Catching up with Brayden

Age:  15 years and 8 months
Height: 6 foot 1 and something
Favorite Food:  Just about anything.  He will eat it and love it. Tacos rank up there pretty high, though.

Brayden has been a busy boy.  He scored a perfect score on his geometry End of Course test.  He was supposed to be recognized at a school board meeting but the Superintendent's father died and it was cancelled.  He got his award at a big MAP (Missouri's big stakes tests) awards thingy.

Then, this spring he got to be a part of Academic week.  He has a hefty GPA and went to an honor's banquet dinner.  He earned his academic letter.  He now has one for academics and band.  He refuses to get a letter man's jacket until he can add cross country running to it because in his words, "Is just tacky...quirky."

 He has his driver's learning permit and now expects to drive me everywhere.  He drives us from seminary to school every day.  He drove us into St. Louis the other day and did a great job.  We survived, so did the car and Mom only slammed her foot on the imaginary brakes once, maybe twice.

At the reptile house with his sisters

On the stilts at the Nauvoo pageant last summer.  I think Brayden actually knocked his dad down.

Mothering Twins

One thing I haven't talked a lot about is being the mother of twins; non-identical girl twins.  When I was laying on the table at my 17 week appointment, in the ultrasound room, and the tech told us she saw two heads.  My first worry was if the heads were connected.  They were not.  Lynn and I soon decided we'd better find out if they were girls, boys, or one of each.  The tech soon informed us they were girls. Lynn promptly sighed, ran his hand down his face and said, "What are we going to do when one of them gets asked to the prom and the other doesn't?"  He didn't know how prophetic that comment would be for the girls.

Ever since I first saw them lying in their incubators it has been a battle of balancing fairness, feelings and making sure they both feel loved. Incidentally I cried, because one baby was perfect and unblemished and the other had a dent in her forehead and nasty bruises everywhere from paving the way out.

I am constantly making decisions of intervening or letting things play out as they will.  On MAP (Missouri's big grade level tests)  one scored advanced in reading and math and the other advanced in reading and proficient in math.  One was tested for gifted and talented, the other was not. Now, they've both taken an algebra placement test and one got into algebra and the other has to take pre-algebra. I have to fight the urge to email the principal to let the left out twin test because her sister did, or to retest because she barely missed the cutoff.

They're both up to be library aides and we haven't heard if they both made it.  Heaven help us if one makes it and the other doesn't.

I have to keep telling myself they are individuals.  It's OK if one of them succeeds in an area the other does not.

Luckily they are different enough most thing balance out.  One is a cheerleader.  One plays volleyball. Luckily they have no interest in competing in the other's sport. One plays a flute and the other plays percussion.  They are content to let each other succeed in their own thing.

Abby and Elise

Abby during volleyball season

Elise on her way to cheer at a football game

Mothering twins is a fine balance act between compassion, allowing individualism and telling them this is life.

So now I think...what am I going to do when one of them gets asked to the prom and the other doesn't?

It's a good thing I have a big lap and they can both fit. :)

Good Intentions

I have good intentions.  Last January I didn't foresee being called as a seminary teacher.  That coupled with teaching 2nd grade, having teenagers and my husband being gone on externships have made for a busy Becky.

Lucky for me and you, I am off for 5 glorious days of Spring Break!  After I sleep in until at least 7 am (More excited for this than you know!), go for a walk, and force my children to do some spring cleaning, I will be playing catch up the blog. 

Anything you wanna hear about?  Send me a line.  I'll see if I can fit it in.