barrett: 139 months old

We're into December and Barrett is ready for Christmas!  I think he's come up with present ideas every day, but honey, that ship sailed because I already bought all my gifts.  He would love a bearded dragon, but we have a cat, so that isn't going to happen.  But, to appease his reptile needs, we hit up the Reptile Expo in Houston!  He got to hold a snake and an iguana!

Barrett is gearing up for his first final exams.  I think he's not quite sure what to expect, and going through final exams for the first time is pretty tough. Heck, I forget things from yesterday, so I sympathize with needing to remember four months of lessons!

Likes: all the reptiles

Dislikes: homework

184 months old

I feel like two minutes after Thanksgiving dinner was over, December was right there!  Actually, that is kind of accurate for how the calendar fell this year.  Two days after Thanksgiving, Britton, Barrett,  Memaw, and I were at the Nutcracker, kicking off the Christmas season!

Memaw and I used to take Britton to the Nutcracker in Pittsburgh, and have only been once in the eight years we've lived in Houston, so we decided it was time to see it again.  And Barrett has never seen it, so he was game to see what all the fuss was about!  When the Russian dancer started his routine, Barrett said,  "Hey, I know this song!"

Britton is gearing up for finals!  Of course, every class has to cram a test or quiz in before the end of the semester, so she's been nonstop studying.  She's past the point where I can be of any help, so we've gotten an Algebra II tutor to help out with the matrices and conics and everything else I can't remember.

Likes:  going to the ballet; sleeping in on the weekend; pistachio muffins

Dislikes:  studying for finals

 

barrett: 138 months old

Barrett is fully into November and still playing football!  But that's not a bad thing, because his team is headed to the end of season Turf Bowl!  They play next Sunday and we're so excited to go see him play at the high school football stadium.  Barrett plays left tackle in defense, and comes home from every practice covered in bruises.  And this is flag football!

Catching up from last month, Barrett was Wolverine for Halloween.  His best friend Walker was Deadpool, so they made a matching set.  I wandered the neighborhood with Barrett and his friends, and his friends' parents.  We strolled behind them as they raced around the neighborhood getting as much candy as they could carry.

Likes:  Pokemon cards, Madden,  football

Dislikes: lasagna and Philadelphia Eagles
 

183 months old

Well, hello November!   October was in and out like a roller coaster - ridiculously fast and no idea how it all went by in a blink of an eye.   Britton is slowly but surely chipping away at her driving classes.  She's had 7 two-hour sessions where she drives for one hour and observes for one hour.  Her last 3 lessons are one-hour sessions, and she's only got 2 sessions left.  We will spend the rest of the time (until August)  doing parent-led sessions.  I'm not ready!

Britton spent Halloween not trick-or-treating this year, but instead managing the playlist and handing out candy.   She dressed up as a witch (Barrett was Wolverine) and did a great job interacting with all of the kids that stopped by, complimenting their costumes and delivering candy into waiting hands.

She also had her first debate competition!  No parents were allowed to watch, but she did a great job and got the nerves out. I'm so impressed with her ability to go into public speaking with minimal nerves, something I still struggle with as an adult.

Likes: honeycomb ice cream

Dislikes: getting up early for Barrett's football games (but goes anyways and cheers him on!)

barrett: 137 months old

What a busy October we've had!  Barrett is deep into his flag football season and really enjoying it.  He plays defense, and is now actually looking forward to going to practice twice a week!  He's got 2 games left, then the end-of-season tournament.  He's also rocking it at school, with good grades and keeping track of all of his homework on his own.  Bonus - he's joined the Pokemon Club at school, and they had their first meeting today.  He said he got some good traded cards, and I'll take his word for it because I don't know much about Pokemon cards!

