Prayer of an 11 year old boy...

"Dear God,

Thank you for helping me survive my first day of being 11..."

 The laughter bubbled up inside of me.  Then the fear hit.  Apparently, my newly minted 11 year old son was expecting this next year to be rough....and survival of the fittest was top on the list. Thank goodness he has a good school, close friends and a fairly even temperment.  The 11th year of a boys life can be diffiuclt.  There are body changes and odor changes.  There are upper elementary/jr. high expectations.  Hormones begin to surface and boys jostle like roosters for pecking order.

Yep, 11 can be a BIG year for boys.  Just as long as my boy continues to thank God for every day, recognize the beauty in a sunset and, once in a while, let me cuddle before bed time....

I think we will all survive!

Daniel--11 years old

Saturday night brought 2 extra boys to our house.  The plan was to climb up onto the roof of the house and watch the stars and then sleep out in a tent.  Mother Nature, however, had different plans and snow was in the forecast. 

So we ate pizza on the lawn...boys are so easy.

Earlier in the day I had been tipped off that Daniel knew what he was getting as his big present.  So, I had to outsmart him.  I wrapped up a book I had lying around the house and then asked him in front of his friends where he wanted to stack his gifts.  The look of disappointment was quite evident as he analyzed the size of the book verses the size of his REAL gift.  About 15 minutes later, he confessed.  "Mom, when I checked your email the other day for my National Geographic stuff, I saw an order invoice from a company and thought you got me something else."  I love when the truth comes out! 

So, after pizza we opened gifts (coloring pencils, Pokemon cards, our book)

and as the boys were running away I casually mentioned that I thought there was something else in my closet.  Boy did they sprint inside.  And the look on D's face when he opened this gift was priceless!

A remote controlled Chinook helicopter!

After presents was the presentation of the multilayer icecream sandwich cake...

enjoyed with the girls from next door (who also gave D a great crown that said "Daniel 11, Strong + Cool") and then a bonfire.  Jason showed the boys how a backward, tipped wheelbarrow makes for a great seat!

The evening ended with watching a movie inside their indoor tent and then blessed (quiet!) sleep.  In the morning we enjoyed pancakes, eggs and fruit!  What a Grand celebration.

On Daniel's actual birthday, he chose ravioli's for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and then a pistachio pudding cake.  Yum!