The Coolest 16 Year Old Guy I know

See that guy right there?  That would Scooter, Brian’s son.  I took that picture the day I met him.  He’d just finished his last race of the day.  In August.  It was H-O-T hot.

Scooter didn’t like me much when we first met.  But really, who could blame him.  I was a new person in Dad’s life, someone taking Dad’s attention away.

It would be months before Scooter and I became friends.  Brian’s dad was in the hospital and I came to stay with the kids over spring break so Brian and his mom could be with his Dad.  And even though Princess could demand every second of my attention, I made it a point to spend time with just Scooter.  Playing catch with him in the basement. I sealed our friendship by catching a baseball with my face.

Today Scooter turns 16.  Even though his dad and I are no longer together, Scooter still holds a special place in my heart.  He is beyond a doubt the coolest 16 year old I know.  Some of my best memories are of the two of us hanging out cutting up.

Like the time Brian sent us to the outbuilding to get the fishing poles ready for our fishing trip the next day and we ended up hosing down the floor and squeegee-ing the floor clean.  Fishing poles? Oh yeah, we were getting to those.

Scooter helped me move more times than either of us like to count.  It was hot, hard work, but with Scooter, it was fun.  And it got done.

So, Scooter, even though I am no longer the best future step-mom in the entire world, I am still thinking about you today Bud, and I’m wishing you eleventy-billion birthday wishes.

You totally rock my world.

 

Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world.

 

Shoe Shopping with Teens. I need a sponsor. Nike I'm available.

I can't afford them, but I am not opposed to accepting samples. Size 8

Scooter needed new shoes this weekend.  He needed tennis shoes, that are actual uh, Tennis shoes.  Like Rafael Nadal would wear. (Not the ones in the picture, I just thought those were awesome and I would love a pair even though I would probably do noting more strenuous in them than shop for more shoes). See, Scoot plays tennis (for fun) with one of his friends two or three times a week.  So he needs shoes to play tennis in.  I get that.

So we all pile into the car and go to lunch (Yummy Mexican, with margaritas because I need sustenance to go shoe shopping with 4 kids, three of which are girls) and then off to the sporting goods store for Tennis tennis shoes.

Flip Flop season is almost over, and the girls need tennis shoes for gym, and they can’t be caught dead wearing last year’s shoes, because they are so last year. Clearly.  Newt got a new pair for her birthday (thanks to a 80% off sale at JC Penny earlier this month) and Tate is getting new shoes for cheerleading but she can only wear them to cheer.  She needed new gym shoes.

While Scooter and Brian are off looking at the Rafael Nadal look-alike shoes that I am oh so glad I wasn’t paying for because we wouldn’t get to eat for a week or more if I had paid for them, Tate and Newt start looking at their shoes.

I finally drag them away from the wall of the latest and greatest must have shoes and drag them kicking and screaming point them in the direction of the “SALE” table because clearly that’s the only language I understand in this store.

Lucky for me Tate was able to fall head over heals (no pun intended) in love with settle for a pair of Nikes that were on sale for $30, which would allow us to eat this week and most of next.

Newt on the other hand had found her heart’s desire in a pair of Nikes with a glorious price tag of $168.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my girls, but they have never in their life been $168-for-a-pair-of-shoes active in any kind of sport.  Granted they were pretty awesome and amazing looking and I’m willing to bet they felt like a dream on your feet and not at all like my stilettos.  But $168 for a pair of shoes?  Really Nike?

So, to all you Nike PR people out there who might happen to read my blog, when you come out with a pair of $20 shoes made specifically for laying around the house doing nothing more physically exerting than looking awesome and training to be a diva, I’ve got your spokes person right here.  (She wears a size 5. Just saying)

Where I've been….sort of

*ahem*  Hello?

Anyone here?

I mean, besides me.

I wouldn’t blame you for being gone.  I can’t expect you to be here when I’m not here.  And let’s face it, I haven’t been here.

But that’s obvious.

It’s just that so many things have been happening.

Real life things.

And while you would think there would be plenty to write about (and Oh Em Gee there is plenty to write about),  a lot of it isn’t my stuff to write about.

I mean there are douchebags out there that I would enjoy entirely too much calling out on my blog but since their douchebaggery doesn’t directly effect me (just people I love) I don’t have the right to air that dirty laundry here no matter how entertaining (and satisfying) it would be. All I will say here is this.. Calling someone a bitch on FB (or anywhere) is not conducive to convincing them you still love them and miss them.

There are good real life things going on too.  Those I *can* write about.   Scooter raced at the County Fair Motorcross race last weekend and won!  He won a 1st place trophy and $25 holeshot.  The $25 was a gift card to a local Harley-Davidson shop.  I mean, what 15 year old doesn’t need something from Harley-Davidson?  Besides, $25 would probably only get him a key ring… or maybe a hat.  Thanks race sponsors.

Took the kids to the zoo this summer.  The boys (Bo-16, and Scooter-15) spent the day looking at the exotic creatures known as teenage girls.  They did this from the ice cream shop.  In the shade.  Eating ice cream.  While the rest of us trudged around the zoo in the heat looking at animals who were smart enough to stay out of the sun.

Wow, I guess that’s why I’m not here very often… I don’t have much to say.  OR  maybe if I came by and posted every day I’d be a better writer.  hmmmm

Anywho… you can always find me on Twitter or Facebook since I’m obviously not here nearly enough…..

Until next time.

Whenever that will be.