Editor’s note: Jessica Lowe is a regular blogger for our CuddleBugs blog.

Dear Jakob,

Ten years ago you came into my life.  You arrived here safely and perfectly.  You were my first son, my first CHILD at that.  Overnight, you became everything to me.  I learned how to fall in love all over again when my eyes met yours, when they handed me your small body, and when you looked up at me and depended on me for your every need.

As you began to grow and learn, I felt as though I had lost pieces of you forever.  I knew I would never get back those first few months.  I knew that your tiny gummy mouth and your clean baby smells would soon fade, but I was so excited to see you get bigger that I didn’t focus on those things too much.

When you turned two, I decided that I wasn’t going to let you get any bigger.  I wanted to hold you and squeeze you super tight so you couldn’t grow up!  It seemed like every moment I spent with you I needed to capture in my thoughts for eternity.  I didn’t want to lose any moment.  I still remember us sitting at your toy play kitchen set (that your dad forbade you to get but you still did!) as you made me a delicious plate of plastic hamburgers and french fries.

Where did those days go?  It feels like only last week we were best friends, best pals, best mates.

Last week you turned 10, double digits.  You look so incredibly handsome, identical to your father, lucky you!   You’re a wild and crazy boy who spends almost every spare minute outside playing war with your friends.  You stink when you come inside and you’re starting to pick up on some yucky tween habits of leaving your clothes on the floor, or complaining about doing chores.

Still, you’re my baby Jake.  I can still see your precious face when I look deep into your eyes and I know that even though you may not show it like you used to, you still love me.

I won’t lie, I miss you tiny, but to be perfectly honest, I SO enjoy you getting big.  You amaze me EACH and EVERY day.  You are WAY more than I could ever ask for.  Your integrity is far beyond any other child your age and I admire you and learn from you in everything you do.

As much as I want to be mad at you for growing up, I just can’t.  I’m only incredibly proud.  I love you.

Love,

Mom

Jessica Lowe is a featured blogger on Onslow Memorial Hospital’s CuddleBugs blog.

My two oldest children, Jakob and Kora, usually spend their afternoons and Saturdays going on walks on some of the trails near our home.  We’ve always lived in an area that allowed for my kids to be able to explore, and this home is no different.  We actually live about 50 yards from New River so as you can imagine, it’s quite fun to take walks around our neighborhood.

A couple of weeks ago, my son and daughter went on their usual trek through the trails, which led them to a small beachy type area where the New River banks.  I don’t usually let them go there unless they tell me because there are quite a few signs around that area that warn of alligators.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t necessarily feel comfortable allowing my kids to play where alligators roam.  Yikes!!! 

Jake had mentioned he was going to go check out the “beach”, as we call it, and my husband allowed it as long as he returned quickly.  Well, it wasn’t but 10 minutes later my son and daughter came running back home with some HUGE news.  While visiting the “beach,” they found a dead dolphin that had washed ashore from New River!!

My husband couldn’t go check it out because he had the two babies asleep at home, but as soon as I got home I told the kids I’d go with them to see it.  I was actually pretty excited about it because it’s not every day you get to see a dolphin so close up.  Word spread quickly about the dolphin and before long, many of the neighbors had made their way to the “beach” to see for themselves.  To be able to see such a massive animal, helplessly lying there was so weird.   I wasn’t sure if I should feel excited, sad, scared, confused, or traumatized.  The kids were more amazed than anything.  One sweet neighbor boy even said a prayer for the animal.  It was actually a nice opportunity to show the kids that everything living will eventually die. 

I ended up calling the wildlife specialists here on base to take care of the animal and remove it from the area.  The smell was not the best of smells and the vultures were beginning to think of the dolphin as their next meal.  All in all, it was quite the adventure and left us with a story we’ll be able to tell our friends and family for years to come!

What kind of adventures have your tweens had recently? Please share in the box below.

Hi!  I’m Jessica Lowe, a blogger over on CuddleBugs and I’m just popping over for a guest blog post on TweenBeat!  I’ll be visiting you occasionally.

Recently our family has decided that in order to get rid of our hideous law school loans, we MUST start living on a budget.  Nationally syndicated personal finance host Dave Ramsey helped shape our budget of choice and if you didn’t know, he’s very strict.  We’ve come to realize that when you live on a budget, you tend to get way more creative with your free time/family time.   I can honestly say that I think it’s drawn us all closer together and I am loving it.  I never thought I’d say that about being on a budget, but I do, I LOVE it. 

One of our favorite cost-cutters that we seem to incorporate into each week’s planned menu, is individual homemade pizzas!!  My kids are seriously LOVING this.  I’ve never been one of those moms who are always calling the kids into the kitchen to help make this or that.  To be completely honest with you, I get seriously stressed when kids are cracking eggs in my cookies with shells falling in it or stirring flour with a mixer as it flies everywhere.  As much as they love it, I try to avoid having my kids help with cooking or baking.  How horrible is that?  I know, I know, I’m the meanest mom. 

With the individual pizzas my anxiety goes OUT the window and I am able to enjoy the time I spend with them.  Not only that, but they are super proud of themselves for creating something they can actually eat!  I usually go ahead and make the dough and then divide it into enough balls for each member of the family.  For the younger kids, I roll their dough flat, but the older kids enjoy doing this part as well.  To make things easier and less of a mess, I prepare separate bowls of all the toppings: sauce, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, mushroom, etc.  Then, in assembly line fashion, the kids throw anything and everything they want on heir pizzas to individualize them.    My oldest got super fancy this last time and folded cheese into his crust.  Genius!!  They even love to watch them bake in the oven as their cheese sizzles. 

Here is the recipe I use for the dough from Pioneer Woman. Try it any night soon and let us know how your family likes it.

Recipe:

1 tsp of active dry yeast

1 1/2 C warm water

4 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/3 C extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling

Combine the water and yeast.  Let sit.  Mix the olive oil, flour and salt together.  Stir the yeast mixture and add it to the flour mixture. Form a ball with dough and drizzle olive oil in a clean bowl.  Allow dough to sit in the olive oil and rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours.  Divide dough as needed.  Shape dough and flatten with fingers.  Add toppings.  Bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Makes two extra large pizzas or 5-6 individual size pizzas.