Our Eagle

Purchasing some supplies at Home Depot

We knew from the time that Coolister first became involved in Boy Scouts that we wanted him to earn the rank of Eagle but we wanted him to want it. He kept procrastinating - almost to the point where we didn't think he'd make it before the age cutoff - but he finally got serious and got to work.

Coolister debated a few different project ideas and finally decided to design and build bookshelves for a local elementary school. He was able to collect enough in donations that he built 5 bookshelves and also gave a generous gift card to Barnes and Noble with each one.

He worked hard - and with the help of his family and many great friends and neighbors he was able to deliver the bookshelves before his 18th birthday.

One requirement for his eagle application was to have a parent write him a letter of recommendation. I was lucky enough to be the one to do this, and here is what I wrote:

To Whom It May Concern:

How does a parent write a letter of recommendation for one of their children without coming across as biased and boastful? I’m not sure that it is possible. However, I do wish to emphasize that although the following letter will likely seem to contain the gushing recommendation that you would expect from a parent, words are inadequate in my attempt to describe what a remarkable young man our son truly is.

Many of the things I can think to include in this letter would likely be redundant because they will already be a part of the other information which is required as a part of his Eagle paperwork. I will do my best to give you a glimpse into what is not included elsewhere.

Coolister is the oldest of our ten children. Most teenage boys do not have much interest in their younger siblings; this is not the case with Coolister. As the oldest child he has shown genuine caring and leadership in his association with each of his siblings. We have been pleased with his example to them of one who sets and accomplishes goals, works hard in school and is a loyal and trustworthy friend.

When Coolister is faced with a challenge, he conquers it head-on and without discouragement. In March of 2010 Coolister suffered an extreme open dislocation of his ankle which required surgery and physical therapy to rehabilitate. As a talented cross-country runner this could have been devastating, especially when he was told that this injury would likely put him out of sports for a year. However, Coolister did not let this deter him from his goal of running in the State Championship Meet the following season. He was good-natured and positive throughout the whole ordeal. Coolister worked hard and recovered quickly, surprising his doctors and physical therapist, and trained all summer to be back on track for cross-country in the fall where he was able to reach his goal of competing at the state level.

Coolister proved that he not only knew the words to the scout oath, but lived them as well, when his youngest brother was born last December. I slipped on ice and broke both bones in my lower leg three weeks before the baby was expected to arrive. When I came home from the hospital with a newborn baby and orders to stay in bed for 6 weeks, Coolister was a great help to our family. He never complained when asked to shop for groceries, run errands, help prepare meals, change diapers, or shuttle his younger siblings to their various activities.

At first sight, Coolister can come across as a fun-loving, silly kid. However, behind the scenes, as his mom, I get to see the side that many others don't. My son has a heart of gold. He is quick to forgive, always one to help others feel included and he is filled with a light that comes from really knowing who he is and what he has the potential to become.

As stated in the beginning of this letter, I feel that my words are inadequate. I am sure I could continue to write volumes and still not feel as though I have sufficiently helped you to know what really makes our son who he is. How can I summarize nearly 18 years of a life well-lived into one short letter?

Suffice it to say that I wholeheartedly recommend our son, Coolister, as a candidate for the rank of Eagle Scout.

Thank you,

Gerb

We are still awaiting the final word but the local council approved his application with "absolutely no reservation". Awesome job, Coolister!

Asking & Answering

Prom was last weekend.

ElemenoB called Allen and I one evening with this announcement: I got asked to the prom! With a bunny! Can I keep it?

She told us that she found a note on our porch that said, "Some BUNNY wants to go to prom with you" along with the aforementioned bunny.

I told her we'd have to wait and see it for ourselves, but I was picturing a sweet little baby bunny and thinking I may not be able to resist. When we arrived at home, here is what we saw:


That's no bunny. It's a full-grown adult RABBIT. With no cage, mind you. Mr. Rabbit lived in our bathtub for two days as we tried to give it away via Facebook - with no takers. Allen and I told Elle that the only solution was for her to give the rabbit back to him as part of her reply. She debated different ways to respond using the rabbit and ultimately came up with this:

She left the jar and the note on his porch, along with the rabbit.

And they both lived happily ever after.

The end.

First Date

Who looks the most excited to have their mom there taking pictures? That's my girl.

ElemenoB and two of her friends planned a fun group date for the school's girl's choice Christmas Dance (really, it was just a huge ice skating party with no dancing involved, but whatever) last month.

It was a first date for all three of them.

How cool is that?

