And while we are on the subject...

...of writing and Ian... he received his PSAT scores this week.  He scored in the 90% for reading and writing and is now being recruited for the AP courses in English Language, English Literature, Psychology (?), and World History.

And then this is what he turned in for his career planning class:

He asked me to not get mad at him. How can I? I kinda want to email his teacher...and thank him for 1. not killing or worse, failing him and 2. understanding Ian's humor style.

An old writing assignment

As I was going through an old workbook to see if I could resell it, I came across a writing assignment, neatly tucked between the pages.  The prewrite exercise was in minimalist form, true to Ian's style.  The instructions say, "Use this sheet to help you prepare to write your first draft.  Record details about your myth below and remember the characteristics of the myths you have read."  Under Natural Phenomenon, he wrote dark.  Characters: Barn Owl.  Setting: Space. Problem in the Story: No day or night. How the problem is solved: owl comes... (yes, the ellipses were his).  Sigh. No details. And then his writing assignment:

If the text is too small, it reads:

It was not day it was not night.  The world was mixed up. Owl looked down from his nest in the sky, "I will shine my big black eyes and make them one."  Then they had night.  He called upon his mate, "Dear wife shine the light from your big white face so they can have day." So they took turns.  You can still see owl's face as the moon and his owlets as the stars.

That kid. Man. He has an amazing gift for storytelling and entertaining people.  I'm hoping this skill survives his adolescence and he is able to find a way to incorporate his gifts in a career path... (those ellipses are mine) 

B.I.

I started blogging in 2007, well after Ian, Shane, and Genevieve were born.  Their little stories will be lost to eternity if I don't write them down.  This is why I dreamed up the term B.I. last night.  This abbreviation means...Before Ian.  Before Ian was born.

Before Ian was born, technology was so different!  My goodness, we still used a film camera and cell phones flipped open and only made phone calls.  The digital cameras we had either attached to the top of a computer monitor that weighed 25lbs or were packed in a foam-lined suitcase the size of a footstool. I hand wrote letters to people to fill them in on what was going on in my life instead of updating my status on Facebook.  I even kept a journal.

I spent my pregnancy with Ian at graduate school.  Being married and pregnant at school is a much different social scene than being single and unattached. No one invites you to their parties for one.  And you don't have anything to talk about with the other students if you didn't go to the party.  So I stopped enjoying the social part of school and spent more time just being the studious one...when I wasn't napping. Or eating. And I did plenty of both in my "graduate student office."  Hm, I wonder if I ever cleaned out my desk? I know I never gave the keys to the building back.

My Master's thesis project was basically handed to me by the Whatcom County Conservation District.  I was going to study how streams that had had their meanders replaced by bulldozer compared to streams that were still channelized into nice, straight lines.  I was so naive.  What the heck was I going to do with the baby after he was born, stick him in a playpen on the side of the creek while I electrofished? Hahaha!

My last quarter at school I was taking a class that I think may have been Advanced Stream Ecology.  My lab partner and I had to design a stream ecology project.  We collected water samples and macroinvertebrate (bug) samples from a few streams around Lake Whatcom and analyzed them.  By this time, my chest waders didn't fit over my baby bump, so I switched to my hip waders.  I was still scrambling up and down creek banks with a tote full of glass bottles and sulfuric acid.  My lab partner worked part-time with Mark at WDFW and he would ask Mark if I should really be clambering around like that in my condition.  I do remember the last field day before Ian was born.  I had a hard time getting my leg over the chain at the end of the road and decided to stay up on the bank and let my lab partner do all the work.  He said he was going to feel responsible if something bad happened to me.  The day before my water broke, I obsessively titrated water samples and counted bugs in the lab: the scientist's version of nesting.

Ian was born three weeks before the end of the quarter.  My lab partner and I still had to finalize our results and come up with a presentation for our class.  I look back now and think, "Good gracious, I actually functioned a bit with a newborn?"  Honestly, most of what happened in the weeks after Ian was born are a blur.  I remember needing extra time to get used to having a baby (ha. ha. ha. breastfeeding and waking up all night long? Hello???) and I remember sitting downstairs in front of my computer holding Ian when I was supposed to be writing my paper.  I know I didn't go back to any classes, but I did do my final presentation and take my final test while Mark stayed home with Ian.  Three weeks postpartum.

