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.