Gametes In Love

Our 14 yr old is now taller than me. He’s a 5’4″ skinny bean, weighing in at 95lbs

• Do you know what the V stands for?
  • Viktor
• That’s partially true. Stands for both grandma and grandpa
  • Ok
• Do you wish it stood for something else?
  • No

• How old are you about to be?
  • 14
• What is you favorite color?
  • Gray
• Upgrade from black last year!

• Who is your best friend?
  • Luke
• What do you like to do with your friends?
  • Talk
• About what?
  • Talk

• What is you favorite book?
  • I don’t read enough for that
• Have you read anything good in the past year?
  • No

• What is your favorite movie or TV show?
  • Arcane
• Is there also a movie that you’re really into?
  • I don’t want enough movies either

• What is your favorite animal?
  • The crow
• Cool! Why not the raven
  • That too! But they’re basically the same thing… except one is larger than the other
• Very different in size… Why?
  • I dunno. They’re interesting, I guess
• They’re super smart!
  • Smarter than you!
• I’m offended! Also, there’s a movie called The Crow that I would like to introduce you to. Has a great soundtrack!

• What is your favorite food to eat?
  • Pizza, I guess
• What is your favorite favorite pizza?
  • Pepperoni! Shocker
• Thin crust? Deep dish? Regular crust?
  • As long as it’s not the stuff they do in Europe I’m fine
• What do they do in Europe?
  • They make it like as thin as possible. It’s like a competition how to make it before people start complaining?
• So you’re not into cracker crust?
  • I’m not into crust that feels like it could be used as paper

• What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
  • I don’t eat enough ice cream for that
• If you walk into an ice cream store tomorrow, what flavor would you pick?
  • It depends on what they have! Not every store has everything
• Pretend this one does
  • I dunno. Like Cookies & cream, probably

• What is your favorite toy?
  • I don’t play with toys
• There’s many things I would classify as toys
  • Ok, do it!
• I would call my computer a toy
  • Ok, then that I guess

• What is your favorite thing to wear?
  • Clothes… that’s my answer
• Can you describe the kinds of clothes you like to wear
  • They’re comfortable

• What song do you love?
  • I dunno. I don’t listen to one specific song, because I’m not a psychopath
• Ok, who’s your favorite musical artist these days?
  • Lets see (looks at his Spotify). Thing would really good if Spotify Wrapped was out right now
• It will by the end of the year
  • Is it the end of the year?
• I know it’s not
  • Juice World
• Is that one of the artists I can’t use for your slideshow?
  • Yes! He overdosed on drugs, so you can’t use his lyrics

• Who is your biggest hero?
  • I dunno. The Hulk, because he’s big, I guess
• You took that quite literally!
  • Maybe like Plastic Man — he can scale to any factor, because he’s plastic I guess
  • I don’t know. I don’t know who’s my biggest hero, so that’s my answer

• What are you really good at?
  • Proctastination
• What are you not good at that you’d like to get better at next year?
  • Doing stuff on time
• You actually have improved on that a lot.

• Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
  • I’d like to stay home, without the fear of school. Like a break
• If you had a destination where would you go?
  • I dunno; some uncontacted tribe… ‘cuz it’d be funny to talk with them
• You think you could speak their language?
  • I dunno, but it would still be unny

• What would you buy if you had $1000?
  • Nothing in this economy
• What would you buy if you had $10,000?
  • Ugh… I dunno… bonds, I guess?
• Really? Why bonds?
  • Because they’re a safe investment

• What do you want to do when you grow up?
  • I don’t know. Preferably something I enjoy to do
• I hope so for you too!