(The only picture that survived off my computer camera. Ian looks between two to four weeks old.  He must have been cold! Where are his clothes! What kind of a mom would take her newborn baby into a cold, dark basement with no shirt on???)

But once I held Ian in my arms, I knew I didn't want to go back to school and finish my degree.  I just wanted to be a Mama.  So I dropped out and never looked back.

The N00b Football Mom

I made sure I was at Ian's first game last night, even if it meant I had to take Jason with me.  Nevermind-I called Mark (who was in town getting Evie) to get Jason because he didn't even make it through the first quarter without trying to run on the field.

This was Ian's first experience playing football on a team.  We don't even watch football because of our lack of TV, so when Ian announced that he wanted to join the team last spring, Mark and I were pretty surprised.  He had no idea what he was getting into.  He is second string, so I figured he wouldn't get much play.  High School football isn't like little kid soccer. No mama can make sure her little snowflake gets equal time on the field.

Ian's first play: He is a defensive lineman #33

 The other team scored first, so Ian (#33) only came out for kick off until his team got a nice lead on score.

I enjoyed watching the game (and only getting some of what was going on) until I saw Ian with a coach on each side.... were they going to put him in???

Yes!!! Go #33!!!

 And as soon as he ran out to the line, the referee called a time out and he ran right back. 

And it's a good thing I took pictures, because Mark knew they called the time out on a 3rd down.

The next play was the best play in the whole game (but I didn't know it at the time)....

Lining up

Look for Ian #33 on the left: He spies.... a quarterback!

SACKED!  Ian sacked the QUARTERBACK!

At the time, I knew he had tackled someone and everyone was overly happy about it.  And I knew I got a good picture of it.  But it wasn't until Ian was in the car and he asked, "Did you see me sack the quarterback?" that I knew what happened.

As the field got dark and the rain started coming down, the Freshman team of the Peninsula Seahawks won their first game 28 to 6.  It was quite possibly the best day of Ian's life.

High School

Yesterday was a big day.  As big as THIS day.  Yes, Ian has been "public schooled" under the alternative education laws through MP3.  Yes, Ian rode the bus home from track last spring.  Yes, Ian has been to the high school all summer long as part of the football team.  So riding the bus to public school at the high school was nothing too new.

Mark, being a man, didn't realize what a huge deal it would be for me to sleep in and miss the First Day of School picture.  He got to keep Ian all to himself and do morning guy stuff like drink coffee.  Then he drove him to the bus stop.  I had to wait until evening to see Ian and ask how his day was.

Gosh, my boy is handsome.  This year he is taking AP Environmental Science, PE, English, Geometry, Spanish 1, and Art.  He has a previously homeschooled friend in English.  And he was the only one to raise his hand in Geometry to answer simple vocabulary questions. Whether that was because no one knew the answer or Ian doesn't know to not raise his hand remains to be seen.  He has after school football practice for an additional four hours.  His day is long, but he was pretty happy when he got home.

Every time I look at Ian, when he is tossing the football with his dad or just being, I see a double.  I guess it is Mom Vision.  I see the young man that he is, but I still see this guy:

I don't think Mom Vision ever goes away. Oh, my heart.  Anyway, tonight is the first football game of the season.  The football team is required to dress up on game days, so Ian headed out the door this morning looking like a Mormon missionary.  Today is also picture day at school, so we will have a nice wall portrait of Ian wearing a tie.  I am so thankful that 1) I've had teenagers grow up before and 2) I still have little guys underfoot.  This would be far too painful without them.

This Guy

This guy, who is very dear to my heart, can be considered a Homeschool Success. 

I officially consider Ian a graduate of the Downen Day Academy, completing grades Kindergarten through 8th grade.  He is done with his 8th grade school year and earned A's and B's on his report card.  We registered Ian for high school yesterday and he is already working out with the football team twice a week.  (The school counselor didn't know the homeschool laws for our state and questioned why I had Ian take standardized tests every year.  She is also accepting any transcript I create and will give Ian high school credit for Algebra 1, 2, and Washington State History, no questions asked)  Those of us who continue to be educated at home will miss him and his jokes next year.  No one can make me laugh like he can (except for maybe his dad).  I am so proud of him and his accomplishments.

