The Demers: Happy 13th Birthday!

I can't believe I have a teenager!

What more can I say? Today he was extra nice and compliant and helpful so that I would be EASED into the teenage years. Really though, he is a pretty good kid. I'm sure a lot of the helpfulness was so that I wouldn't renig on getting him the cell phone I promised for his birthday. He told me he woke up this morning with the thought that maybe I would tell him it was all a joke. Incentives have paid off....he can run the 5K AND has the Fitness merit badge now complete, has his room fairly clean most of the time, etc.

And I have been thinking a lot about 13 years ago! Boy was life different! I can remember EVERY LITTLE DETAIL about my pregnancy, birth, and first few years of his life (much better than I remember the others). I thought about the place I lived and the friends I had there....I will NEVER forget them and how they molded and shaped my motherhood. I have had 13 years ago memories running through my head all day. Mama Mary coming over to hold Jordan as he cried and cried so I could pack to go home to Utah....only to have him fall fast asleep and be peaceful for her the ENTIRE time! Mary Kathryn who was my nanny (who know has a little growing family of her own). My friends at church made a great deal of difference in my life. I remember one came over during Sunday School because I lived so close to the church. THAT meant a lot to me. Friends at work that adopted me and my little family...and took care of us.

Life has changed a lot...and MANY things have happened. I spent a lot of time today just thinking about all those things...about Jordan's growing up...learning to read so fast, never sleeping when he was little, talking in sentences before I knew what to do, that smile....those snuggles...and now...he is 13. He'd kill me if he knew I actually told people about him so much. He still hugs me good night and wants to be with me (most of the time) and talk to me at night. I cut his hair the other day. He was pretty mad.....it was shorter than he wanted and a bit longer than I wanted. I thought it was a good compromise....not so in his mind. He was pretty angry at this mean mom! He left me a note one night that said, "haircuts not soooo bad. still won't forgive u till it grows back :) luv u"

Funny kid!

He chose to go out to lunch with me today instead of the whole family out to dinner. I was happy for that since we just all went out to lunch in Champaign on Saturday. It was fun to spend some alone time with him. But instead he chose corn dogs for dinner....yuck! But...his birthday, his dinner. Thankfully I can add fruit and something not so...corndoggy! Everyone else loved it....

13 things I love about Jordan.

His hair....when it isn't shaggy
His laugh
His smile
How he makes Cody laugh and plays with him, calling him his "compadre."
His desire to look nice at school
His drive to excel and do his best
How he set a goal to be 1st team offense at football and then succeeded
His sensitivity - even though it isn't cool
How even though he doesn't like to, he gets things cleaned up
His ability to adapt and realize that once something is accepted it is a lot easier to handle (lesson to me)
His love of reading
How he gets up on his own and doesn't lolly gag in the mornings (hope that lasts through seminary)
HIM....I just love HIM! He is good and I really love all of him...even when he is crabby.