Joseph turns 12

Joseph turned 12 at scout camp, but we had a cake for him when he got home.  Joseph is our joker, our thinker, our debater (he doesn't argue, like Sam.  He comes up with alternatives and explanations that have serious thought behind them.)  

He uses this vocabulary that you wouldn't normally hear in a 12 year old.  He came in one day and told me, "Mom, my friend________ and I used to have a friendship like an iron bar, but now it has rusted."  Um, ok?!  Not something you usually hear from a 12 year old boy.  I don't know that I have ever had to tell a boy to stop talking about his relationships and just have fun playing around!  He is a sensitive soul.  He still can't watch embarrassing parts in movies without running out of the room or covering his face.

He is the peacemaker.  He tries to do things to make us happy.  He still has trouble eating lots of foods, but he is trying to overcome it, because he knows that it stressed us out.  He has asked for a smoothie every day, to help him get his fruits and vegetable count for the day.  He pretends to drink it, but for the 1/2 cup I give him, there is always at least a 1/4 cup left.  He really doesn't like it, but he is trying.

When he was little he would place books in the fridge, hide under beds and put things under our pillows.  He would never say a word and just wait for you to find them.  He would wait for hours and not say a word.  Of course this would freak me out when I couldn't find him and he wasn't making a peep as a toddler.  He wouldn't tell me beforehand that he was going to hide either- he would just do it.  It amazes me that his sense of humor is in the doing it and not the discovery of it.  Or is that he just has so much patience that he can wait for hours for his joke to be discovered?  I'm not sure which.  

Joseph has been our hardest mover.  He doesn't like change.  But lately, he seems to doing much better with it.  Runner for mother of the year, I did not make it up to Meet the teacher night, which means we didn't get a schedule for him.  The other kids got their schedules sent via email, but his school apparently doesn't do that.  So, he had to go the first day of school without knowing anything. He wasn't concerned.  He went to the office, as he said a lot of people did, picked up his schedule and found his classes. 

Today, I wondered aloud wether it was an A or B day.  He thought is was B day, the older kids said it was an A day.  I was going to check, but he said, "they have it posted when you go in and I will just look at my schedule on my binder and go to that class."  I love this relaxed Joseph!  Ever since last year, he has been doing much better in school.  He remembers his homework 80% of the time and does it on his own.  I am so thankful for good teachers that helped him get organized!

When the boys in our church turn 12, they are given the priesthood.  The Sunday after he got home he was ordained to the office of a Deacon.

Now he is in class with his Dad.  I'm so glad Dad get's to be with him at this point in his life!  We love you Joe!