Thirteen

Ian is thirteen years old.  A teenager.  He isn't the first teenager, thanks to Ami and Laura, but he is the first little boy to completely steal my heart, cut his teeth on it, and then have the audacity to grow up and cut his apron strings.  I'm sure I'd be a whole lot more emotional if I hadn't seven more kids coming up behind him... but still. My baby is growing up way too fast.

So how should I embarrass him on this blog for this special milestone? List 13 things I love about him? Tell adorable stories from the years before I blogged (complete with pictures)? Write him a personal letter that I then share with everyone else? Write a boring account of his 13th birthday party?

Or just sneak another peek at him while I work on my computer while he works on his?

The Broken Window

Christmas was Christmas and the Downen family had a wonderful day filled with food and gifts.  Ian was thrilled to receive throwing knives from Santa.  One might raise an eyebrow at a twelve year old boy asking for throwing knives, but we all know that Ian has experience throwing sharp objects at targets...

Only for some reason, Ian "misjudged his distance" and "had a wild throw" and broke a window!

He threw the knife OVER the plywood and into the window behind the woodsheds.

Ian is darn lucky his dad was home.  I would have skewered him and roasted him if Mark hadn't come to his rescue.  As he was once a boy himself, he understands that boys break windows and learn important lessons from those broken windows. After all, a boy outside breaking windows is not a boy inside playing video games.  (But you should have seen Ian's face. I've read about blood draining from a person's face in times of trouble.  This was the first time I'd ever witnessed it.)

All patched up!

Mark fixed the hole with packing tape since he had drained his savings account just a few hours prior buying a Christmas/birthday present for me.  I yelled at Ian, "I am very ANGRY with you right now, but I FORGIVE you because I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY!"  Did I mention he had a friend over?  Then I hugged him, right in front of his friend.  Punishment served.

I'm trying to figure out how far back he stood and how hard he threw it to get over the woodsheds and into the window.

I had a sentimental moment when I checked the damage.  Mark had left the ladder and the tape right where he had used them, proving that he was his father's son and his son's father all at one time.  Three generations of Downen men have been leaving their tools where they've used them and I have had the pleasure of loving them all.

A Shining Star

Last night, Ian was awarded his Star Rank in Boy Scouts along with five merit badges!  He has been working so hard and is the first in his age group to reach Star.  In just five quarters, Ian has earned 15 merit badges and four ranks.  We are seeing the fruits of the scouting program in Ian as he grows and matures into a wonderful young man.

Tubal Cain Mine and Buckhorn Lake

Ian is working on his hiking merit badge with his boy scout troop.  Yesterday he had a 14 mile hike along the Tubal Cain Mine trail up to Buckhorn Lake.

The picture above shows the big side hill above the Tubal Cain mines on the way to Buckhorn Lake and Marmot pass.

Of course Mark had to swim in Buckhorn Lake.  This lake is fed by snowmelt and is 35 degrees F!

Ian did a good job.  He wasn't the fastest boy on the mountain, but he wasn't the slowest either.  He is really learning how to master the art of trekking under Mark's guidance.  One of Ian's requirements for the hiking merit badge is to come up with a fitness plan to condition himself for ten mile hikes.  He happens to be working on his fitness merit badge at the same time, so he and Mark have been running a mile or two a few times a week.  Mark could see that the running has really helped Ian get into better shape and develop better endurance.  No PE class at the middle school could have done this for him.

Mark would fall behind when he would stop to photograph the flowers.  When the younger boys scratched their heads about his curious behavior, Mark was ready with the wisdom of the sages... He was, once upon a time, the boy scout who ran up ahead of the group just because he could.  But now that he is a little older, he wants to stop and smell the flowers!

Boy Scouts are supposed to always follow Leave No Trace.  One of the principles is to leave what you find.  The saying is, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints."  So Mark brought home a virtual bouquet for his sweetheart!  (that would be me)

The picture below is really cool because it shows an avalanche chute.  Every winter, the snows come tumbling down and knock out everything in it's path.  Every summer, the greens return.

The more adventurous scouts continued hiking past Buckhorn Lake...

 ...to a B-17 crash site.  This added 900ft and over a mile to the hike (Ian called it "one helluva hill"), but it was totally worth it.

