Laurie's Everyday Notions

My boy had knee surgery yesterday. At the ripe old age of fourteen. The days leading up to his surgery The Boy, as I fondly call him, was worried only about what this meant for his future. My strong, courageous boy who just a few weeks ago thought himself invincible was humbly recognizing that he was not. He had been experiencing some pain in his knee since track season this spring which returned in the fall when football practice began. A visit to the doctor taught us that he had a "loose knee" which would slide too far to the outside of his leg and could be remedied with exercises to strengthen his inner quad muscle. Despite this knowledge and his mama's constant pleadings, he chose not to do his exercises. On October 1, during a football game, The Boy made a pivot/sharp turn and immediately dropped to the ground in pain. After several days of not being able to straighten his leg and with no decrease in the swelling we visited an Orthopedic doctor. An MRI indicated ...

I think I may need a frame.

I've shared before that I don't spend a lot of money on haircare. I make my own shampoo, I don't use any other products in my hair and I get my hair cut once or twice a year. The Boy on the other hand will only have Barber Dave cut his hair. Granted this doesn't cost me a great deal of money. He likes to grow his hair a little shaggy between cuts so he averages about two to four haircuts per year. However NO ONE but his beloved barber can touch his hair. Except in 2009 when I somehow convinced The Boy to buzz his hair......and now (now meaning in October...yes, I'm a little behind).    Summer 2009 ~ LOOK it's my little boy!       Fall 2011     The Finished Look (man, I need to finish that hoop rug) and WHO IS THIS YOUNG MAN?? 

 Isaiah, aka The Boy, has been dreaming of owning a kayak for two years. He decided this spring that he would save the money that he earned from working at his grandparents farm to purchase a kayak. Two weeks ago, he and his kayak hit the water together for the first time. As I watched him paddle around the lake, I reflected on the lessons that he...no, WE, had learned from the kayak. Lesson 1: Saving money. Isaiah, like many, has a hard time saving money. Ten dollars in his pocket doesn't last long. Every time he wants to spend his money on a cheap toy, I give the same lecture. "Wouldn't you want to save your money for something really cool? Don't you think one million Legos is enough, do you really need more??", etc. until I'd throw my hands in the air, dropped the nagging and say with disgust, "Fine, it's your money." (I know, not a great parenting moment.) When Isaiah decided to start saving for his kayak he realized that if he...