Teenager in the House!

It's happened.  We have acquired a teenager.  Not that we went out looking for one, or compared makes and models.  We just let Brandt keep living with us, and today, he turned thirteen.  Amazing!  I'm happy to report, Brandt has begun acting more and more like a teenager, with inappropriate outbursts, rude noises, and more attitude than he has demonstrated in the past.  He wants the radio on ALL. THE. TIME. and he smells like a boy-man.  He's growing, has a bit of a mustache and three armpit hairs (so he says).  He still likes a cuddle/snuggle, but he's huge now, and it hurts to have him sit on my lap, and when he wants to have a wrestle, I run away in fear because he's strong and hurts me.  But Brandt continues to be a nice kid.  He's good with little children, he almost always acts promptly when I ask for him help with something, and he's getting to be a pretty good worker.  He is nearly finished with his Eagle requirements, and he's excited to be in eighth grade.  He is confident in himself, doesn't mind that he's kind of a dweeb sometimes, and feels no need to be popular.  He likes to fulfill his priesthood duties and go to the temple, he still likes to read and play with Legos, and he's developing some athletic skill and muscle.  He's goofy and wonderful and we love him enormously. 

I think Brandt had a good birthday.  We did some fun stuff, and some less fun stuff, but all in all, I think it was good.  We began the day with french toast and smoothie.  It's his favorite breakfast, I was up early, and without even asking him, I launched right into preparing it.  When it began to smell like french toast, he said, from his TV watching on the couch, "Are you making french toast for breakfast?"  When I said yes, he said, "I love french toast."  See? I know.  He loves it so much, he ate six pieces!

In the "not so fun" portion of the day, it was our week to help clean the church, so we went over after breakfast and cleaned five bathrooms.  Brandt and Blythe didn't want to do the bathrooms, but I told them we could listen to music as we worked, and that was a game changer.  They took turns choosing songs, and I didn't intervene until Brandt selected "Highway to Hell."  I didn't think that was appropriate for activity in the church, even if the activity was cleaning bathrooms.  Both kids worked well and stayed focused on their tasks. 

Today was the United Angels Foundation swim party at the rec center.  Christopher and Tysen are part of the foundation because of Lyla, and we always go and swim with them to celebrate our extra-special Lyla.  This year, Christopher and Tysen and their crew were all up at Tysen's family's cabin, and they weren't going to swim.  But we could still go and Brandt wanted to swim with DeMartini cousins, though not all of them, so we went.  Mikayla and Guy were there with Brick, Cora, and Kal (Mom kept the babies), and Eugene and Sharae came with Makenna, Luke, and Collin.  Brandt and Blythe had a marvelous time running around with Makenna and Luke, and I ran around with Mikayla and the littles.  I went down the slides with Brick several times, and tried to catch the big kids for a picture from time to time.  They offered popsicles as they always do, and Brandt ate eight birthday popsicles.  Had they had them out earlier, I'm fairly certain he would have eaten thirteen for his thirteenth birthday.  But what's not to like about a popsicle?  I'll include pictures from the whole event, not just of Brandt.

Cora was splashing me, and I was splashing her back.

 

The first of many, many, many popsicles.

The girl in the middle is a friend of Makenna's.

I don't know her name.

 

 

 

When we finished swimming, everyone was hungry, of course.  I let Brandt choose where we ate, and he opted for chicken nuggets at Wendy's.  Who was I too complain?  

We got home just in time to put together treats for Brandt's birthday party.  Since we saw Endgame a couple of months ago and saw the trailer for a new Spider-Man movie, Brandt has been begging to go for his birthday.  A movie birthday is so easy, so I was happy to oblige.  For his "party," we took, pictured below from left to right, Houston Vergara, Jarom Oyler, Paul Moreland, Sam Oyler, David Harrison, and cousin Luke.  Blythe and Kent were there, too, but neither of them got in the picture.  I snuck baggies of candy into the theater, but bought popcorn for everyone.  The movie was funny and sad and exciting and Brandt loved it.

We finished up with the movie at 4:30pm, and began to talk about dinner.  Brandt wanted steak for his birthday meal.  Kent and I were so delighted that he didn't want to go to Pizza Pie Cafe and we had a coupon for Sizzler, so off we went, trying to beat the Saturday night crowd.  We all ate steak and had ice cream for dessert, and sang to Brandt there in the restaurant.  He didn't love that.  As I think about it, we didn't have candles anytime during the day.  He never got to make a wish and blow out a candle.  Is that bad luck?  Do I need to do something about that?    He didn't say anything about it, so maybe I won't either.

I had done no birthday shopping for our boy, so I suggested we go get a few things with him in tow.  Not super exciting, but then we could get him what he really wanted.  Kent thought an electric shaver would be good, so while he looked for one of those in Ross, I took Brandt into Old Navy next door to get him some new flip flops.  He's been wearing mine which are a little small (WHAT?!?!) and which are getting very dirty on his feet, so we found him two new pairs, just for him (I may wear them several times just because turn-about is fair play!).  We got him two new pairs of swim trunks, too, because he only has one pair.  He had another, but they don't fit anymore.  In fact, he tried to put them on a couple of weeks ago and got stuck, and I had to come help pull them down over his bare bottom.  He seemed unfazed at showing me his white bum.  

Because I wanted him to have a surprise he could open, I had Kent stop at Barnes & Noble and Blythe and I went in, leaving Brandt and Kent in the car.  We got him a new Dogman book, and the game Bears vs Babies.  We played that when we went to Idaho and he really liked it.  We wrapped those two things up, sang again, and had him open them.  And then, just because he likes to watch TV so much, we finished off the day with an episode of Death in Paradise.  It was a good day celebrating a good boy--well, a good young man.  

Happy birthday Brandt!