When ElemenoB and I went to pick her date up (someone needs to get their license, don't you think?) he gave her a rose and a box of one of her favorite kinds of candy. I was impressed - because do boys do that sort of thing anymore? Not that I know of.

Some of you may remember that she asked him on this date by 'stocking' him across state lines to a cross-country race in Southern California.

He answered her with a piece of celery festooned with googly eyes and a note that said, "Who's STALKing who?" (And of course his answer: YES.)

Turns out this was his first date, too.

I think they're off to a good start.

It's Coolister Outside

I wrote about my littlest munchkin and now I need to write about Coolister, the oldest. I think I've already written quite a bit about the range of emotions I am experiencing as I think about him being at the university next year, making his own choices and dictating his own schedule. I know he'll do well. He'll muddle through if he has to and figure things out because he's smart and he knows how to get by. I'm proud of him for all he's accomplished in his life so far in regards to school and sports, too - but I think that what I really want to focus on right now is his heart.

At first sight, Coolister is kind of a goofy, silly kid. He's extremely fun-loving and comes off as irresponsible (okay, sometimes he is) and self-centered at times. Pretty much your typical 17-year-old boy, really. But behind the scenes, as his mom, I get to see the side that many others don't. The kid has a heart of gold. He is quick to forgive, always one to help others feel included and filled with a light that comes from really knowing who he is and what he has the potential to become. Coolister is also a kid who has a willingness to help out whenever someone needs it.

Take today for instance.

Last night we had quite a snow storm. So much snow that this morning Coolister and his dad braved the cold at 6:00 a.m. to shovel our driveway, sidewalk and even a path around the suburban so that we could actually get into it without wading through snowdrifts to our knees. I sure do love those two!

After school as I was dropping off a couple of the kids in our carpool I noticed an elderly single woman (I'm pretty sure she's in her eighties) in our neighborhood out trying to shovel a path from her garage so that she could pull her car out. I called home on my cell phone and Coolister answered. All I had to say was, "Sister N. is out shoveling her driveway by herself..." before he answered, "I'm on it, Mom."

Coolister helped her shovel just enough to get her car out of the driveway and when she tried to pay him he told her that was not necessary and started to walk away. Once she was in her car and on her way he returned and finished shoveling her entire driveway and sidewalk.

After about an hour and a half I began to wonder where he had gotten off to. I drove over to Sister N's house and saw that he had finished shoveling at her house and and made his way next door to where another single lady in our church congregation lives. There he was with his jeans wet to his knees, almost finished with shoveling her driveway as well. No one had asked him. He just saw that it wasn't done and started doing it.

These are the things that make my mama heart swell with pride. These are the important things that his dad and I have hoped to instill in our kids' hearts and minds. Smarts at school are valuable and important but even more vital is the knowledge that serving others without any thought for yourself is the key to real happiness in life.

Oh, how I love my biggest boy and his huge heart.

Stocking Is Underrated

Last month my eldest daughter, ElemenoB, turned the magical age of 16. The magic has nothing to do with becoming the age for acquiring a driver's license (no, we had to force her into finally getting her driving permit last week). The magic has everything to do with reaching the age that we allow our children to date.

Well, ElemenoB jumped right on that. She hasn't been asked out yet (unless you count already being asked to next year's homecoming dance) but she has taken matters into her own hands.

The school hosts a 'girl's choice' Christmas dance in December. She and some friends brainstormed unique ways to ask someone to this dance using a Christmasy-type theme. She decided to load up a Christmas stocking full of treats and attach the following note:

I promise I'm not
STOCKING you,
I just wanted to ask you
to the Christmas dance.
From ElemenoB

ElemenoB then sent the stocking with a friend who is on a school trip to California (along with the guy she is asking) so that he could find it outside of his hotel room door one morning.

As one who basically stalked my husband across state lines to get him to notice me (and, eventually, marry me), this form of asking is close to my heart as well as - in my humble opinion - pure genius.

The answer is pending... but really, how could he say no?

Redemption

ElemenoB wasn't all too fond of the picture in my First Day of School post and asked to pose for another.

Being the awesome mom that I am, I let her.

I present, for your viewing pleasure, a much more cooperative ElemenoB on the second day of school:

Redemption.

School Days For Seven of Nine

No, I'm not talking about that Seven of Nine...


I'm talking about these 7 of 9:

Coolister, my senior, who would only give me a quick fake smile and thumbs-up before running to catch the bus in his freshly-ironed shirt.

