Declan is nearly 16!

 Declan has grown quite a bit since last I blogged about him.  He will turn 16 in a week! Dec is so excited to drive and date!  He has been eagerly awaiting his sixteenth birthday so he can finally go out on dates.  I fully expect him to date every weekend for the first three months-except he has no money so he will have to be clever about it.

Declan is my healthy eater and takes his working out very seriously

Declan is an adventurous type and on this day decided to try doing his hair a different way-parted down the middle.  He got so teased at school about he won't be doing it like that any time soon.

He has always loved taking photos and selfies of himself!  These photos above are taken with the Alexa Echo Show which I got myself for Christmas and I love it! In these photos, I can still see 3 year old Declan who wore a cape 24/7 and thought he was Batman.

More Declan photos with parted hair!

Yes that boy can jump, especially for a photo.

Declan's real love is football though! He is a lineman and also enjoys being center and snapping the ball.  He played on the THS JV team as center and also on the Varsity team if they were winning by a wide margin.

Declan #60 with McCoy

Declan is naturally very helpful and is a whiz with electronics and cords just like his dad.  He enjoys telling stories and sharing interesting things he learns.  He is a delightful person and such a fun guy to be around.  Everyone should have a Declan in there life!

My Golf Pros

Originally our 1960's era neighborhood was planned around a golf course as it was to only be for those 55+.  Some things changed and those under 55 were allowed to live here too.  The golf course was still a major part of the neighborhood though.  We live just a block or so over from the golf course. There is even a secret walkway that is between two houses just down our street that puts you right on the golf course itself.  The two neighbors gave up a little bit of land to make the walkway.  I have always liked that walkway but now that my kids golf it is especially appreciated.  

Our golf course has a program that lets kids under 18 years old take 6 golf lessons and pass a golf test and then they get to golf for free.  This is the second year my kids have done this but it was Archer's first year.  Archer was so excited to finally be able to golf!  The kids took the classes and all passed the test.  They were dedicated to golfing because those lessons despite being in the morning were in the height of summer so we are talking 105+ temperatures! They would come home soaked in sweat.  Now as the weather begins to head to the cooler fall temperatures it is perfect golfing weather.

Eddy took three boys, Declan, McCoy and Archer out golfing on Saturday.  Quinton wasn't able to go but he loves to golf too.  In order to have a golf cart you have to adult so Eddy drove them around while they golfed.

McCoy lines up a shot while Archer watches

Now it's Archer's turn 

Archer checks they lay of the grass

Declan putts

Cool McCoy

McCoy tries out the driver's seat

Getting four kids outfitted with all the necessary golf stuff was much cheaper with thrift stores, yard sales, and Wal-Mart clearance.  We have so many extra golf clubs at this point we could outfit four more kids with clubs albeit junky ones.  Of course they are always looking for upgrades to their equipment! 

After the boys had finished golfing, Zaynzley wanted to go for ride in the golf cart with dad.  She was so excited as it was her first time to ride in a golf cart.  

Eddy and Zany with Mt. Graham in the background

Zany by the large duck pond on the course 

Before long, I bet Zany will become a golf pro just like her brothers!

Mustaches

Now that Quinton is a Senior in High School, he has been experimenting with growing facial hair.  Mutton Chops, goatee, patchy beard have all been tried.  As soon as I get use to one type of facial hair or another on Quinton he changes it and I have to get use to a new one.  One day we were sitting at a local Hawaiian eatery when Quinton made a shocking discovery! He could touch his mustache with his tongue!! Quinton was so pleased and I captured the moment as a photo.  You can usually tell the upperclassmen at the high school based on the amount of facial hair they sport or shave.

Quinton's discovery!

 Declan being a Freshman found a quicker way to reach full mustache-hood. Buy one! Actually he earned it for reading and got it from the library!

What a lovely full mustache Declan sports!

Now even a 6th grader can grow a full mustache!

Zany, Declan (middle) and McCoy

Camp Raymond: boyscout camp

Every few years my boys' boyscout troop goes for a week to a boyscout summer camp. This summer was Declan's turn to go to Camp Raymond.  Eddy was asked to accompany the troop so that made it possible for McCoy to go as well as McCoy would be to young to go otherwise.  They set out at 2am early Monday morning so they could arrive to Camp Raymond by the 8am flag ceremony.  Eddy felt like the drive was pure torture! They also had to re-route due to a fatality on the highway that shut down the road for several hours. 

McCoy far left, Declan in middle on the way to Camp Raymond

Whole Troop 

(Eddy far right, McCoy center, Declan just left of McCoy)

While at Camp Raymond the boys were able to work on merit badges and were fed very well in a cafeteria.  Eddy was able enjoy many naps and some leisure time.  Eddy is an adventurous soul and took the opportunity to rappel down a cliff.  

Declan's favorite thing at Camp Raymond was the Climbing Merit Badge which included rappelling.  According to Declan the tater tots were epic! During Declan's down time he enjoyed playing liar's dice with his fellow scouts.  

Eddy rappels

McCoy thought scout camp was pretty fun and he thought the food was pretty good.  His favorite merit badge he did was Leatherwork.  He did get homesick as he had never been away from home for a whole week before.  McCoy also liked the trading post where he got a cool knife and a baja hoodie.