• What do you hope to do before you turn 15?
  • Nothing

• Give me a piece of advice…
  • 99.99% gamblers quit before they hit big
• So you’re telling me I should quit, before I hit big?
  • No, I’m telling you you shouldn’t give up!
  • You should keep clicking the button until you hit the jackpot
• But I don’t want to lose my money

• me: How old are you now?
  • G: 16
• me: What is you favorite color?
  • G: Blue
• me: Who is your best friend?
  • G: Carston, Ryan, Tiago, Julian
• me: What do you like to do with your friends?
  • G: Play games
• me: Which games do you like to play?
  • G: Video games
• me: Which video games
  • G: Let’s see: Fortnite, Finals
• me: Finals? What kind of game is Finals
  • G: [sheepish grin, because he knows how I feel about guns] A shooter game
• me: What is you favorite book?
  • G: Ugh, no
• me: What is your favorite movie or TV show?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: DO you have a favorite YouTuber?
  • G: No
• me: What are ones you enjoy watching the most?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: Not even GCGray makes the list anymore?
  • G: Ugh, no
• me: What is your favorite animal?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: What is your favorite food to eat?
  • G: Pasta
• me: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
  • G: Cookies & Creme
• me: What is your favorite thing to wear?
  • G: I don’t know — clothes!
• me: I was going to assume you were going to say your pajamas
  • G: That works too!
• me: What song do you love?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: If there an artist you’re really into righ tnow?
  • G: Miles Smith
• me: Who is your biggest hero?
  • G: Myself
• me: How come?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: What are you really good at?
  • G: Sleeping
• me: What do you wish you were really good at?
  • G: Sleeping
• me: If you’re already really good at sleeping, why do you wish you…
  • G: Cuz you could always be better
• me: Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
  • G: Norway
• me: Again?
  • G: Yes
• me: What would you buy if you had $1000?
  • G: I don’t know — you can’t buy that much now
• me: What would you buy if you had $10000?
  • G: I still don’t know
• me: If you could have a wish, what would it be?
  • G: I have no idea
• me: What kind of job do you wish you could do after college?
  • G: Ideally I don’t have to work
• me: Ok, how do you think you’re going to make the moneys to make that a reality?
  • G: Oh, Ideally I won’t have to work, but I probably will
• me: So, so if you do have to work, what kind of job do you hope you would be working as?
  • G: I don’t know
• me: Any top contenders?
  • G: No
• me: Is there anything you hope to do before you turn 17? Any activity/event you want to try
  • G: No
• me: Give me a piece of advice…
  • G: Don’t do drugs!

Storm is now 13, so we officially have nothing but teens in our house.

Me: How old are you about to be?
Storm: 13

Me: What is your favorite color
Storm: Gray

Me: Who is your best friend?
Storm: I don’t have one
Me: Do you have many best friends then?
Storm: I don’t know who
Me: Alright! Which people do you like hanging out with?
Storm: I don’t know. Depends on the day.
Me: Ok. Most days, name some people that you enjoy being around
Storm: Uuuuuugh. I don’t feel like saying. Maybe next year

Me: What do you like to do with your friends?
Storm: Play games
Me: Which games
Storm: Any
Me: Tic-tac-toe!
Storm: No
Me: Ha! So… not any?
Storm: Video games, ok? Not blacksmith games like you grew up with.
Me: Alright, so video games you like Ms. Pacman
Storm: Ok, as I just stated, games that weren’t alive/weren’t created in the dark ages

Me: Alright. What are you doing right now? [because he was]
Storm: Making a texture of something
Me: A texture for what
Storm: A thing
Me: What is the thing?
Storm: A lot of things
Me: Elaborate please
Storm: Tools
Me: What kind of tools? that looks like a shovel
Storm: It’s golden
Me: Is it a golden shovel?
Storm: Yes
Me: For Minecraft?
Storm: Yep
Me: Are you going to sell it?
Storm: When I can
Me: Is anyone commissioning this one for you?
Storm: Nope
Me: Ok. When you sell it, how much are you going to sell it for?
Storm: I don’t know
Me: What was the last thing you sold worth?
Storm: I haven’t sold anything yet because I haven’t entered the partner program
Me: I see. Do you have to be a certain age to enter the partner program
Storm: No. They just haven’t sent me the link because they ghosted me fo the past… (check this) 10 days. So I have no clue if they just forgot
Me: You can try again
Storm: Ya, I guess

