Project 17 to 17: Day 17

Well ... it happened, and way too fast for this momma ... the countdown to Wonder Boy's birthday has reached the final day.

As always, it has been a fun 17 days. I have been treated to an extended trip down memory lane as I dig through photos and memory books. I pull out the best and most fun moments to share here, but reflecting on both the good AND the bad days is a treasured part of this annual experiment.

The good days and sweet laughs from times gone by warm my heart and bring a much anticipated joy when I look at my ever growing Boy and especially when I notice aspects of his personality that have persisted through the years.

But I also enjoy seeing those reminders from the more difficult days as well. Those days are like badges of honor. To see how far the Boy has some since those early struggles. To be able to see just how far he CAN go when he sets his mind to it ... well ... those are some of the sweetest recollections of all.


I look at the two photos here and I know that there is a lifetime of good and bad days and everything in between just waiting for the Boy to experience.

As his mom, I hope that the high points far outweigh the low ones. And I hope that he continues to forge his own unique path. I hope he continues to sharpen his mind and push to understand the world around him. I hope that he not only finds his tribe, but that he becomes a leader among them.

I suspect most parents feel as I do when I look at my nearly-grown child. I see this 5'11" tall, walking, talking, thinking mass of potential and I know he will move mountains if he so chooses. He is an amazing person both inside and out. He can bring a smile to my face like no other and I am so thankful to have been blessed with the role of his parent.

This little project is a yearly celebration of not just another birthday for the Boy, but also a recognition of the special blessing that he has been to Wonder Dad and myself.

Tomorrow we unwrap the gifts and sing the praises of another year lived well. May there be many, many, MANY more to come mi amorcito!

Project 17 to 17: Day 16

As we near the end of this little project, we're going to focus in on a little viola love!

Last night the Boy got an early birthday present from his Dad and I ... a new bow for his beloved viola! We researched and then searched high and low to find just the right bow - our local supply is a bit lacking, so mostly this took place on-line. We had a little scare that it might not be delivered in time, but the stars aligned and his package arrive with a few days to spare.

Normally, we wouldn't dream of letting him get his hands on a present days early, but the day AFTER his birthday is his Region Orchestra tryouts for this year. And we wanted to make sure he had a few days to "break in" his new equipment before the big day.

As a special gift, the Boy treated us to about an hour of viola practice! It is always nice to have him play for us. Recently he has primarily opted for his guitar when he's in the mood to perform, so getting a viola concert was a bit of a treat for us! And to top it off, he brought it out again this morning for a quick practice run before he had to leave for early sectional rehearsals at school. I'm a very lucky lady indeed!


In our glance back at 2016, we see the Boy just a couple of days before his first concert of the school year. I used the fact that we had to verify that his tux still fit properly to squeeze in a little photo shoot on the back porch.

The concert that followed was truly beautiful, as they have all been.

It amazes me how far he has come as a musician since picking up his first little viola back in fifth grade. It was joining the orchestra that ignited his desire to learn to play the piano and eventually the guitar as well.

I do not know if I can ever express to his orchestra directors the depth of the gift they have given to him; to the whole family really!

I'm going to soak up the music while it lasts and hope that he will continue to play long after he has moved on past high school!

Project 17 to 17: Day 15

I love this snap of Wonder Boy taken this morning.

If you have read this blog long (or known our family for any length of time), you will understand what an understatement it is for me to say that Wonder Boy is NOT a morning person.

So it has always been a surprise to me that this Boy, who would be happiest if his day started after 10am, gets himself up every school day by 6:30am. He sets the alarm on his wrist watch and that's it. We don't have to knock on his door. We don't have to double check that he is up, dressed, packed and ready. He's got it covered.

He doesn't do these things quickly. And there is no bounce in his step as he goes about his preparations for the day. But he gets it done.

So I cannot begrudge him 15 minutes sprawled across the love seat playing some mindless phone game. Plus, he looks really cute, if you ask me.


Looking back, we see him on a chilly school morning, cuddled up on the couch snuggled up next to him is his trusty cuddle buddy, Wonder Mutt... both of them trying to prolong the quiet time before the hustle and bustle of trying to get out of the door for school and work.