Declan, Eddy and McCoy in the cafeteria

I received only a couple of photos of their adventures the one above was one of my favorites! Without a mom to nag them to take photos there isn't too much photographic evidence of their scout camp week but I'm sure they have lots of good memories of it.

First Time Thespians

We live in a town that is all about sports.  My kids enjoy sports but I also want them to be well rounded and do more than just athletics.  The local community college sponsors plays for the children and youth several times a year.  The intermediate childrens play (11-16 years old) happened to be in the winter which was perfect as it landed between sports seasons.  I originally was just going to have Declan do the play as he has been begging for years to do them and he is naturally very dramatic.  

When I told Declan about it, Quinton overheard and he thought it sounded fun and he wanted to do it too.  I was so surprised, I never in a million years thought Quinton would want to do it.  They both went to auditions and had to sing a solo, do some improv, and a cold reading of scene.  The next day they found out what parts they were cast for in the play Into the Woods, Jr.  Declan got the part of Cinderella's Father and Quinton was the Wolf.

Six weeks of rehearsals came and went, and before we knew it, it was time for the play!  In the days leading up to the play Quinton was very nervous, and wished he could quit.  Too late he had to stick it out.   The parents were in charge of their own kids costumes, so I got to put together costumes which was fun. They had two different casts and they were in Cast 1 and had three performances.

For the Thursday night performance they had quite the support group. 

Back Row: McCoy, Eddy, Zany, Archer

Front Row: Pa, Grandma Parke, Aunt Rebecca, Aunt Jeanine, Rhiannon, Ashlee

Program and Ticket Stub

Quinton, center stage, as the Wolf, he even sang a solo!

Quinton and Little Red Riding Hood

In one scene, the wolf is suppose to howl.  Quinton due to his voice going deeper was completely unable to howl. He tried and tried for weeks but couldn't do it at all. He made arrangements with another cast member to howl off stage while he acted like he was howling. No one was the wiser not even the director!  Now that's acting.

Grandma Wolf in bed, soon to have a death scene

Declan as Cinderella's Father had one line but he performed it perfectly! 

Declan in "old face"

The grandma and the big, bad wolf

The finale had a lovely dance number

Declan in the swirling back capelet

Fan Club

Selfie time with dad

Brothers that act together . . .

Forks up!

The great thespian in his first role

Takes a bow!

They both did a great job for their first play, and it was so fun to watch them. I went to all the performances and each one got better and better.  Despite Quinton's reservations I finally got him to admit it was fun and he may even do it again.  Declan, of course, is totally doing it again and is hoping for a few more lines.

Declan's Championship Winning Baseball Team

Baseball is summer!  If you are a Carlton you also play in the spring too.  We seem to do two leagues every year.  With several kids playing three games a week on average that is a lot of baseball games to watch!  By the time summer league rolls around we have already been playing baseball for three months.  As Declan's team headed into the playoffs I was more than ready for it to be over, but they just kept winning and so baseball continued.  

It finally concluded with Declan's team winning the championship!  He was so excited that his team won and even better he got a trophy!  Declan wanted to be the catcher but the coach's kid wanted to play that position so he only had a few games where he was the catcher.  He had the most success hitting this year and usually got on base (his hit by pitch count was pretty high but luckily that gets you on base too).  Declan took his base running very seriously but once you got that train rolling it was hard to stop.  His coach would send him home and then want to call him back but it was too late.  Declan would plow into the catcher sometimes but he was always game to try to make it home.  

Declan fourth from right

Dec's coaches give him his trophy

2015 Town of Thatcher Baseball Team

(Declan back row far left)

I have about eight months before baseball rolls back around, just enough time to get excited for it!

Boys come to visit

What to do when you get a crew of boys together? Why put them to work! Dec, Archy, and Coy came for a couple days. Nona offered them paying work to weed the drive up to her house.  As it was starting to scrap the bottom of cars. 

Very Excitedly picking out gloves. 

The Offending weeds

Dec and Coy shovel while Archy puts the weeds into the trashbox

Dec showing us fine technique

Mccoy Helps Arch with a particularly stubborn weed. 

Success! Is there anything funner than a hard days work? (or maybe 45 mins of work?)

They were very helpful, and made thier beds! 

After that we went to the Gila. It looks deeper than it is in this pick, but they had fun!
Next time we will have to try and get the weeds on the side of the road too.

Last Concerts for Declan's 5th Grade Year

Declan back row far right

 Declan enjoys music quite a bit and you will usually find him listening to the Disney channel on Pandora.  He just loves Disney music.  Declan was very excited that they were going to do a couple of Disney songs for his end of year 5th grade concert.  He was so excited that he wanted to try out for a solo.  Declan's tryout went well and his music teacher gave him a solo.  For a couple weeks all Declan could talk about was memorizing his part for his solo.  I had him sing for me and I was a little nervous about it for him.  He has never sang in public before and I wasn't sure how it would go.  The time in the program came for his big solo and I was surprised to see him joined by seven other boys for his solo that they all sang together.

Declan with fellow "soloist"

Apparently, the music teacher called it a solo but in fact it was sung by eight boys.  Many other parents were quite surprised/relieved to see that their children weren't really soloist but in a small group singing.

This is how I imagined Declan's solo.

Declan rocking it

Sing it

Declan also had another band concert which he did really well playing his saxophone.

Declan with his biggest fan, Zaynzley!