be going into the seventh grade in the fall. He had his first youth outing this past week. And he's leaving for camp on Monday.

I don't think I can take this.

Paul is quieter and more shy than Luke. And I worry that he's not quite ready for camp. Not that I have a choice. He's very excited about it and looking forward to it. And there's nothing I can do to stop him.
Oh, I know I'm supposed to embrace this. After all, we raise them to grow up and become adults. I don't want them to stay kids the rest of their lives.

But couldn't they stay kids for just a little while longer? For those of you that know us personally, I"m sure you wavering back and forth between amusement and sympathy. Well let me knock your socks off. Guess who's going in the youth group next year?

Joel.

Now you see what I mean. I'm suffering. Can anyone help?