Like the photo above, I don't resent him taking some "me time" in the mornings like this. I know my own mother had days where she had to work a lot harder to get ME out of the door on time and I am much more likely to be labeled a morning person than any other member of this family.

But regardless of who is or is not a morning person, the Boy has a routine and it seems to work for him. I'm glad he has worked himself into this morning schedule. I think it will serve him well when he leaves home.

Project 17 to 17: Day 14

Holy cow! We're already at the 2 week mark of this project! Only a few days to go!

Today I want to show you all my world:


Oh these two! These two characters are my everything!

A lot has changed since that snap from 2014. Wonder Boy now has over an inch in height advantage over his Dad, for example. But there is so much about these two and their relationship that has not changed. I love to hear them laugh and tease one another. They crack jokes at the other's expense and love to pull pranks on one another as well.

But despite their buddy-buddy attitude, Wonder Boy knows his dad is so much more than someone to pal around with. Wonder Dad is our safe space. He has always taken the job of protecting and providing for his family as a super serious endeavor. And he has never let us down in those respects. Wonder Dad sets a great example for the Boy. And every day I see Wonder Boy picking up something else from his Dad, in addition to his sharp wit and easy smile.

Wonder Dad would move heaven and earth for our Boy. The Boy, in return, is the best at coaxing those giant belly laughs from his Dad. I'd say they're a matched pair for certain!

Project 17 to 17: Day 13

OK. So the last couple of weeks, the Boy and I have had a running ... I dunno ... not really a joke, but a private conversation that made us both giggle along the way.

You see, I've been pestering him to get a hair cut. And though he doesn't like his hair long by any means (I could support that, if that was the case), he just hates the process of GOING somewhere to get his hair cut. He ALWAYS resists it and he's been that way for as long as I can recall.

So the "joke" went something like this .... I would catch his gaze and make scissor motions with my fingers when Wonder Dad wasn't looking. The Boy would then point at the calendar telling me "not yet." I made him commit to a date and then I teased him in this manner all the way up to that fateful day.

As I type it up, it doesn't sound like much, but it kept us both giggling for several weeks! I don't mind simple humor, I guess. And it was fun to have this little back and forth with him - usually that is more commonly done with the Boy and his Dad.

So the kick is this ... we were SUPPOSED to get this done yesterday, but we had several other appointments throughout the day and one ran super long, so we had to move it to today. So in the end, even though he committed to a particular day, he got a reprieve and got to hold out for yet another day. But at least it was for a good reason!

This morning, we packed into his car and he let me ride with him to the salon (so I could pay for the whole affair). I'm glad I got to tag along. He doesn't NEED me to come. I literally don't do anything but keep him company and pay the bill. And I could give him the funds to take care of it on his own. But I am thankful he doesn't seem to mind my company on these little excursions.


In our look back we see the boy and I just a few short years ago. Look! I was still taller in this snap! I'm pretty sure this is the year he passed me up though, by the time we crossed off the last date on our 2013 calendar we were at least looking eye to eye and I'm pretty sure that he was already a smidge taller that year for our Christmas photo. But this was another day when we were off on a little excursion together.

Wonder Dad was under the weather and needed some peace and quiet around the house on his Sunday afternoon. So I packed up the Boy and his favorite book of the day (a "Far Side" collection) and we went exploring the gardens near the George H. W. Bush Library. It was one of the first warm days that spring and we enjoyed sitting in the sun, finding comics that made us literally laugh out loud. The boy consented to letting me take some photos of the two of us together. And that summer, we framed a few of them for Wonder Dad for Father's Day.

It's a day that stays burned in my memory. A truly great day!

Project 17 to 17: Day 12

In our look back to 2012 today, we see the Boy a few days before wrapping up his 4th grade school year. This was the last year for him to attend our neighborhood elementary school. His school's motto was "Live. Learn. Soar!" and I have always thought that was an exceptional gift to give the kids attending their program!

I was nervous for the boy as he flew from the safe little nest of his neighborhood school on to intermediate school. But he was ready. His school had set him up for success and he has really taken it upon himself to keep pushing for more, academically speaking!


For today's photo, you get a glimpse of just how far he's trying to fly when it comes to his studies!