Likes:  football, Madden football video game, Nutella on waffles

Dislikes: ravioli

Throwback Barrett - 10 years ago!  Covered in paint

182 months old

 

We're in October!  And the hubs and I were away playing in Charleston, SC with Aunt Jessica and Uncle Tim, so I'm posting late.  Britton is definitely in her groove with school now - the first six weeks are always the hardest to get back into the rhythm, but she's over the hump now and doing well.  This year Britton is taking Debate for her speech credit, and is really enjoying it!  She's definitely not her mother's daughter, as I went well into my 30s before I could talk in front of people without sweating and shaking.  She's got a tournament coming up in November, and the hubs has agreed to volunteer as a judge!  I love that she's getting comfortable having her say and speaking her mind, all while thinking on her feet.  

Likes:  Strawberry Shortcake's friend Plum Pudding as a Halloween costume

Dislikes: softball practice has started focusing on running, Britton's exercise nemesis

barrett: 136 months old

We're in September!  Barrett has started 6th grade at the junior high, and is now a pro at finding his classes and working his locker.  He also started flag football a few weeks ago, and had his first game yesterday.  He's playing offensive lineman and is getting used to the position, as he was previously practicing as a defensive player.  His team lost against the Cowboys yesterday, but no worries, they've got an entire season ahead them to change up those stats.  He's having a good time and getting exercise, so I'm all for it!

Likes:  playing the new Madden game

Dislikes:  getting up early for math tutorials this week

181 months old

I'm a little behind because Britton was traveling home on the 2nd - her first plane ride solo!  She went to visit her friend Jody in Virginia over Labor Day weekend, and Jody had an extra ticket to see Mitski, a bonus!  Britton got home late Monday night, and I totally forgot to get her monthly photo, then school and work and life caught up to me and well, here we are a few days late.

Britton is trudging away at the new school year.  She has her first AP class this year (World History), and also Algebra II, French II, Debate, Chemistry, KAP English, and softball.  She's killing it in all her classes, and she's found a new love for chemistry.  She stays on top of her classes herself without us having to remind her about homework and tests, and when we met her teachers they all said she's a delight to have in class and applies herself.  As they all put it, they never have to worry about her.  

Britton has recently picked out a ton of holiday-themed earrings and is wearing her new Halloween sweatshirt in her photo.  A girl after my own heart - I love Halloween!

Likes: Chemistry, her teachers (she got some great ones this year), debate - she's going to do a few tournaments this year!

Dislikes:  Algebra II

No reason for this - just a pretty rainbow I saw tonight!

 

barrett: 135 months old

A *bit* (2 weeks) late, I know, but we're getting back into the swing of things with school starting back up, so please pretend I've gotten this up on time!  Barrett spent his early August trying to fit in all things SUMMER before the end of summer vacation.  He slept in, playing too many video games, swam in the pool with his friends, and was just living his best life.  Then, reality hit, that he was heading to a new school, new grade, new teachers and new classmates, and we headed up for a tour of the school and his schedule.  Barrett is now in his second week of school, and while he has way fewer people in his classes than he knows from elementary school, he's taking it all in stride.  For the first time, he's riding the bus, and he has a locker.  And he has his first school dance on Friday!

Likes:  Jurassic Park/World/Dominion/everything

Dislikes:  the bus stop being so far away (it's not that far)

15 years old!

I think I'm in denial that I now have a 15 year old!  Britton decided she wanted pho for dinner tonight, so we rounded up Memaw and PawPaw and Britton's friend Emma, and treated ourselves to spring rolls and pho.  Then we headed back to the house for cake - a tiramisu cake from 85 Degree Bakery.  It was incredible!  Britton's party is tomorrow - she wanted a golf party at Top Golf, so we will be there with her friends tomorrow evening, eating more birthday cake (this time cupcakes!) and trying to stay out of the way of teenagers.  

Likes:  no LOVES her new iPad

Dislikes:  when Nella won't snuggle

 

barrett: 134 months old

 

A little late this month!  We recently returned from 2 weeks in Japan, and I knew I would not be able to remember when it take Barrett's monthly picture while we were there, so I waited until we got back.  For reference, here he is below on July 7th, at the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo!

