Kid Update!

It happened.

I knew one day it would.

It was inevitable.

At Costco today I was checking out. Alex and Rylee were with me. They're standing side by side watching the guy fill our cart and he's telling them silly jokes and then he looks closely at them and asks....

"Are you two twins?"

Yep.

He did.

How's that for fitting in?

It's been awhile since I've updated what's going on with each of my bambino's. So here goes...

KAMBREE  is in California as we speak at a drill competition. She just interviewed for an ambassador scholarship, and just put a deposit on her apartment for next year. She hasn't been home since my birthday but we've been in contact almost daily. Thank goodness for FB and texting.

AUSTIN is heading to California next month with his Acapella. He needs to find a job. I just don't want him to work on Sunday's and he just doesn't want to.....work? No, I think he wants to work but nothing yucky. Well, at sixteen not a lot of un-yucky choices. He's taking the ACT next week. The Saturday I got home he had nothing to wear. (Because no one did any laundry while we were gone. Except Devree who only washed her basketball uniform.) So he wore his PJ's all day. The matching one's that look like little old men? I bought them for him and Alex for Christmas. He wore them ALL day. (He actually did have jeans and plenty of shirts to wear but since his daily apparel consists of gym shorts and plain white T-shirts. Every. Day. He claimed he had nothing to wear!) He even went to his friends dressed in his PJ's. Met a girl there who apparently comes from a very rich family, went to her house (which was "sick") and now she refers to him as PJ's. Yep. That would be my son.

DEVREE's basketball season is over.....hallelujah! Not that I don't love for her to play but I am so looking forward to not picking her up every day and taking her to practice. Did I mention that it was every day? Geez.

She's still pulling straight A's, has an active social life, serving in student government and just all around crazy busy. We've been trying to work out her 10th grade classes and she wants to do so many things, try out for the musical, be in PLT (Peer Leadership Training) and of course basketball. Not sure we can fit it all in with her regular classes and seminary. It's almost as if each child has to pick ONE thing and do it. What ever happened to being well rounded? If you're on the bb team you need to take Woman's Athletics all year, yet musical rehearsals are over and done with before basketball starts. We're hoping she can do 1/4 musical and then switch over to basketball. Who knows? I just know that she can't turn 16 fast enough to drive herself places! (And she only turns 15 late July!)

ALEX also had to select his classes for 7th grade. Slightly easier than Devree. He went with choir, art and shop. He's pretty nervous about going to junior high with all the "mean" kids. I asked him if all the kids in his elementary are "mean". "No." "Well, all the kids in Junior High are not mean either. They're just like you." Then after he went to 7th grade orientation this week he seemed much more relieved. He's trying really hard in school, expressing himself better, joining in on conversations, and really such a sweet boy. I joke that he is the child that will take care of me in my old age but really....I'm not joking. He is very concerned about me. Asking how my day went, if he can help me with anything and letting me know where he is if I need him for anything. He's worried about growing right now. He's grown a lot since arriving home and is now weighing ninety pounds but I think the fact that Rylee is approaching him in height has him worried. I tried to explain that girls get their height earlier than boys but you can tell he's a tad bothered by it. He wants to be big and have big "these" (pointing to his biceps) like Dad and Austin. Austin's biceps come from heredity. He's done nothing to deserve them, James on the other hand goes to the gym, works out and has a well deserved, large set of guns that I think Alex is hoping he'll magically wake up with one day. Not so sure Alex has those genes. We'll just have to wait and see.

RYLEE is looking so much older in her braces. I told her I wouldn't sign her maturation permission slip because then she couldn't grow up. She didn't go for it. She is a whirlwind. Even Troy commented on it. You know everywhere Ry's been because she leaves a path of destruction. Shoes, back pack, coat, dance bag....all through the house. I refuse to pick things up so about ten times a day I'm calling her in a room to figure out what she needs to take care of. After coming home from our trip and realizing that my single brother even noticed her whirlwind effects....I had a plan. THREE days of leaving NOTHING out. NOTHING. Would earn her a (gulp) a  Webkin. I picked three days because I sincerely didn't think she could do it. But she did it. Without a mistake. (That was why we were at Costco today. Buying a three pack of Webkins. Three at Costco are cheaper than ONE at Toys R Us). I felt a little snookered after our deal but quickly thought up plan #2! Now that I know she can clean up after herself, if I have to mention to her more than TWO times each day to pick up her stuff.... I get to KEEP a Webkin for 24 hours and that time will double after each incident!!! (You should have seen the terror.) "My Webkins?" "Yep." So far, I am noticing marked improvement on Whirlwind Rylee activity!

JAMES is working on the basment (hurray!) and building a new sled. (Yes another invention!) It's been great to have him home a little longer this hitch but next hitch he's gone for three weeks instead of two as he's switching hitches. Boo.

Midnight & Ella still dislike each other. Just in case you were wondering.  Ella just tries to steer clear of Midnight. Usually it's the dog that has the higher pecking order isn't it? Not in our house. The cat rules the dog.
And although both are adopted into this house....no one is mistaking them for twins!