Growth Spurt

With school being out for the kids, Trent has spent a lot of time at my sister's place. My nephew, Jackson, and Trent are joined at the hip most of the time. They get along really well. ( More then I can say for the other 3). Friday night I had told Trent that he had to come home. I hadn't seen him in a few day and I wanted to spend time with him. He wouldn't have it. When I told him it wasn't an option, that didn't go over well either. Needless to say that when we were at home, he did everything in his power to give me MAJOR attitude. By 6 o'clock, I was done with it. I sent him off to his room. It is very like my son to challenge me. By that I mean, he'll come to the top of the stairs and sit and make noises, he'll come up from his room saying that he has to go to the bathroom or needs something to eat or drink, anything to see if I'd forget that I sent him to his room.
The girls and I were just veg-ing on the couch. Around 7:30 it hit me that Trent had not challenged me, or gave me any more attitude. I went down the stairs to check on him, make sure he didn't make an escape out the window to his friend's house ( I wouldn't put it past him). When I entered his room, he was snuggled under is covers. "Well....??" I thought. I just chalked it to him not getting enough sleep at my sister's house.
The next morning, I woke early to read my book (I'm reading the Twilight Series.. again). 8 o'clock Trent came wondering up the stairs after a good 12 hours plus of sleep. As he reached the top, he stretched. While I was watching him, I made a mental note that I thought he looked taller. No big deal, all my kids have legs.
He did his morning routine of going to the bathroom and when he came out, he just stood in the hallway staring at his feet, or it could have been the floor. I'm not sure. He looked at me kind of confused.
"What?" I asked.
"Mom, I feel taller" he said puzzled.
" Okay, come here." I guided him to the hall way where we measure the kids on a regular basis. I had noticed that Eric just measured all the kids on May 9th.
I backed him up to the wall and was blown away. He has grown a full inch since May 9th.
There goes the pair of pants I just bought him before school got out. I guess I should have noticed something was up when he started to eat me out of house and home. I have a sneaking suspicion that he's going to be taller then his dad. What's a mother to do...?

Conversations

Setting: We were driving home from my sisters house. Caitrin and Tarren were in the very back seats and Trent was in the middle row in front of Caitrin. Mind you, all three of them had been bickering with each other ALL day.

Caitrin: Hey, Trent. (no answer) TRENT!
Trenton: What!?
Caitrin: I have a water bottle and it's not yours. (with the neener neener attitude)
Trenton: Caiti, I know it's yours and I don't care.
Mom: That's enough you two. Caiti, we all know that's your water bottle, so stop trying to pick a fight.

A few minutes go by....
Caitrin: Hey, Mom. When you and me get home, I'm gonna pick a fight with YOU.
(No surprise there, the child is bull headed)
Mom: Really? I'm going to tell you right now to chalk that one to a loss.

Caiti just smiles. You know her wheels were turning.

I swear I'm going to check myself in to the 5th floor on her 13th birthday!!

Inseparable

Memorial Day 2009

I have been wanting to go back up to the falls since last year. With the gas prices SO high last summer and Eric being laid off right after the 4th of July, we really didn't go anywhere or do much. So I BEGGED him to take me up to Elk River for Memorial Day. He graciously agreed. I asked my sister and her family to accompany us. All the boys rode up in Eric's truck and the girls all road up in my car. (Please don't ask me what the deal is with the sticks in the mouths, I have no clue and it just doesn't end here... you'll see.)

All these kids are such posers. There were many fallen trees on the trails. I'm glad that I opt not to bring the stroller. I would have ended up carrying it more then pushing it. Caiti Bug was a real trooper.

This was at the lowest falls. I didn't take a picture of it, but there were people swimming and playing around at the bottom of water fall. It was still a little too cold for me.

This was the Middle Falls. The tallest of all three. There is a game trail that you can take to the very top of it. My parents made me take it when I was 14. When the kids are a little older, I'm sure I'll do the same. There were people all over those trails.

My sister and I. Need I say more.

Like I said earlier, Caiti was such a trooper. It's a total of almost 2 and a half miles round trip, by this point we had about a half a mile left to the parking lot. She trucked all those steep hills and narrow trails. If you have taken that trail, you'd know it's not a straight stretch.

But what's going to Elk River without scoping the town. There were many trailers and truck trying to hit the road and head back into town.

And you can't go to Elk River without going to Huckleberry Haven and having their famous Huckleberry Ice cream. It's the best. I highly recommend it. They had a Huckleberry pie in there for sale, it ran for $21.00, or $7.00 a slice. We just settled for the ice cream.

After the ice cream we went up to the lake for some fishing. Caiti had other ideas. The boys weren't happy with her since she was splashing around and "making noise". She didn't care and apparently the water wasn't too cold for her.

I guess it wasn't fair, 3 boys and 1 pole. I didn't think we'd have enough time, so I didn't bring the others. I'll know better next time.

Bug and her dirty face. I swear it's a magnet for the dirt. All in all we had an awesome time. It was really relaxing and I honestly didn't feel rushed. We did what we liked, took our time. We had no where we had to be at any given time.

As soon as the Cedars open up, I'm sure we'll be taking another trip up that way.

A boy and his toy

Eric decided that this was the weekend that he'd bulldoze the backyard.

Yeh for me!

Trent's first game

Tonight was Trent's first game. He's still in Farm League, which is pitching machine. I'm hoping we'll be able to go up to live arm next year, but we'll see. He seemed a little gun shy of the ball, but relaxed once the game got going. When he was up to bat for the first time, he did strike out. The second time proved to be better, he got on base but never made it home due to outs. Just like last year, he's being groomed to be a catcher. He absolutely loves it. Of all the kids catching, he was the only one that would scoot close to home plate. All the others were clear at the back stop. We have told him that the ball isn't going to hurt because of all the gear, that's what it's there for. Get in front of the ball.

Papa decided to grace us with his presence. In doing so, he out right spoiled his grandchildren. Caiti Mae being his princess, got hoards of candy. He spared no expense with the girls, buying them nachos, gatorade, suckers, laffy taffy, and other sugar crap that I yelled a him for. His excuse is that they are his to spoil and I have to back off.

Here is his pouring (literally) sugar in to Caiti's mouth. I had to turn away, it made me sick. Eric told Dad that he was going to be on night duty with her, since she's going to be bouncing off the walls.

I would like to think that our boys won, but being in Farm League, they don't keep score. Both teams hit and fielded well. It's a lot better to watch then T-Ball, that's for sure. Tarren has her game tomorrow. It seems like every night this week is designated for a game or practice, but that's not different then any other week. Poor Caitrin, she's going to spend every spring and half her summers growing up at the ball fields. A ball field brat.

Conversations

Setting: Eric and I are sitting in the living room just relaxing. I told the older kids to hop into the shower, and told Caitrin to go to her room to get her jammies on. Her room looks like a bomb hit it. I just haven't had time with all the softball practices and games to make her get in there to clean it.
She comes out whining and crying.

In the highest, whiny voice possible " I can't get my jammies..... it's too dangerous"

You think......