Me: What is your favorite book?
Storm: I don’t read

Me: What is your favorite movie or TV show?
Storm: Breaking Bad
Me: That is not true!
Storm: Yes it is! Stop me!
Me: Ok; tell me what happens in the first episode
Storm: Ok, so this man finds out he has cancer. Then he says “We must cook Jessie!” and then he cooks meth
Me: We must cook Jessie?
Storm: Yea. Ya, that’s the name fo the kid that he cooks with.
Me: I’m a little disturbed that you know this. How long ago did you start watching Breaking Bad
Storm: Oh, I haven’t
Me: Liar!
Storm: What do you mean liar?
Me: The fact that you just told me you watched Breaking Bad makes you a liar pants.
Storm: But I haven’t watched it, though!
Me: I thought that Gravity Falls would have been one of your favorite TV shows
Storm: Why?
Me: You telling me it’s not?
Storm: No. I’m just confused. A boy can’t be confused of his mother’s oppinion?
Me: 100%, totally, right. So can I ask the question again?
Storm: Si!
Me: What is your favorite TV show or movie?
Storm: I still don’t know

Me: What’s your favorite animal?
Storm: The crow!
Me: Why do you like the crow?
Storm: It’s an interesting animal
Me: What’s your favorite thing about them?
Storm: They’re smart
Me: They are very smart!

Me: What’s your favorite food to eat?
Storm: Chips! They are easy to get an eat. But the only way I get them is if I specifically ask you to buy them.
Me: Ya, they’re just not part of my vernacular to make sure we always stock up in the house
Storm: Then put them in there
Me: That’s just not how my brain works

Me: Do you like ice cream?
Storm: Yes
Me: What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Storm: Cookies & cream

Me: What’s your favorite outfit to wear?
Storm: Long or short sleeved shirt; hoodie; pants.. long sleeved pants and socks … and you know … the other things
Me: Long sleeved pants?
Storm: Long pants!!!
Me: But more specifically, your pants have to be cozy pants. They can’t be jeans or anything else.
Storm: Yes

Me: Who is your biggest hero?
Storm: I don’t know

Me: What are you really good at?
Storm: Art. Especially pixel art

Me: Where do you wish you could go on vacation?
Storm: The UK

Me: If you had a $1000 what would you buy with it?
Storm: Stocks? I dunno
Me: Really? What kind of stocks?
Storm: Depends… on how risky I feel that day
Me: How risky are you feeling right now?
Storm: I say we shove it all in Bitcoin and wait
Me: And hope it goes back up?
Storm: Yep!

Me: What do you want to do when you grow up?
Storm: I have no clue!

Me: What do you hope to do before you turn 14?
Storm: I don’t know!

Me: Give me a piece of advice
Storm: No
Me: You don’t have any advice for me?
Storm: You’re older and wiser. I think it would be a bit worrying if I did have advice for you
Me: Hey , everyone can teach someone something

Me: What is your favorite subject at school these days?
Storm: Math

Me: Who is your favorite educator?
Storm: Inga

Me: Who is your least favorite educator?
Storm: No comment
Me: I think I know. Starts with an E maybe?
Storm: Yerp
Me: Subject starts with an L?
Storm: No!
Me: Really? S?
Storm: Ya
Me: Really? That surprises me

Me: Share something from the last year that you remember. Like a memory of some sort. Could something as little as “Hey that one time I went out for lunch with my friends on a Wednesday.”
Storm: Ya, that! That. Wednesday
Me: Wednesdays are something you want to remember.
Storm: Ya; it’s an easy. It’s an entire lunch that I don’t have to deal with you or school. It’s really interesting and actually fun.
Me: But you do deal w/ me on a Wed
Storm: Ya! When we’re actually done
Me: What do you and your friends like to do on a Wednesday when you do go out?
Storm: Eat. And hang out at the library. Talking and playing games

Me: What has been your favorite trip this year?
Storm: Spain
Me: What about Spain left an impression on you
Storm: It was a new place
Me: So was Arizona. Eh. Kinda
Storm: it was on a … that was this year?
Me: Yes
Storm: Eh. Ok

