4. Write a blog post inspired by the word: fast
Every year on Kainoa’s birthday I share a new list of high jinx that I managed to survive on his quest to turn a year older and this year is no different. I will say that as he gets older, his problems get a little more complicated. The other day he helped a distraught gamer friend who couldn’t stop crying.
Apparently this girl had been crying for days and when I asked Kainoa what was going on he said, “She’s upset because these pigeons died in her bedroom.” And I was like, “ummm…well I’m glad she had you to talk to, but why were there pigeons in her room?” And he said, “Because she was cutting their wings off and her dogs just ran into her room and killed them instantly.”
“Oh my! Why was she cutting their WINGS off?”
“I don’t know but her dogs came in and killed them.”
“Where did she get the pigeons?”
“I don’t know, but she’s really upset.”
“Right, but like…don’t you think that’s a little suspect that she was cutting wings off of BIRDS?”
“UGH! I DON’T KNOW MOM! I told her we all make mistakes. She’s been crying for DAYS!”
To make things even more challenging while raising teens, you have a limited number of questions you may ask before the teen shuts down. In the case of the murdered pigeons, I ran out of questions when Kainoa got frustrated that I was focusing too much on the birds rather than the fact that his friend was crying and he helped her. I have no idea who this friend is, only that they sometimes play video games together and only know each other virtually. So I really can’t investigate this story further and it still haunts me.
I never thought I’d say I miss the days where the biggest issue was that Kainoa wasn’t sleeping in his own bed or he was hassling our dogs too much, but gosh I think I prefer those problems over the teenage ones.
Somehow I was under the impression that boy teenagers are easier to raise than girls. I don’t know who told me that lie or if it’s just something I told myself to get through Kainoa’s very “spirited” childhood, but it’s absolutely not true (so far). He gets depressed and has mood swings just like the girls do. He gets annoyed with me just like the girls do. I worry constantly for him. Are video games rotting his brain? Am I enabling spoiled behavior? He can’t pack a bag for a trip. Will he ever be able to survive on his own?
Deep breath. Baby steps. He’s fourteen and he’s helping friends with their problems, that’s great! He cares about them crying for days. He’s heading in the right direction!
Maybe at fifteen he will care equally about pigeons.
Happy birthday Kainoa! You’re growing up too fast.
You turned one.
You turned two.
You turned three.
You turned four.
You turned five.
You turned six.
You turned seven.
You turned eight.
You turned nine.
You turned 10.
You turned eleven.
You turned twelve.
You turned thirteen.
Now it’s your turn!
Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add your name to the link list below. Be sure to sign up with the actual post URL and not just your basic blog URL (click on the title of your post for that URL). For good comment karma try to comment on the three blogs above your name!!
The Prompts:
1. Write about the last thing you lost.
2. Tell us about something you recently purchased.
3. Write a blog post about how you spent your fourth of July this year.
4. Write a blog post inspired by the word: fast
5. Share a favorite summer activity.
John Holton says
Happy birthday to Kainoa! I love that picture of him with the cat on his back (Domino?).
You have to hand it to him: he shows a lot of compassion, at least for the girl with the pigeons. And yes, there’s a limit of three questions before teen boys in particular get tired of explaining something. My mother wouldn’t let us get away with it: she’d start getting really insistent with us and give us the third degree. We’d finally make something up that was so off-the-wall that she’d stop.
Mama Kat says
Three questions is about what I get with all of the kids unless they are in an exceptionally good mood. lol! Kainoa definitely has compassion for people. It’s one of the traits I focus on when I need reassurance that he’s going to be a well adjusted adult someday. lol
Abby says
Happy Birthday to Kainoa!
I only have sons and have heard the “boy teenagers are easier” bits and counted my self lucky? in that sense. Maybe? But they just are who they are. It’s good he’s got you!
Mama Kat says
Yeah, I think they just are who they are. The personality you raise from 0 to 12 pretty much morphs into what you would imagine they will be like as teens. My girls were good girls and they’re good teens too…with maybe a dose of feeling “triggered” by my shenanigans. And Kainoa was rambunctious and difficult to manage as a kid…same as a teen.