Barrett liked the fast pace and buildings in Tokyo, but I think the trains (subways and bullet train) got his heart!  He learned all about them, then took the opportunity on the 2 hour ride to Kyoto to draw the trains. He and I both really liked Kyoto, because it's less crowded than Tokyo and more traditional in style.  Barrett isn't an adventurous eater to begin with, but he did give new things a try in Japan, including udon noodles and a hot pot.  

We're halfway through the summer and according to everyone but me it's going "way too fast."  Barrett has STEM camp next week, and then a math refresher camp for two days at the beginning of August.  Right around the corner is his "junior high bootcamp" where they go and tour the school, and realize that the well-known community of elementary school is gone - it's all new and it's scary until it's not, and there's just a lot of changes going from elementary school to junior high school. For now, he's happy to swim in the pool and play his new Madden football video game.  And I found him using his Harry Potter Brickheadz to act out the movie today, so watching the movies on the 13+ hours of the flight from Japan got his creative juices flowing!

Likes:  Harry Potter, reading the Judy Moody series again

Dislikes: the over-abundance of little kids at the Toy Story Hotel (and their screeching)

179 months old

 

Britton had so much fun at Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp!  She was in the coastal ecology camp, with ages 12-15, and got to indulge in all things marine biology - dissections, wading through the marshes looking for specimens, riding in the boat, going to the aquarium, and so much more.  Unfortunately, a storm came through while she was there, so their beach bonfire got rained out, but I think she'd say she got to do enough to make it worth going (her roommate's boy drama notwithstanding).

Britton has been working on her volunteer hours this summer, making cookies and rolling silverware.  And she got to celebrate her friend's birthday with a fun stroll through the outdoor shopping center (while us moms went shopping too, just not with the girls).  She's officially halfway through her summer vacation!

Likes:  playing Roblox and Dress to Impress with her friend Jody

Dislikes:  the mildewy smell of her camp clothes - everything was damp!

barrett: 133 months old

                                           

We're knee-deep into June!  Barrett has fully embraced summer vacation.  He's having fun swimming in the pool, sleeping in, and playing too many video games. He's at his first sleep away camp, and while I worried about him going because Barrett does not like new things, he's acclimated pretty quickly and is enjoying himself.  Other than the choppy boat ride!  He's at Texas A&M Galveston Sea Camp (with Britton, though she's in a different camp group) and living in the dorms this week.  They are learning about marine animals, doing dissections, visiting the aquarium, strolling through marshes to collect samples and do experiments and science stuff, and going out on boat rides.  I hope he remembers his sunscreen!

Likes: cooking!  And he's getting really good at it!

Dislikes: when his bangs get too long and flop into his eyes

178 months old

We're squarely into June now!  School is over and summer vacation has taken over the house.  Britton immediately started sleeping in every day, which is fine by me because she spent the last year getting up at 5:30 am every morning.  She starts art camp next week with some clay and sculpture, then it's off to sleep away camp this year for a week.  June is going to go by so quickly!  

And she hasn't forgotten about softball. Britton and the hubs have started training at the gym together, and then they do batting practice together!

Likes:  Nella the cat, starting driver's ed this summer, Dress to Impress game on her iPad

Dislikes:  the Texas heat and mosquitoes

barrett: 11 years old

 

Barrett's birthday was on a Tuesday, so we had his party the weekend before.  We started the day with a soccer game, where Barrett scored his first goal this season!  

Then we went home and decorated for his birthday party - we finally got away from the pool party and did a video game truck!  It was so easy - they pull up, push the power on, and the kids could play any game they wanted.  I even took a turn at the driving game, but was so bad at it that I gave up pretty quickly.  

For Barrett's actual birthday, he picked dinner out at Mia's Table, then we had a Baskin Robbins polar pizza for dessert.  I'm a big fan of getting to blow out candles on your birthday, even if you already did it a few days before!  

