The "Bragging on my Kids" thread

“OMG!

Abby in k-garten!
The little guy in football!”

“Max is first or second grade now isn't he?”

“dhutch - That is cool! My daughter (a pastry cook at a beach resort) and her fiance prepared our Thanksgiving meal for us. It was awesome:


As long as we are bragging, my older daughter works for a winery/vineyard. She was on TV in Sacramento three times last year to talk about wine tasting, pairing wine with food, etc.:
”

“Austin told the story of Thanksgiving at dinner that day, it was so cute!

Ana got her invitation to test for her first degree blue belt and Austin earned the last two stripes he needs before he can get his.

They both danced in the tap nutcracker last weekend...Ariana is such a beautiful dancer! Austin's getting done dancing, he's got too much on his plate for a 5 year old.

I love watching them grow...”

“"Q, Abby has missd Max tremendously on the trail. The picture of them picking raspberries on the trail at N Manitou is still on her bedroom door."

Max still talks about that trip, too. Hopefully, the opportunity will come up soon to get those sillies together for some fun.

"The little guy in football!"

And in first grade (actually, a split class with second graders in it).”

“That's awesome Phil. My kids are not nearly as accomplished. I got some really nice spaghetti made with Italian sausage, my favorite nice crusty bread and whatever bottle of wine they thought was pretty and already sitting in my wine rack :-)

That looks like some feast!”

“Congrats to all, especially Bowlderson. I've read of his hard work and think it's cool that at age 11 he's able to stick with that and do so well and most important, enjoy it.

I've not met most of them but just from reading over the years it still hard to believe how fast they are growing. I do wish I could have another.

Stacia just finshed her first semester of college and although she's having the usual second thoughts about her majors is doing well and is still excited.

On the bragging thing, I feel funny telling any of the neighbors/friends that have kids in college. Because my brother is paying for 2 kids in college right now, I haven't even told my parents yet but I probably will this week.

I need to tell someone so... a while back we received a refund check for the first years tuition. It seems that something was missed somewhere and they failed to mention that she was awarded a full merit scholarship.”

“Awesome pepsi!”

“What a nice surprise, pepsi!”

“That's fantastic! What a great surprise!!”

“My oldest son, 22, is the beer specialist at Whole Foods in ABQ. :D Breaking records for sales.

20 y/o son is finally staying in school, fish and wildlife program at the local comm college. :D :D

youngest is learning to Christmas shop like a man-do it all in one day, one place. Now if I can get him to do it on Christmas Eve.....”

“lol!”

“My youngest (of 4) turned 17 today. They're all technically a-dults now.
Funny thing is, it seemed to take forever, and happen in an instant, both at the same time.”

“Quick update on the Nutcracker - all 3 performances were GREAT!!!”

“Very cool Bowlderman. Pictures?”

“My son just got his paperwork for his transfer from SF St. Univ. to University of Hawaii on Oahu. For Xmas I got him a copy of "Hiking Trails of Oahu"! Looks like SOMEBODY is going to have to go over & visit him periodically to make suer he's OK.

OK, I'll volunteer, if I HAVE TO :)”

“It's been bad enough working away from home for 8 months. It's really going to suck for me when Laurel gets old enough to move away.

But anywho, congatulations on your kid's achievments guys.”

“Ditto what HPM & others said, congrats to all!

And most importantly, for all your peeps who have little guys & gals, take LOT'S of pictures, you won't believe how soon they'll be moving off on their own!”

“Just got back from BowlderSon's school. They had a brief ceremony congratulating the kids who made the honor roll for the first trimester. At his school, the kids have to get at least an A- in all but one class to make it. An A- there equates to 93%, so it's not easy! This was his first chance to make the honor roll, since it was his first trimester of 6th grade. He's one-for-one!!”

“"Way cool BowlderSon! Good Job! Congratulations!" Pass that along for me BowlderMan, ok? You must be a good dad. If he started middle school this year, I know it wasn't easy.”

“Thanks, "Pamela"! It's a little weird with you posting on here, since my wife's real name is Pamela. Freaky....”

“Your welcome! It's a cool name, no? Hebrew, means "sweet as honey". Was popular between 1946 & 1964. What's her middle name? My dad named me, God Bless him. He's with Jesus now. I still miss him, but someday I'll be there too, :O)”

“Ok, my turn. My son Brian Sean, age 13, made dinner tonight. He spent the morning reading cookbooks and marking pages he liked. Then he brought me one he especially liked and asked me how he could change it from a whole chicken to chicken breasts since that is what we had in the freezer. We talked about the necessary changes, went through the cupboards and made a shopping list. I gave him the only money I had left, $12, and told him the ingredients that were most important not to miss. He walked down to the store and came back with everthing and almost two dollars change! I was surprised because the spice aisle is expensive.