On most weekends from September to the end of May, Wonder Boy gives up a few hours of his Saturday to attend math lectures at the university in town. This particular week, they were discussing mathematical properties of reflections or something to that effect. They were taught the properties and then worked through a proof as a group. But while everyone else was following along, our Boy set out to prove it for himself and came up with another way to look at the problem all on his own. And then, to top it all off, he programmed it all in so he could see it graphically represented on his phone!

I've said it before, I'm 100% certain I'll say it again and again, but I just LOVE the way his mind works! And I'm truly thankful that he shares these problem solving triumphs with us!

Project 17 to 17: Day 11

Another signature aspect of Wonder Boy's personality is his constant creativity.

These days, most of the time, he expresses his creativity at the computer. Sometimes that involves working through some math problem, other times it shows in the program he's writing. But I'll confess that I love it when he takes the time to put something down on paper.

In our shot for today, I wanted to share something the Boy made for ME! He knows I love all things sugar skulls and Day of the Dead, so he sat down one day and knocked out this awesome sketch for me!

I'm working on bringing his drawing to "life" on the plaster skull in the background. He seems pretty proud that I would take inspiration from his work. But the truth is, he inspires me daily in a million different ways!


In our look back to 2011, we see him working away on yet another creation. This was Wonder Boy's "city of the future." He had received the building blocks as a gift and practically tore the packaging apart, he was so excited to get started!

It's rare that the Boy is not working through something. I love that his mind is seldom quiet. And the best part is watching him piece through things. Seeing him problem solve is a sight to behold. His mind works in mysterious ways, far beyond my comprehension, but it's still quite a thing to witness!

Project 17 to 17: Day 10

Wonder Boy has a signature color - blue!

For as long as I can recall, it has been his favorite color to wear. Both in our current house and in the house where he spent most of his early years, when we asked him to pick out a color for his bedroom, he chose blue! More days than not, you'll find him wearing blue to school. Even his favorite pair of shoes are a nice, bright blue!


When it came to his room, I wasn't really surprised he wanted blue since he has always leaned in that direction. But apparently, not only is it his favorite, but he read that the color blue, especially blues that are on the slate end of the spectrum, foster creativity and THAT is what he wanted to be surrounded by in his own private sanctuary.

That fits his personality to a tee as well!

The state flower of Texas is a blue bonnet, so you can bet your boots that I try to get him out in a field of blue each spring as well, like we did in our look back to 2010. These days it's a little harder to bribe him for ANY kind of photo, but usually he'll relent and let me get my annual blue bonnet shot.

I love that he loves blue. It's my favorite color as well and I think he looks rather handsome surrounded by our favorite hue!

Project 17 to 17: Day 9

I wasn't sure what I wanted to feature today, but then, in the last few minutes before Wonder Boy had to leave for school, I caught him sneaking in a few cuddles with the Puppy Princess.


I have always loved seeing these two together. When she was small, she didn't have a whole lot of time for Wonder Boy. He was persistent though. Through his tenacious efforts, she knew if she wanted someone who was always ready to play, he was her go-to-guy. And she always hovered around at mealtimes, just in case he needed a hand clearing his plate. But she was a little reserved when it came to snuggle and cuddle time.

Fast forward a bunch of years, when Mr. Mutt entered our lives and suddenly she warmed RIGHT UP to Wonder Boy!

So perhaps the Boy should be thanking the Mutt for these early morning cuddle sessions.

Regardless of how they got here, they both seem to gravitate to one another in this season of their lives. And it sure makes me happy to see them like this!

Project 17 to 17: Day 8

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm not sure where that phrase originates, but some days it seems to ring a bit more true than others.

Wonder Boy only has one academic area in which he does not effortlessly succeed: language arts. I can identify - it was never my strongest subject either. But like so much about my favorite teenager, he seems to be exponentially "more" at any characteristic we might share. And in this case, that is definitely not an advantage.

He doesn't like to write. And it has been like that from the very beginning.


Even in kindergarten, he resisted any writing assignment. You can see it on his face in this flashback photo. His heart is not in the task at hand. And if you could see more of his face in the photo above, you would see the same expression of resignation on his face.

We are very thankful that Wonder Boy keeps at it, when it comes to ELA assignments. We do not have to badger him to get the work done, but it is hard to watch him struggle through each and every every assignment.