Barrett got so many Roblox gift cards from his friends (it must have been his answer when anyone asked!) and we got him a Zeke Elliott Ohio State jersey, a Ceedee Lamb shirt, a Woobles Ravenclaw kit, a capybara lamp, and some other random fun things he's been interested in.  Memaw and PawPaw hooked him up with new clothes!  Aunt Jessica got him some fantastic Lego postcards, including London and Japan, and he's already almost finished constructing them.  Cammy got Barrett some new sketchbooks, which he's excited to fill up since he's taking art as his elective next year.  

Likes: reading!  We took a break from reading after some intense Harry Potter books, but we're back to reading together every night, then he requests more time to read before turning off his light.  We're currently reading "Ban This Book" by Alan Gratz - it's fantastic!

Dislikes: thinking about the end of the school year - it's his last year at his elementary school, and he's going to miss it so much.  Like his mother, Barrett isn't good with change.

177 months old

It's already May!  In just a few weeks, Britton will be finished with her freshman year of high school.  It has all truly flown by.  She's ready for exams to be over and the summer to start - probably most looking forward to not getting up at 5:30 am every morning and getting to sleep in!  

Britton had her softball banquet this week.  Her JV season is over, but the varsity team went into playoffs, so she and a few of her teammates went to watch the playoff games.  Sadly, they didn't progress, but it's been fantastic to see the JV girls supporting their varsity counterparts.  They cheered each other on at the banquet, and I'm still amazed at how close they've all gotten.

Likes:  iced coffee drinks, her weighted blanket (which I've borrowed to catch up on sleep), wearing hoodies despite the heat

Dislikes:  all of the last-minute projects and quizzes before finals

barrett: 131 months old

                                            

If you saw Britton's post, you know why I'm so late here!  It's felt like the busiest month in forever.  Barrett had his spring choir concert this month and the choir gets to perform the national anthem at a Rice baseball game in a week.  He's happy that early morning practices are over!  We are gearing up for Barrett's 11th birthday next month, and he's decided on a "gamer" theme because we got a video game truck.  This thing is so cool!  They bring a trailer to your house and the kids play video games on a ton of screens.  Barrett has had pool parties the last few years, so it was time to mix it up!  This weekend Barrett started soccer.  He would probably like soccer more if it wasn't so hot out, but that's Texas for you.  He really wants to do football, and I found a fun football camp this summer for him to learn the ins and outs.  Plus, both he and Britton are going to a sea sleep away camp where they get to learn all about marine biology and other fun sea-related topics!  This will be his first time at sleep away camp, so I'm glad Britton will be there to keep an eye out for him.

Soccer action shots!

Likes:  cold weather, baseball and football trading cards, drawing with Posca markers

Dislikes: having to get up early

176 months old

                                                      

Yep, I know I'm a bit late here, and honestly, if Memaw hadn't reminded me I might have forgotten April altogether!  It's been a busy month, let me tell you.  Britton is still in her softball season, which is wrapping up April 19th.  Cue my sad face!  Because I have found myself really enjoying her games and getting to know her teammates better.  They are such a fun group of girls!  Britton is ready for school to be over (not me!) and for the summer to start, but neither of my kids are self-starters when they don't have school so I like that school forces them to get up and get going.  

Some shots from Britton's games:

Likes:  salted caramel cold foam, Nella, softball

Dislikes:  her English class because her teacher irritates her to no end

barrett: 130 months old

A bit late, but we're in spring break this week and every day feels like a Saturday!  Barrett has been plugging away at choir, and has not just a spring concert coming up, but also a performance at a college baseball game.  He's tired of the early-morning practices, but I know he'll feel proud seeing out this year, even if it's taught him that he does not want to do choir in junior high!

He also got a haircut!  Barrett's hair has been long and curly and so adorable, but he wanted a change, and I'm all for my kids choosing their own hairstyles.  He was not happy with it, as he detests change, but once he got used to it he's warming up to the shorter hair.  Like his mother, he'll probably grow it out just to cut it again in a few months!

He also had field day this month!  Barrett competed in the home run derby, the tire race, and a relay race.  

Likes:  camping with Memaw and PawPaw

Dislikes:  early mornings