ElemenoB, the sophomore, who would not pose for a picture at all and just kept saying, "Go away!" So of course I had to keep taking pictures as she made her way down the block. And look what happened!

I captured a photo of Sasquatch!! (Thanks for putting up with me, ElemenoB. I am such a weird mom - wanting to take first day of school pictures and all of that.)

Thumbelina, our freshman! I can't believe I have 3 kids in high school. She almost missed the bus but still posed for a quick snapshot with a cheesy smile.

All-a-Boy, the confident 6th grader.

Cowgirl, our 4th grade sweetie.

Princess, the cute 2nd grader.

And Hubba... well, he doesn't start kindergarten until next week. But don't be fooled by the innocent sleeping face. This precocious little guy is just charging his batteries!

Where does the time go?! I can't believe the summer is gone - or that my kids are so grown up.

These are the things I am musing about today at Four Perspectives.

Counting Down

I haven't been online much this past month. Have you noticed? Life has been so full!


We had our #1 favorite family reunion with Allen's parents & siblings.

We have been invited to TWO family weddings.


Coolister, ElemenoB and Thumbelina went off to do some service projects and then river rafting at Youth Conference for THREE days.

(No official photos yet... they get back today.) photo from griffithexp.com

FOUR princesses accompanied me to the local Princess Festival.


I basked in Girl's Camp for my FIFTH year as a leader.

I enjoyed a lovely backyard tea party with SIX wonderful ladies.


We found out that our sweet aunt Marie returned to heaven SEVEN days ago. Her funeral is today.


EIGHT of my kids slept...

while Princess made a card...

to go with our traditional Father's Day breakfast in bed.


Allen and the oldest two kids ran NINE legs for their team in the 188 mile Ragnar Relay.


And Little O is finally able to wear this shirt that I bought for him almost a year ago. I was worried it wouldn't fit...

...but it does! (This means that number TEN's arrival in '11 will make us a family of TWELVE.)

In short, life is good.

So, so, so wonderfully, happily, crazy-in-the-best-way, marvelously good.

Learning For Life

I got a postcard in the mail today from one of Coolister's teachers. In fact, it was the one teacher that he has mentioned before in the context of I don't think Mrs. So-and-so likes me much so I was surprised by what it said:

(click on the picture to make it larger)

When I asked him about it, he told me that she had inadvertently given him close to full credit on a 150 point assignment which he had failed to turn in. His grade in this class was a C and the points she had given him brought it up to an A. However, as soon as he noticed the discrepancy, he told her. He didn't even entertain the idea of letting the extra points slide. She thanked him for his honesty and changed the grade on the assignment back to a zero. He did not regret his decision.

Coolister is already a smart kid. I know he knows his stuff for his classes, even when his grades don't show it (he tends to procrastinate much too often). The actions which prompted this postcard are the type of thing I want him to be learning. This is the stuff that will truly make a difference in his life.

Good grades are awesome, but good character is even better.

This is the education that I desire most for my family.

These are the moments that make me proud.

About A Boy

there was a boy named Coolister.



Coolister was a fun and happy boy. One year, he was a junior in high school and he wanted to go to the prom. He knew which girl he wanted to ask, he even knew how he wanted to ask her, but Coolister had a problem. Part of the asking required running like crazy from the girl's house (twice), yet Coolister had a large black boot on his leg which only enabled him to quickly limp.

He surely would be caught!

Well, Coolister had a mother and his mother loved him very much. So much, in fact, that she was willing to do the running like crazy for him (twice) so that he could ask the girl to the prom.

Coolister and his mother gathered the needed items and drove to the girl's house. They parked just down the street. Coolister's mother stealthily made her way to the girl's front porch as Coolister watched the scene unfold from behind the front windshield of the car.

Coolister's mother carefully approached the home, placed the churned emulsion of sweet cream, air, and salt at the girl's front door...


...rang her doorbell, and then turned and ran to the safety of the shadows on the side of the girl's cottage so as not to be detected.

The girl's porch light came on and Coolister's mother heard a frenzy of footsteps and voices as the gift was discovered. Coolister's mother smiled and readied herself for an undetected escape back to the waiting vehicle.

But, alas, this was not yet to be.

A scattering of young boys made themselves known on the front step and yard as vehicles began to approach the girl's abode. You see, the girl's father was a scoutmaster for a group of 11-year-old boys and the appointed time had come for the parental stewards to collect their active boys.

Coolister's mother tried to become invisible.

It did not work.

