J's Day

I am thankful for many other things and people today, but Jacob always wins on November 3rd. I'm going to spend the day with him instead of writing about him, but I thought I'd check in with a quick note of thanks to God for my son. I'm pretty sure I've gushed about him previously if you want to search.

Giving Thanks--3

Conveniently it is J's birthday, so it's an easy pick.

I am grateful for my oldest son, J.

J is easily the most handy of all my kids to date. He can fix the computer or a bike or the leaky faucet. He built me a big fence around my yard this summer. (His summer construction job was a bit of a flop, not nearly enough hours, so I hired him. I have yet to pay him, because I have no gates yet and I learned my lesson about paying contractors before the work is completely done. That's a story for a different day though.) He's an easy kid to brag about (just click "J" at the bottom of the post and it will take you to many a brag-fest). He's self-motivated and smart. He inherited his dad's natural musical ability. He left the nest in September and I miss him horribly, but he only went to UCDavis, so I can retrieve him when I begin missing him too badly.

I've got too much to do today to write an essay about his strengths and weaknesses, but trust me, he's a kid to be grateful for.

Another One

I know I'm killing my stats by posting odd videos from my son, but I can't help it. He's so crazy pleased with himself and I'm crazy in love with the kid, so here you go--another one.

Apparently the last video was posted with an inadequate amount of background, so allow me to explain. Mr. J, my beloved 14 year old, is obsessed with puzzles. He loves trying to solve them in record time. (I think he's down to 38 seconds on the flat Rubik's Magic puzzle featured in the previous video.) His newest use of his camera and his time has been this stop-motion animated self-solving Rubik's Cube. His cube is painted because he wore all the stickers off. Wore. The. Stickers. Off. Anyhow, enjoy my baby boy's little game. It's only a minute and five seconds.

My Son's Bizarre Obsession and Achievement

Impressive, n'est-ce pas?

[FYI: It's a Rubik's Magic puzzle.]

In my Inbox Today

My 14 year old J-Teen received a reminder that his library books are due soon. I wonder what the FBI would make of this list. I can't be the only one who thinks this is an odd combo.

Due Within 5 Days (10)
Library User/Title/Due Date
J-Teen In search of Schrodinger's cat : quantum physics and reality / Mon, Dec 01
J-Teen Time travel in Einstein's universe : the physical possibilities of travel through time / Mon, Dec 01
J-Teen 145 things to be when you grow up / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Calculus / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Developing nations / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Domestic wiretapping / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Endless universe : beyond the Big Bang / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Espionage and intelligence / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen Experiments in space science / Fri, Dec 05
J-Teen The wage gap / Fri, Dec 05

I love the expionage/wiretapping/time travel possiblities. But what's with the cat? And who is Schodinger? Inquiring minds want to know.

OA or J-Boy is Being Tortured Even as I Type

The Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow is the "honor society" of Boy Scouts. A boy is elected by his troop to become a candidate for the Order and then must undergo an "ordeal" to be accepted into full membership. Thereafter, the boy participates in various service projects and fun activities.

So one day I was reading one of my favorite blogs, when suddenly a guy named Justin comes out with this:

Speaking of the Order of the Arrow, when are state CPS agencies and police going to do something about the little camps of horror euphemistically known as Order of the Arrow “Ordeals”?

When, as a young scout, I was being silenced, essentially starved, hazed by other scouts, ordered by leaders to march for unknown distances in the darkness through the woods, subjected to bizarre campfire ceremonies put on by strangers wearing faux–and creepily indecent–Native American getup, commanded to spend the night in an open field (without any protection from bears, badgers, wolverines, chupracabras, or the natural elements), and forced to perform hours of manual labor (in violation of all child labor laws) at one such Ordeal, did anyone respond to my calls for help? No.

What!?!

I immediately began a Mama Bear freak out and posted the following request for information:

To OA Survivors:
So…my son has just been invited to become a member of the Order of the Arrow. Ordeal? Secrecy? He was recommended by nice guys in our ward. Will he come back in one piece? Will he be broken in spirit and body? What’s the deal?

I was pointed to this thread, which relates the various privations and labors the boys were forced to endure and most specifically this comment, which relates a herd of horses trampling a set of OA candidates as they slept under the stars in an open field.

I was decided. No way was this mama bear letting her cub go to such an INSANE experience. I informed my J-boy of my decision. And it was his turn to say:

WHAT!?!

The boy was having no part in being babied. I ran it past my husband who helpfully said, "Whatever. It's up to him." I forced J to read the entire thread on OA horror stories. His reaction?

"Wimps."

"Wimps? Dislocated shoulders, concussions, starvation? Son, are you INSANE?"

"OK, the horse thing was bad, but for the rest of it, I just kept thinking, 'What wimps.' So I'm going right?"

And reluctantly I agreed to let him go. Yesterday night I drove him, his buddy D, and a car full of grumpy munchkins two hours to their ordeal. When I suggested they bone up on their sign language in preparation for their day of silence, D came up with the sign for "Horses coming. Beware."

We arrived at dusk. After a minute of going over paperwork with the friendly OA grownup in charge, I turned to perform my good-bye ritual: a hug, a kiss, the warning to wear sunblock and bug repellent, and the assurance that I was sure he'd do great.

Too late. He was gone. Off to become a man.