My baby is growing up

I know I have not posted in a while. This time I was NOT reading Joy of Cooking in the rocking chair. I have been busy with Valentine's Day and a long weekend. Our kids had their first "teenage" party. It was really fun..... but, I don't know if I am ready for this. Alex woke up last week and decided he likes girls..... He is 14, but he is my little Alley Cat.): He came home after school on Monday and asked if he could talk to me alone. I was so thankful to be "home" when he needed to talk to me.Thanks to my wonderful husband I have always been able to stay home with our kids, which we believe is EXTREMELY important in this day and age.(By the way I do know there are circumstances that do not allow that to happen for everyone. Please don't anyone take offense)

He started taking a shower and brushing his teeth 2X daily without reminder and asked me to take him to the store to get some acne wash, acne cleansing pads, and body spray. He DOES NOT have bad acne at all and has been blessed with my skin.( NOT that I am bragging, but I really had very few problems with acne.) He was so sweet asking me to take him to the store. I am so thankful he felt like he could ask me to do that for him. I really love being with him.

He got together with a group of friends on Saturday that was a mix of boys and girls at a friends house. As Chris was driving them around to and from home he told Alex we could have his friends over on Monday for a party at our house. SOOOOOO, I have never seen Alex care if the house was ready for a party. He was begging to deep clean the basement on Sunday night. He moved all of the couches, sorted and put away 8 loads of laundry by himself, and had tables set up etc etc. It was so cute. He and Katie did a combine party with a lot of their mutual friends. Chris made awesome homemade pizza ( Joy of Cooking recipe) for lunch. They had about 10-12 kids show up and had fun playing games, listening to music, and watching movies. The funniest part was that they never came upstairs to talk to "Mommy". Alex would usually have been nervous and asked me to help entertain them. It was a turning point for all of us. I am thankful for all of the great families that live near us and have children to be friends with our kids. They go to school and church with some wonderful kids.

Alex is excited about the dance coming up in a couple of weeks. He had fun at the Valentine's dance and is looking foward to dancing with GIRLS again. I did tell him NO KISSING until he is 22yrs old!! (:

p.s. I guess Katie is growing up, too. On Valentine's Day an older boy (14), and also a friend of Alex's brought down a mini cherry cheesecake he had made for her. He was ssssooo nervous when I answered the door. He was so cute. She was not home at the time. He is an awesome young man that I wish I could "freeze" for her to marry on 10 yrs.