We cannot all be wonderful at everything. That is a lesson that is drummed home during the academic year for our Boy. There is no way that we have found to soften the blow. And we are oh so thrilled that Wonder Boy continues to work to improve. He HAS improved, in fact. I just hope that he can enjoy at least SOME academic success along the way to reward his effort.

Project 17 to 17: Day 7

Safe harbor. That is what Wonder Dad and I have always strived to provide for our Wonder Boy.

It has been quite a while since I could plop him in my lap, engulf him in my arms, and provide the physical reassurance that he had a safe place to shelter. But that doesn't mean that he has lost his sanctuary. It simply means that it is not quite as tangible as when he was tiny and perhaps in the process it has become larger and easier to find.


We have attempted to make sure he has ample opportunity to find safe harbor. Our home. It's a safe haven for us all. It's the place where we can say and do and feel without worry of judgement. That doesn't mean it is free of conflict or consequence, only that we are all committed to working through both of these storms that can rock our collective boat.

The Boy knows that both Wonder Dad and I "have his back" both at home and out in the world. And as he starts to stretch the distances he will roam, he knows full well that he has a port to call home when the roaming is done.

This season of his growth is often trying for Wonder Dad and I.

We both face a mixed bag of feelings and expectations. On one side, we love watching him grow and develop into the man he will one day become. But with that metamorphosis, we also have to bid farewell to the little boy we have so long cherished. We want to see him leave the nest and soar to the highest of heights. But we do so with an edge of worry of all of the good and the bad that is out in the world, so far from our control or even influence.

Though he would never admit to it, I think Wonder Boy must be feeling some of this as well. I can see in his eyes, in the strain of every muscle how ready he is move on to the next chapter of his life. He is chomping at the bit to get started on really living!

But every once in a while I also see a slight hesitation about leaving our comfortable little nest. It is only the slightest of hesitations though.

Though I am far from it, Wonder Boy will be more than ready to spread his wings and fly. And it will come sooner rather than later.

I know he is holding his breath and counting the minutes, I am trying to hold on. Not so tight that he can't fly off ... no, just tight enough to remind him that we will ALWAYS be his safe space. That even once he creates his own little safe harbor somewhere, he'll always be able to find his way home.

Project 17 to 17: Day 6

For day Day 6 I would like to introduce you to my favorite helper!

If we are to believe television and fictional stories, you would probably be scared to death to invite some surly teenage boy into your home. The audible eye rolls, snarky comments, and the inability to set down their cell phones are supposed to be the defining characteristics of this age.

Don't believe a word of it!

Yes, there will be days when the stereotypes will ring true. Quite a few of them, truth be told (those stereotypes have to have some basis in fact, after all). But what you don't hear is just how USEFUL these adults-in-training can be!

During his summer vacations, Wonder Boy is largely responsible for laundry for the whole family. He's always helping out in the kitchen. I'm not sure I could wash the dogs without him - we have a great system worked out and can get both dogs in and out of the bathroom like clockwork! And quite honestly, he does a really great job of keeping the bathrooms clean. He's a handy young guy and we are thankful for his assistance.


As you can see, Wonder Boy has always been willing to lend a helping hand around the house. We could give him a Clorox wipe and turn him loose in the bathroom and kitchen alike!

Honestly, at this age he had not yet honed his skills, but his willing heart was always appreciated!

Project 17 to 17: Day 5

These days, it seems like so much of what we do is centered around preparing the boy for the next stage of his life. And one of the most important preparations is making sure he can feed himself.

He can prepare about 4 or 5 of his favorite foods. And there is always sandwiches, waffles, and cereal when that fails. And I am certain that ordering a pizza is always a fair backup plan.

In addition to building his skills in the kitchen, we are having the oh-so-interesting chats about check books, credit cards, annoying roommates, and how often you need to text mom to keep her from losing her sanity. You know, the important stuff.


Looking back, you can see that we started this process at an early age. Even today, Wonder Boy enjoys a good slice of homemade pizza. And he doesn't even mind helping to assemble them before we pop 'em in the oven!

Having him give me a helping hand in the kitchen is something I truly enjoy so I'm going to enjoy it as long as we still have him here!

