It is official - I am the Mom of a teenager - post 6

My oldest son, Avery, turned 13 on December 13th. I am in the midst of 13 memories of him…I know it is a silly Mom thing…but, it is therapeutic for this silly Mom!



I was the baby of my family; it is a wonderful position to be born in. My sister nearest to my age is ten years older than me, so I never knew about hand-me-downs as a child. However, as a mother I have learned how wonderful they are! I have friends and relatives that pass down bins and bins of outgrown clothes to my sons. They are in excellent condition and such a blessing.

I was sorting through a new bin one day and pulled out a pair of Spiderman jammies. Complete with the webbing under the arms. Avery shrieked in delight and ran to put them on. He proceeded to wear them for weeks and weeks. Not just to bed, but to the grocery store, to the post office, to McDonalds…and anywhere else that our day took us. I did draw the line at wearing them to church!

I am pretty sure he really thought that he was Spiderman when the red web jammies were on. He shot webs everywhere he went, and insisted being called Peter Parker at times. This superhero passion happened during the intense heat of July. Outside was his favorite place to be, so needless to say the jammies got VERY dirty and stinky. At times it was easier to peel them off of him once he was asleep and throw them in the washing machine instead of fighting with him to take them off. I learned early in motherhood to choose my boy battles wisely.

His best neighbor buddy, MacKenzie Brockmeyer, also had a beloved pair of jammies and they both morphed into Spiderman in the late summer evenings. Many hours were spent in our backyards conquering evil villains.

My favorite memory of the Peter Parker persona was the red cowboy boots that were found in the bottom of the box. They were worn right along with the pajamas!