Dinner was: Baked Chicken Breasts & Potatos brushed w/butter, smothered in diced onions & apples, he used garlic and Herbs de' Province to season it. We had steamed Brocoli & Califlower as a vegetable side dish. Yummy! I am sooooo proud.

He is taking after his brother Chris whom you can see Making Christmas Breakfast on my Christmas blog at my myspace.”

“Ok when you brag on your kid someone should notice so.

bump

oh yeah, i'll be embarrassed later.”

“darn, it's on the day before. this stinks.”

“That's great Pamela. I can't wait until mine is old enough to cook for us.”

“chuckle - somehow the image of the Abbinator with a spot of frosting on her nose comes to mind”

“Nice, Pamela! It's great when you can just sit around and have them do stuff for you - heh heh...”

“that's really cool, pamela...my daughter is 4 and makes scrambled eggs (with supervision, of course!). i can't wait when she's old enough to cook other things! =)”

“It is always fun to read about the accomplishments of other TT'ers children. I admire you all for the qualities you are building into your children's lives. Keep on bragging!!!

As for my kids, a general update...

My oldest (Ian, "shiprunner," who some of you have met) is engaged to be married this summer to a sweet and beautiful young woman.

My second oldest is graduating with honors from High School this June. In addition to academics, she is working hard on college applications, working a part time job and learning the value of money.

My third oldest, 11th grade, is working hard on her schoolwork, and got straight A's for the first marking period. She is also now part of the praise team singing at church on Sundays, had a beautiful duet on Christmas Eve.

My two youngest, who will be 14 in March (gasp), also got straight A's, and both got very good parts in the 8th grade musical. I had a great time walking in the woods with them and my dog yesterday, followed by some quality time watching a football game together.

Of course, as I keep telling my children, it is fun to be smart and talented, it opens doors if you are attractive, but none of that matters if you don't treat people with kindness, if you don't know how to work hard, etc. etc. etc. And I am proud that my children are really good young men and women.
last edited: 1/08/07 10:53:59 AM”

“great kids Fritz, you should be proud!

Ariana earned her first degree blue belt in Kempo karate Saturday.”

“Today is NatureBoy's 7th birthday. Made fruit kabob's for the whole class last night.

One more year and he'll have to get a job.”

“Congrads to all you great parents!”

“My 5 year old hiked 3.5 miles on the AT and Benton McKaye Loop and did it with NO COMPLAINING!! I'm am so proud!”

“how'd you do it, jetskiqueen??!! my 4 year-old would rather die than walk anywhere for very long, much to my chagrin. i'm tempted to drag her out and hike with earplugs to avoid the whining. ;)”

“Well, get them all of their own stuff (dad's idea), an ipod shuffle and some music with a good beat. Give them a goal to work towards, such as finding the shelter that we found, let them take breaks, eat, and drink as much as they want. Allow plenty of time. For a while there, he hit approx. 3 mph!! ( with ipod)”

“Thanks everyone! I feel so much better now that I've bragged and everyone's noticed! :O) BrianSean absolutely hates to clean, but he loves to cook, it's one thing I can get him to do easily, don't even have to ask. So funny to hear my husband, "shouldn't you be in there with him?" "No", I say. Brian asks me something from the kitchen, and my husband says, "go and help him", I say, "hello, he's 13 and perfectly capable". Really, he's better in the kitchen than his Da!

HOI, who's the Abbinator?

BowlderMan, that is precisely why we train them, lol! It also makes camping a snap; on the last family camp, I didn't have to lift a finger.

Happyclicker, scrambled eggs are a great beginning, not that easy to do without burning at the age of four. I'm impressed! I think at the age of four Brian could make instant oatmeal and English muffin pizzas.

Fritz it sounds like you have raised your kiddos well! You are so right; you can have the highest IQ in the world but if you are not willing to work hard it won't mean a thing. And what will all the hard work mean if when you pass through this world no one looks back and says, "He/she was worth knowing". Do everything in kindness.

Twigeater, I'll have to admit I know absolutely nothing about Kempo; but I'm willing to bet that she worked really hard to reach that Blue Belt level. Tell her I said Congats!