Project 17 to 17: Day 4

I read an author state once that he was amazed that people were able to communicate at all since we all see the world from our own unique personality.

I think of that often when I sit back to marvel at my favorite young man.

Our flashback photo for the day is one of those that has always struck me as such. You see, when Wonder Boy was about 2-3 years old, he developed a love for puzzles that has continued through today. Watching him assemble puzzles was one of those first moments that struck me on how differently he processed the world around him.

I know I've told this story before, but it has always struck a chord with me, so I hope you won't mind my repetitiveness.

One day, much like the one pictured below, we were working on a nice, big puzzle sprawled across the dining table. He was working on a section in the middle while I was trying to get the border pieced together. At one point, I turned to watch him work away and I noticed that he had two pieces that were obvious to me that did not belong together as they were colored differently. So I asked him why he he thought they would go together? He pulled them apart and showed me that the shapes did indeed look like they MIGHT just fit. And I asked him if he looked at the color and he said no.

It was a very simple exchange, but it has stayed with me all of these years. I think it was the first time I understood just how differently he was looking at things! Where I was looking at colors, he was contemplating edge geometry. Neither was right or wrong, just different. It was a wake-up moment for me. This child who seemed such a huge part of his father and I ... he was unique, he was all his own.


That little realization has grown exponentially over the years! Our Wonder Boy has grown literally and figuratively into a perfectly unique version of himself. His eyes look a little bit like mine, but are not some exact copy. He has a mischievous grin that so reminds me of his father, but again, it's not exact. He's a home body while Wonder Dad likes to be up and about and I fall somewhere in between.

These days, it's no longer a surprise to me that his mind works in ways I can barely grasp. In fact, most of the time, I love for him to sit down and tell me what he's working on and why and what he gets out of it. Take this morning for instance. Most mornings, he prefers to lounge with his pups until to get ready for school, but today I found him focused on his computer as soon as he finished his breakfast. When I asked him what he was working on he showed me the graph you see above. In case you do not automatically guess what that is about, he told me it was "a representation of a 3D function on a 2D plotter." You see, he's putting together a presentation for some junior members of the Computer Science team at school so they can learn how to code these types of algorithms for competition.

Personally, I just thought it was pretty.

And THAT made him shake his head when I told him.

It's a wonder that we are able to communicate. Our minds do not work the same. But I am oh so thankful that we can because then I get a glimpse into a whole different world!

Project 17 to 17: Day 3

The theme for Day 3 of this little project is: BUSTED!

I'm certain we'll be talking about one instrument or another and the Boy's love of music as this project progresses, but for today I have to share a funny note ...

I *love* that Wonder Boy loves music so much, but it's actually become a running joke around the house. You see, we know that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. we ask him to do something that takes him into his bedroom, especially if he has to go into his closet (for example, to put away clean laundry), we have to build in extra time if there is something else on the schedule.

Clear as mud?

You see ... if we ask the boy to go his room (to get dressed for school, to bring out his dirty laundry, to find a pen ...) we know he will slip quietly into his closet, pick up his guitar, and steel a "few" minutes of practice time!

I really love that he loves his guitar so much! He has truly become adept in only a few short months (he started lessons in February after playing around on his own for about 8 months before that). He has a flair for all things music and right now, the guitar seems to get most of his attention. He has orchestra at school, so his viola is not gathering dust, but right now he only rarely plays piano. And while I sometimes miss the sound of the piano, I am soaking up his guitar time (when we are not on a schedule to get out of the door in the morning, at least). I have always loved Spanish guitar/classical guitar. Maybe it is genetic, because Wonder Boy seems to have found "voice" for his inner music as well. A true blessing for the whole household.


In our look back to 2003, we see an even more mischievous little man, caught in the act of obliterating a box of facial tissue. Just look at that little face, he feels not one ounce of guilt for his deep dive into the Kleenex!

After we were done "instructing" him on proper tissue box protocol, we all had a pretty good laugh about this little escapade.

This is another example though, of one of those photos I had completely let slip from memory. I remember glimpses from this age, of course, but the further away we get from those early years, the more they tend to blend together. I am thankful for this little project to bring some of these moments back into sharp focus.