 
In January of 1952, a B-17 crashed while on a rescue mission during a blizzard.  Three of the eight people on board were killed.  Debris from the crash has been slowly disappearing over the years as hikers take souvenirs. This started an interesting discussion about whether taking small bits of the plane is "packing out trash" or disturbing a memorial site; both choices fall under Leave No Trace guidelines.  Mark observed some of the boys struggling to make the "right" choice.

Juxtaposition of a crashed war plane with the peace and serenity of the alpine wilderness.

Ian has four more 10 mile hikes and a 20 mile hike to complete before he earns his badge.  Mark is very excited to start hiking with the kids again and has been busy planning out his summer "bucket list" since their return.

Twelve

Can you believe Ian is 12 years old? And that this will be my last year without a teenager in the house (again)?  Ian celebrated his birthday this year by inviting a friend over to play video games and throw ninja stars.  What a boy.  He also requested a key lime pie instead of a cake.  One of the things I love about Ian's 11/12th year is the development of his witty sense of humor.  He is so fast with the comebacks that he can get me laughing several times a day.  This year, I told Ian his birth story.  After I told him that I had to be induced 30 hours after my water broke and then it took an additional 14 hours to get him out, he said, "I wasn't done sleeping yet."  So little has changed.  I love this kid and I feel so blessed that I got to be the one to have him and raise him and watch him grow up!  Thank you, God!

Beach Trip

I guess one of the reasons I haven't been blogging is I have been doing things.  The school district here was on spring break this past week, so Ian had the opportunity to invite a friend over.  I took them to the beach on Monday so they wouldn't spend the entire day on the Wii.

I'm also working harder on taking the kids out...we were inside so long this winter and Lula was in even longer because I wouldn't take her outside last summer!  Taking seven kids, two of them babies, out for adventures takes practice.  People say they don't know how I do it.  I have to practice, starting with a short trip to the park, a quick trip to the beach on a work day, a trip to the zoo with other adults as backup...remembering two sizes of diapers, back up clothing for spit up or blow out emergencies, baby bottles and water bottles...you get the picture.

Lula LOVED walking out in the water....but she had to be careful...the crabs were very active on Monday!

This picture is of Ian pulling his hands OUT of the water when a large crab went on the offense when Ian tried to pick him up:

I've seen and taken lots of pictures of splashes from objects entering the water, but I've never seen water splash like that from an object exiting the water.  Ian was moving FAST!

Ian's friend is an only child, so hanging out with us is an adventure for him too.  He includes the younger siblings in the fun and has a special place in his heart for Daniel.

 Fiona is getting pinched by a little crab in the picture above....

 ...and the two crabs in these pictures were caught fighting!  Evie saw one crab grab the other's claw and crush the exoskeleton with a big CRUNCH!

 You can see the wound in the picture above.  It's on the crab's left claw, by the first joint.

Always the joker, my son, throwing Ninja Stars...

Ninja Star

Ian has developed a healthy interest in weapons (celebrate the boy), specifically throwing stars.  He was supposed to be working on his math, but he got bored and started looking through a book on Ninja weapons we happen to have in our library (like father like son).  At first, Ian starting asking me for climbing spikes so he could climb trees faster.  Then he started asking for throwing stars.  Boy, was he excited when he found out his dad owns quite a few throwing stars already.  And boy, was Mark excited to show Ian how to throw them.  And boy, was I NOT excited to have them putting holes in the doors.

Ian was happy to set up a Ninja Star throwing range by our wood pile using Mark's old target.  He does good work when he is motivated.  And I am happy to support projects that get him out of Nintendo Land.

While he was practicing his throwing and aiming skills, I realized that we were missing another season of baseball.  It's all good.  Even Evie enjoyed throwing stars with her brothers.

The challenge of throwing stars came with the challenge of photographing the stars!  Inside the red circle you can see a bronze-colored blur.  No, really.  It is there!

Ian's bull's...no, dragon eye!

Hand-Me-Downens

 This is Ian:

Ian at 18 months - November 2003

This is Lula:

Lula at 19 months - Today

Tonight, I cooked dinner.  What made it special was...I cooked beef.  Normally I let Mark do the beef cooking (unless it is ground and going into burritos or spaghetti) because What if I screw it up?  There really isn't a lot worse than overcooked beef.  Except for overcooked pork (guilty).

So, what do you think?  Did I do alright?  Mark said it was perfect.  PERFECT.  I'm going to keep that compliment tucked inside my heart for a long, long time.