Hey Q, tell natureboy I said "Happy Birthday!" Fruit Kabobs for the whole class? What, 20 or 30 kids? That's a LOT of work. Making me hungry thinking about it, I bet they were yummy. Man, I wish I had one right now. I wonder what's in the kitchen. . . Ya know what, I had my first money making adventure at the age of 8, sold figs off of our fig tree. Then I usta shine shoes at the bus stop when I was 9. Walked dogs when I was 10.

Other ways to make hiking with kids painless, a hiking scavenger hunt. They have to find, (but not take home, unless of course it's legal) things on the trail. Feathers, rocks, shells, fossiles, leaves, seeds etc. Animal signs like scat, footprints. Find actual Animals. Different trees, plants & flowers. You could find hundreds of things for this kind of list, you just have to know the area you are hiking first. Bring a magnifying glass to examine things, but don't let them start a fire with it. Kids also like having a walkie. Bring plastic grocery bags, give a DOUBLE icecream cone to the kid who picks up the most trash and packs it out, everyone else only gets a single.”

“I forgot to say Jetskiqueen, good job on your kid hiking without complaining! Any parent who can get a kid to do anything without the kid whining about it, SHOULD be wholeheartedly congratulated!!! We all know this is no small thing. :O)”

“The Abbinator is my five (very soon to be six year old).

Hoi, that girl gets cake batter, cookie dough, icing, and everything else sweet she can lick off a beater all over her face.”

“and looks cute too I bet”

“LOL @ Pamela

HOI, all little girls can't help but to look cute. :-)
I wish my 19 yo niece was 5 again. ;-)
last edited: 1/09/07 7:59:41 AM”

“We got BowlderSon's report card this morning - we already knew he made the honor roll, but did not know the specifics. To make the honor roll, you have to have an A- or better in all but one class. Well, he got all A's and one A- (in dance - go figure, the most accomplished dancer in his school....). Woo hoo!

They're doing standardized testing this week - not required because it's a private school, but they do it voluntarily to see how they're doing....”

“My boy Linus is 16 and in eleventh grade.

Linus played the part of Mister Webb in Thornton Wilder's, "Our Town" at his high school. Its a rather sad story in which both Mister Webb's son and then daughter eventually die.

The kids did a great all around job. They really pulled it off well.

The story takes place in a New Hampshire town right around 1900.

Linus couldn't quite get the New England accent and instead did a good character with a moderate southern drawl sort of like Foghorn Leghorn Light.

He and the girl who played his "daughter" pursued an unspecified interest in one another..........off stage, of course.
last edited: 1/09/07 1:44:07 PM”

“Fantastic job BowlderSon!

Way to go Linus! "Our Town" is a great play and not exactly easy to do.”

“Another bonus to being in Theater Arts is the audience...........lots of girls there!”

“Congrats, Bowlder!”

“Another bonus to being in Theater Arts is the audience...........lots of girls there!


To heck with "Theater Arts;" go straight for ballet like BowlderSon - yowzah!!”

“Dang Sunday had a real ugly fire. Got the call just about 30 minutes before evening shift change. I had gone in early to set up and get situated. So I hop in the Ladder with the crew, one of the crew is REALLY NEW (I remember this little brat when he was a "PITA" cubbie Scout) is exactly 48 hours out of completing his Rookie school (finished at the Academy Friday evening).

Pull up smoke (the ugly grey/orange/black stuff) is puffing out of the walls and a couple of windows. Inside is like a blast furnace, NO VISIBILITY, the fire started in the walls and was burning behind the old plaster and in the ceiling. We had to fight for every inch to get to the set of the fire. My forehead is peeling where I was burned (through my airmask). We had an airtank that had the sight glass on the Gauge melt. So I know it was BRUTALLY hot. it was an old building that had been added to and altered a half a dozen times.

It is so cool the Rookie stuck right in there. Man to see some kid who was a total waste of skin all the way through highschool...grow up. I guess pushing him to grow up the last 6 months paid off.”

““Another bonus to being in Theater Arts is the audience...........lots of girls there!


To heck with "Theater Arts;" go straight for ballet like BowlderSon - yowzah!!”
BowlderMan
4:24:38 PM
1/09/07

Ha ha ha, at 6'4" and 210# Linus ain't gonna cut it with ballet, but he does a wicked belly dance!!”

“LOL...well in Swan Lake...he could be ....the lake?”