Today is close to my heart. I found an old journal that had an interview with my boys about me when they were 8 and 16. They are now 13 and 20 so I was just so curious what the difference would be. One was a teenager last time and is now out in the world and the other has left his time as a little boy and is now a teen. It was so cool for me to see how differently they answered and well what a difference age makes in how they feel about me…
My interview with Jonathen now 13:
1.What is something Mom always says to you?
8: I love you.
13: No.
2. What makes mom happy?
8: Hmmmm, children that behave.
13: When I do nice things for her.
3. What makes mom sad?
8: Children who misbehave, giggle.
13: When I am being rude.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
8: Makes funny faces.
13: By saying something and dad taking it the wrong way.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
8: Kind of like me, smart.
13: The perfect child.
6. How old is your mom?
8: 31
13: 486
7. How tall is your mom?
8: I never heard your height, sigh.
13: 4’5″
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
8: Spend time with me.
13: Take pictures.
9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
8: Edit pictures.
13: I don’t know she doesn’t specify.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
8: She already is famous for being a photographer.
13: A picture meme.
11. What is your mom really good at?
8: Mind Jolt Cube Crash – game.
13: Baking.
12. What is your mom not very good at?
8: World of Warcraft – game.
13: Hiking a mile in 40 degrees, she would freeze.
13. What does your mom do for her job?
8: Takes pictures.
13: Takes pictures, edits stuff and plays on facebook.
14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
8: Garlic.
13: Brussel sprouts because they make you think of dad.
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
8: She can multi-task.
13: When she makes good ice cream.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
8: Tweety bird.
13: This is difficult, papa smurf.
17. What do you and your mom do together?
8: Watch TV, cuddle.
13: Watch tv and play with seperate devices
18. How are you and your mom the same?
8: Our face and our heart.
13: We look alike
19. How are you and your mom different?
8: We are boy and girl.
13: I am much better looking.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
8: She tells me.
13: She plays games with me that I make up.
21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
8: Paris, the Eiffel Tower
13: Venice
This cracked me up! The sarcasm of being a teenager has arrived just like it should! I don’t even like brussel sprouts!! But he must have heard me talking about making them for Dad and liking them because Dad does. Apparently I am a new shade of blue as papa smurf! Too funny and he must like it when I set Dad up for a good one by saying something silly! I just love this. It will be cool to give him another five and see what 18 looks like. Oh how I love my middle.
My interview with Tyler now 20.
1.What is something Mom always says to you?
16: Do the dishes.
20: Do what your heart tells you.
2. What makes mom happy?
16: The kitchen being cleaned.
20: Family
3. What makes mom sad?
16: The kitchen not being cleaned.
20: Bad things happening to family.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
16: When she tells me not to laugh.
20: By being a goof ball.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
16: She rode the short bus.
20: Nice
6. How old is your mom?
16: Like 42 or 43.
20: 36
7. How tall is your mom?
16: 5′ 1″
20: 5′ 5″
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
16: Tell me to do the dishes.
20: Take pictures and make ice cream.
9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
16: Takes out dishes and dirties them so I have more to do when I get home.
20: Mom stuff.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
16: Photography
20: Photography
11. What is your mom really good at?
16: Photography.
20: Photography.
12. What is your mom not very good at?
16: That is a toughie, making pies.
20: This is a hard one, not good at being mean.
13. What does your mom do for her job?
16: Shoots people.
20: Takes pictures of people.
14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
16: Cheesecake?
20: I don’t know!
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
16: She shoots people.
20: Taking cool pictures of people while making money!
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
16: Megatron.
20: What is the Jetson’s Mom like? Is she cool?
17. What do you and your mom do together?
16: We ride unicorns and dance into the rainbow sunshine.
20: Skype.
18. How are you and your mom the same?
16: We are very hardheaded.
20: We don’t want a boss.
19. How are you and your mom different?
16: I have a heart.
20: She is more extraverted than me.
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
16: Long pause…she makes me dinner.
20: She wants me to do what I want to do with my life and not only what she wants.
21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
16: Paris.
20: Whole Foods.
I remember doing this interview when Tyler was 16. Tyler was such a good kid but even so it was a hard time. The time when they are transitioning from believing you are their everything to realizing they don’t need you quite as much. That was hard for me. But man, if I could have read his 20 year old answers when he was 16 to know, to know he would one day for sure know how much love I have for him, how much I just want his success, how much I believe in him…it would have made 16 so much easier. Really, seeing this is already making 13 much easier the second time around. Instead of feeling like the sarcasm and independent pull away is personal, I now can see so clearly that it is healthy. I will say Tyler shocked me most with his interview today when he said I was more extraverted than he is. That just blows my mind because to me, he is the extrovert and I wish I could be more like him! Oh and I grew a few inches!!! I could analyze that for days!
I love my boys, I love this journey both hard and good…today I feel extra blessed to be a mom.