Project 17 to 17: Day 2

As much as I enjoy showing off the current day version of our dear Wonder Boy, another aspect of this project that I truly enjoy is digging back through old photos and finding those I had forgotten about. Today I got a full dose of both of these!


I almost didn't share this particular photo of Wonder Boy today. Technically speaking, it's not a stellar photo. But the more I looked at it, the more I felt moved to run with it. This is the Boy with HIS boy, Mr. Mutt himself! Watching these two together cannot fail to bring a smile to my face. They play, they cuddle, some times they even fuss at one another, or at least, Wonder Boy will fuss at the Mutt. But regardless of the attitude, the love cannot be contained. And THAT is what I see here. Wonder Boy is Mr. Mutt's absolute favorite in the whole wide world. He pines for him when the Boy is away from home. He cannot hide his glee when the Boy comes in each afternoon. And there is no one with which Mr. Mutt is more contented and relaxed. A boy and his dog. There is a reason that you hear that phrase - there is nothing more natural than a boy and his dog, imho. That certainly is true with these two!

For our look back to 2002, we see the sweet baby version of Wonder Boy. And there that little cherub sits, surrounded by toys of all shapes and colors and WHAT is garnering all of his attention? The big plastic spoon that came with our rice cooker! Now, you might argue that it is obvious the little man is teething and thus objects that help to sooth the gums will always win out over something soft and squishy. BUT .... number one ... if you look close, you will see all manner of teething toys at his feet ... AND .... this spoon continued to be a favorite play thing long after those teeth burst forth! We dubbed this utensil "Spoony" so that it would sound more like a toy. And it always made us giggle just a little that he preferred it to the many diversions we tried to use to catch his attention. He carried dear old Spoony around for several years! It made a great drum stick. Sometimes he would wave it around like a baton of some sort. But mostly, he just carted it around with him. I guess he never knew exactly what need would arise that old Spoony could fill, but he kept it close .. just in case. Today poor old Spoony is back to its original function, dishing rice out of the steamer, but at least it is still part of the family. All of those other toys have long since found another home.

Project 17 to 17: Day 1

First day of school! First day of school! First day of school!

Actually, that was a couple of weeks ago, but ..... it IS the first day of my absolutely FAVORITE photo project of the year! Today we kick off the count down to Wonder Boy's seventeenth birthday! Whoop!

In 2001, when the Boy was but a few months old, we got to celebrate our first Christmas as a family of three. He was captivated by the twinkling lights on the tree. And come Christmas Day, he thoroughly enjoyed all of the wrapping paper as well. In time, he enjoyed the toys as well, but mostly, he was impressed by all the crumpled up paper.

The little bouncy chair, that we dubbed his "happy chair," was his favorite place to kick back and relax throughout the holiday season. And as such, it was one of MY favorite things as well! When he was strapped into this little chair, we could grab a bite to eat, maybe rinse up a few dishes, or if we were VERY lucky we could switch out keeping an eye on our little man and grab a shower!

It really was a magical Christmas. We didn't travel. We didn't host or attend a bunch of parties. Instead, we holed up a home - the 3 of us. Wonder Dad and I caught up on sleep, got into a routine, and soaked up every moment we could with our dear Wonder Boy. We knew in January he would be starting day care, so we wanted to enjoy having him mostly to ourselves for as long as we could.


Today, one of his favorite places to be sitting is in the driver's seat of his car. He's been driving on his own for over 9 months now. In some ways, it has gotten easier to watch him pull out of the driveway on his own. There are some benefits to having him deliver himself to school each morning, some of them eerily similar to the bouncy chair back in the day. I'm finding that the time I used to spend dropping him off at school, I can now spend at home running an extra load of laundry or dishes. I can put dinner in the crock pot or at least pull something out of the freezer for later on. So in that respect, it reminds me of the little bit of hands-free time we got when he was enjoying his "happy chair."

But unlike the beloved bouncy chair of old, there is no one to keep an eye on him when he straps himself into that driver's chair.

Despite the change in chairs, it warms my heart to see him pull into the driveway after school each day. We've worked into a routine where he goes down his day once he gets home - kind of like the report he used to deliver on the drive home each day. It's been an adjustment, more on my part than his, but we're getting there.

And that is where we are today! Sixteen more to go!