15

Is this real life?  My baby?!?

Mark at fifteen:

1) Some nights he won't go to bed until we've snuggled.

2)We are going to the DMV today to get him a book to study for a driver's permit.  He's ready.

3) He is stubborn and has strong opinions.

4) He is funny.  He told me the other day that just because American doesn't mean Ameri-should.  He is all the funnier when he is with Braeden.  Their latest idea:  a new version of the LDS Tools app.  It's for all the people in your ward that annoy you.  Mark said, "For example, the guy who can dunk the ball but won't show up for church basketball.  You think, what a tool, and you put his name in LDS Tools."

5) He's also all the weirder when he is with Braeden. (They've started calling each other "youngblood" for some reason only they understand.)

6)  I made Mark French toast for his birthday breakfast.  He ate nine pieces.  They were small, but still.  He eats an astonishing amount of food.

7) Every time we pull into the garage, he asks if there's anything to carry in from the van.

8) He loves music--a great variety of genres, including but not limited to 80s rock ballads.

9) We went out to dinner Saturday night to celebrate his birthday.  He wanted to go to a buffet.  I tried to talk him out of it, because blek, but he told me about the categories of restaurants. Fast food restaurants are for just getting food fast, fast casual is for going with your family, sit down restaurants are for formal occasions (not sure what that means exactly) and buffets are festive.  He said, "A birthday is festive, so I want a buffet.  And also a lot of food."  (I had been blissfully unaware of all these rules.)

10) He's the kind of kid who smiles when you ask him why he's limping and tells you about playing tackle capture the flag with his friends.  He happily told me his friend "laid him out," but Mark still scored the winning point.  Then he proudly showed me the big scrape on his arm.

11) Nearly all of his friends have been hit by cars.  Seriously.  (Mark has been too.)

12) He likes to tell me he's "not as smart as Braeden and Emma," but he can transform his D in Spanish into an A- in less than a week if that D means he can't hang out with his friends.  (Also, I homeschooled him so he's not fooling me.  He's smart.  He just needs to, you know, turn in his assignments.)

13) He is good at building things and fixing things.

14) He loves cars.  He loves reading about cars, looking at cars, telling me about cars and I know he'll love driving cars too.  Pray for us.

15) He has spent most of his life firmly believing he is my favorite child.  (He probably still thinks that.)  He isn't my favorite, but he's the best Christmas present I ever got.

If Mark had a uniform it would be a white t-shirt.  I'm pretty sure 90% of the pictures I have of him, he's wearing a white t-shirt.  Here he is opening his gift from Grandma Geri.  

Mark wanted his cake decorated with Lego candies.  I gave him the candy and told him to decorate it.  His brother and especially his sister had a lot of comments/criticism.

He didn't appreciate their opinions.

I love this kid!