Officially "pre-teen"

Dillon's 12th birthday was March 23. According to many other parents with slightly older kids, it sounds like we've got one more year of him being somewhat normal. I tell them Dillon is very smart and advanced for his age because he quit being normal quite sometime ago.

Really, he's a great kid and we enjoy giving each other a hard time.

Since his birthday fell at the end of spring break, Shanna thought it would be good to give him his gift a week early, as spring break began, so he'd have the week to enjoy it.

What do you think it was?

1. GI Joes
2. Clothes
3. A set of encyclopedias
4. A cell phone

If you said cell phone you're a winner! 12 years old and 'wireless'. We had pretty much decided to wait until at least 13 before we set him up with a phone. He was doing his best to convince us that all of his friends who were sporting phones basically viewed him as underprivilidged and pre-historic. This really kicked in at the beginning of this year when he began middle school. So, I like to think he knows that we didn't cave right off the bat just because we wanted him to 'keep up with the Joneses.'

Our primary rationale was that as summer begins he will be entering the youth group at church. There will be activities going on all the time that will require drop offs and pick ups at various locations. It will be nice to have a quick phone call from him rather than parking at the church for undetermined amounts of time waiting for the youth group to arrive from an event. Plus we knew this would be more of a necessity next year as he enters more early morning and after school activities.

I heard someone say that you know you're living in the 21st century when you've got three phone numbers for each of your family and friends. Six people in our family..........

During the week, Dillon paired up with his friend Andrew for an 'airsoft' birthday. Andrew's birthday was earlier in March and they had planned on this for several weeks. So one very windy and slightly cool afternoon, we met at the park for hot dogs, cake and airsoft wars. What more could a 12 year old boy want?

FYI, airsoft guns shoot these small plastic pellet/bb like things. The boys are safe - always in protective goggles. These things can't break the skin but they do sting enough to keep me and Dawson on the sideline.

Happy 12th Dillon - we (a whole lot of us) love you!