Another teenager in the house!

It’s hard to believe that my little “Ry-Ry” is now 13 years old.  The years have gone by so quickly.  It seems just like yesterday that I was holding my newborn baby boy.  He was a posterior birth which meant it took awhile for him to finally get out and once he was born, his face was really swollen for a few hours.  It didn’t help that he was 9 lbs. 2 oz. and 22 inches long!  We joked that we got our football player.  He lost all of that baby fat by the time he was 2 years old but still went on to love football.  Ryan came into this world full of personality and it hasn’t stopped.  I love looking back and seeing how their little personality was right there from the very beginning.  He was a cuddly, loving newborn.  High pitched, whiny, naughty toddler who thrived on negative attention.  Early reader, girl crazy, friends with everyone, baby loving, smart, athletic, and crazy sense of humor child.    And now we are on to the teenage years.

A look back in pictures.  I can’t believe the change between 9 and 10 years old.  I had to keep checking to make sure I didn’t miss a year somewhere.  Proof that one day, they are your little boy and the next day they turn into big kids!

He wanted to do a late over/movie night for his Birthday party but had to wait a week since his Birthday was on a school night.  Ryan doesn’t like cake or ice cream which makes it hard to do anything special on his birthday.  I decided to try and do something different and filled his bedroom floor with balloons.  You can see how excited he was to wake up.

I mistakenly thought that Ryan might want my help and suggestions on what to wear for his birthday.  I set out some real clothes for him.  Clothes that are in his closet and haven’t been touched.  Ever.  He and Jack prefer wearing the clothes in their drawers . . .  shorts, tshirts and hoodies EVERY DAY.  Doesn’t matter if it’s snowing and freezing outside.  He came upstairs to open his presents in his usual attire and the clothes battle began.  It wouldn’t be a good teenage birthday celebration without some teen attitude.  He refused to change his clothes (which is fine.  I choose not to fight the boys on their clothes.  If they want to be outside in the cold with shorts and a hoody, then that’s their choice.  This battle was because he had worn the same shorts the day before, slept in them and was wearing them again.  I do have a problem with that even if I was known to do the same thing at his age!) and opened his presents, grouchy and all, barely paying attention to what he was opening.  Mumbling a few 'thank yous’ only after being prompted.  I think it was a combination of not wanting to wear the clothes on his bed and not seeing a new iPod in the pile of gifts.

Gavin took Ryan and a few friends to McDonald’s for a Birthday breakfast before school.  I sent a text asking him to get a picture of them in McDonalds.  He responded, “in the car going through the drive thru?”.  I had arranged to do the morning carpool so they could eat breakfast and then be dropped off at school.  Obviously I didn’t communicate this to Gavin very well.  The boys were still happy with their quick birthday-breakfast-in-the-car-before-school.  Ryan came home to get his backpack and was a different child.  All smiles and happy.  He ran downstairs and changed his clothes and took time to look at his gifts again and this time when he said thank you, he meant it.

The little kids waited all day for Ryan to get home from school so they could finally eat his cake.  We sang Happy Birthday to him while Morgan blew out his candles a few times and then everyone had a piece of cake.  Everyone but Ryan who doesn’t like cake.

We went out to dinner at the restaurant of his choice-- Training Table.  Morgan gave him 13 kisses.  One kiss for  every year.  She was sitting next to him and said to herself, “Happy Birthday, Ryan.  I like Ryan!”

He had his birthday party the next week right before Thanksgiving break.  He had his friends come over for a movie night, Super 8, and lots of candy, soda and popcorn.  Birthday parties are so much easier as the kids get older.

In honor of his 13th birthday . . . 13 things you may not know about Ryan:

1.  He wants a hamster for Christmas (yes, another hamster!).

2.  School comes easy for him.  He’s set a goal of getting straight A's every quarter in 7th grade.  We told the kids in junior high that they could go on a trip anywhere in the United States with us if they maintained a 4.0 all year.  Not thinking about ALL of the states as being a choice.  Jack and Ryan instantly thought about Hawaii or Alaska as their destination choice.  He’s shooting for Hawaii.

3.  He loves sports, especially football (talented receiver) and basketball.

4.  He is a huge BYU fan.  Thanks to his best friend, Tate.

5.  He is tender hearted.  He loves babies, Down syndrome and adoption.

6.  He doesn’t like sweets.  Didn’t have a piece of cake on his own birthday.  Gave his Halloween candy away to his siblings.

7.  He loves hot chocolate, especially hot chocolate from 7-11.

8.  He takes after his dad’s enthusiasm for Christmas.  He loves the Advent activities and spent hours hanging Christmas lights all over his bedroom.  Just like Gavin did when we were dating.  Only Ryan used tape and Gavin used a stapler.  The boys both go to sleep listening to Christmas music on the radio every night.

9.  He loves to eat at Training Table.  Cheese fries and Turkey Bacon sandwich.

10.  He doesn’t let asthma slow him down.

11.  He’s working on his six pack.

12.  He has a great sense of humor.

13.  Still trusts his parents to do his hair every morning.

Happy 13th Birthday, Ryan!  We are so lucky to have you in our family!  We love you!