Me: What was your least favorite trip this year?
Storm: Hawaii
Me: Why?
Storm: Power went out like the second day
Me: Ya, that kind of sucked. Have you liked Hawaii in the past
Storm: Yes
Me: Do you want to go again?
Storm: Probably not the same island. Because it probably won’t be intact
Me: They’re making improvements. But if you had the opportunity to go again, would you?
Storm: Yes. And I know most likely when we’re going to go
Me: Maybe not this year?
Storm: Wow. Really? Of course not this year, because it already happened
Me: Well. I meant in the next calendar year
Storm: Ya; ok
Me: Mainly because of Norway and all that
Storm: Yes, that makes a big dent or a big whole in the wallet
Me: Are you looking forward to Norway?
Storm: I dunno. I’m questioning learning Norwegian just to make fun of Griffin
Me: Really? How are you going to learn Norwegian? Duolingo has Norwegian?
Storm: I have no clue -because, of course they put it in that native language

Me: Ya; that’s kind of rough. I think those are my questions
Storm: That’s it
Me: Ya. Is there anything else you want to share though?
Storm: No. Just know that as soon as I wake up you’re getting a tap on your shoulder asking for the gift you got me. Ok?
Me: Oh. That reminds me. I should put it into a bag, huh?
Storm: Ya. Because if it’s headphones I’m going to want that first.
Me: Oh! If it’s not?
Storm: I’m still going to want your gift
Me: Ok. Huugs and kisses. I can’t package that.

We have a 15 year old in the house! I appreciate how “on brand” his responses are to who he is right now. Of special note: pajama and relax time.

G is now 5’5″. I’m still 5’3″.

As of this week-end, the height min to enter his bedroom is 5’4″.

How… convenient.

It’s time. High School. G is an incoming freshman, and I’m sitting here dumb-founded, because that feels surreal to say. I fully recognize he’s 14, but these last 9 years feel, really, maybe like 5… tops.

Charter’s graduation was so much more than I could have expected. I legit thought 2-3 speaches from the graduating class, something from the principal and a bunch of names read out loud. I guess benefit of a very, very small graduating class (24 kids) means a much more personalized experience. Each learner was up on stage during the whole ceremony. Some were beated up by palm trees, since the wind was whipping their branches into the kids sitting right in front. It was honestly, quite a production — I could see why they needed rehersals for this thing. At the end, as each received their certificate, there was a quick reading for every kid. They contributed a paragraph, and then one of their teachers also contributed something. It was special! It felt like more than a “hope these past X years worked out; best to y’all”.

G’s write-up was actually an inside joke for his class. At their last milestone (the SF trip) they went to Club Fugazi, where attendees were given the opportunity to write a post-card… which might then be read out-loud by the cast. G didn’t write one. But one of his friends did in his name… so they all decided to write one and attribute it to G, making Griffin quite the prolific post-card writer. So, while at this graduation ceremony it looks innocent and sweet, I’m actually enjoying the inside-joke part of it (that his teacher called-up).

A very small part of me is excited to hear Storm’s write-up when it’s his turn. But again a very small part, because I’m not ready for grown-ups yet!

When I was graduating high school, I felt like the incoming freshmen class looked like babies. So young-looking (yes, yes, irony — leave it alone). Yet, as I look at Griffin’s classmates (and him!) they look so grown. They look like young adults. We were asked to contribute a picture of our graduating kid from their younger years. I sent one of him when he was 7… and startled by how much he really has changed. Shane and I are def. seeing why people that haven’t seen him over the past 3 years don’t recognize him. What will the next 4 bring?

At school the next day (why yes, they did indeed have a graduation ceremony on Monday and proceeded to have 2 extra days of class following!) they did a walk through campus with the opportunity to be greated by the younger classes. I think it’s awesome — lots of cheering from the younger grades… and just as tear jerky for this mom

See more photos from the day here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/avalikelava/3kmy5Tq0cY

Wanna know how to find me in Storm’s contact list? I’m filed under “Spawn point”

Griffin was “spare parts”. Now he’s “prequal”

Shane? “Founding father”… though Storm has been threatening to update him to “Boomer”

Storm: Mom, I’d really like to watch Top Gun

Me: The new one or the original?

Storm: The new one

Me: I’m not sure if watching the original first is necessary to make sense of it

Storm: That’s fine.

Me: I think the original has a sex scene in it though

Storm: Mom, you know, you can fast forward through that

Me: Huh… so you can watch people do it faster?

Storm: [looks at me with discomfort and disbelief]