Coolister's mother pressed her body as flat against the side of the girl's dwelling as she possibly could and stood as still as a statue while waiting for the boys to leave. It was almost as if time stood still. She watched, holding her breath, as the boys would come alarmingly close to where she was hidden but breathed a sigh of relief as the last boy finally departed.

At last, the coast was clear. Coolister's mother swiftly ran through the downy flakes that were softly falling from the skies and, quick as a wink, found herself in the safety of their transport.

Oh, how Coolister laughed as he recounted the story from his point of view! They drove to the safety of a local institution of elementary learning and prepared the second (and final) item which was to be delivered to the girl.

Coolister's mother loved him so, but she was now apprehensive about approaching the girl's residence yet again. She expressed her concern to Coolister, who simply looked to his mother and used a magical phrase to convince her to carry on with the plan. Can you guess what the phrase was?

He said: Mom, this is too legit to quit. You can do it.

And how can any mother refuse such words? Coolister and Coolister's mother drove back to the street where the girl lived. Coolister's mother insisted that they watch the dwelling for some time for assurance that she would not be caught. They watched. They waited. They saw a young girl in the front room, lingering near the large window beside the door. They saw a young boy walk from their main living accommodations to their parking garage. They saw movement and anticipation.

And then they saw quiet.

Coolister's mother, nervously this time, gathered the bowl full of popped corn ...


...which also concealed tiny, crumpled papers with letters on them which revealed Coolister's name, and slowly made her way to the girl's door. She rang the bell, and then froze in fear - but only for a moment. However, that one simple delay brought to her mind the realization that she would not make it back to the shadows that had hidden her so well earlier in the evening. She would have to find another place... and promptly! Glancing around she realized that her only hope would be to crouch in the fetal position in front of a low wall at the bottom of the stairs which led to her porch.

And so she did.

Again, the door opened. She waited, crouched and with eyes closed (because everyone knows that if your eyes are shut it means there is less chance of your being seen) as she heard excited voices gather the bowl and its contents and carry them into the house.

The door closed.

Coolister's mother had no desire to linger in such a position. She peeked up, her head showing just above the wall, and noticed a face in the window of the door, scanning the yard and surrounding area for any sign of the one who had delivered these treasures. Again, she dropped her head to her knees and silently prayed that her escape would come soon. She heard drumming and looked up just enough to see a boy standing sentinel at the window, drumsticks in hand. Coolister's mother knew then that once the drumming had ceased she could make her getaway.

It was then that a vehicle turned onto the girl's street, its headlights growing nearer and nearer to the place where Coolister's mother was attempting to conceal herself - in plain sight at the front of the girl's residence. Her heart began to beat faster and faster until she realized that, of all the homes on the street, the approaching van was indeed destined for the girl's.

Oh, what could she do?!

Coolister's mother immediately jumped up and casually walked toward her only hope for escape - the waiting suburban near the end of the block. She did not look towards the van as it passed her by. In fact, she even closed her eyes in the moment that they crossed paths on the road so that the occupants of the van would not be able to see her.

It worked.

Coolister and his mother laughed as they drove home.

They spoke of how this was, indeed, a mission that was 'too legit to quit'.

Even though she had almost been caught. Actually, especially because she had almost been caught. (Twice!)

The next day, when the girl answered YES to Coolister's clever query, all was indeed well.

And although Coolister's mother said that such things were not in her job description, deep in her heart she knew that she would do it all again if asked.

Such is the love of a mother for her boy.

That's The Spirit!

My oldest boy, Coolister. Don't mess with him.

Sometime between the beginning of the school year and the beginning of this week my oldest boy decided to run for an office in student government next year.

He is running for Spirit Chairman and, to be honest, I think he is perfect for it. No one has more school spirit than Coolister. In fact, because his high school did not have enough Spirit Days to appease him, he has created his own and convinced his friends to do them as well. They have:

Mohawk Monday. (Get out the hair gel!)

Todd Smith Tuesday. (This is one of their favorite teachers so they dress like Mr. Smith. Apparently this was started last year by a group of graduating seniors.)

Weird Shoe Wednesday. (They wear mismatched shoes.)

Trek Thursday. (Use your backpacking pack instead of your regular school bag.)

Tie Day Friday, or TieFri. (They wear neckties over their regular school attire.)

See what I'm saying? Who creates their own Spirit Days at school? Coolister does, that's who.

He came home on Monday, told Allen and I what his ideas were for creating campaign posters and the three of us got to work armed with a camera, photoshop, posterboard and markers.

We had more fun than should probably be allowed.



I love the way his mind works. Do you see why I love this kid?!