ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO HAVE GATHERINGS AT YOUR HOME {Parenting Advise}

Our youngest son had his monthly "Pow Wow" this weekend.  He has a few friends who come over and they camp out in our Meadow. 

Because it was hot outside, because Hunk LOVES doing it and because teenage boys are stinky and must be dipped in water.... Hunk took them all out knee boarding, wake boarding and his all time favorite.......THE TUBE.... 

Which FYI is no longer usable after the boys AND Hunk were done with it.

Once they were finished using up all their energy and destroying things they were STARVED...  Then they come to Momma.

And Momma said EASY PEASY PLEASE....  BBQ hot dogs, chips and watermelon.

BAM.  Dinner is served.

Which most of them stood in our little kitchen and ate......and made another.....and ate...........and made another......and ate..

Why did I buy paper plates again?

Ahhhhh.... That's why......someone actually used a plate......

Then the boys went outside where we had an outdoor movie set up...  Only they brought out the video games to play on the outdoor screen instead.

P.S.  Those are ROOT beer bottles NOT beer...  Momma don't roll like that

It was really funny.......

Maybe not so much to him......  But the hot sauce (Rooster sauce) on his hot dog was funny to all the other boys.  Including Hunk.  Maybe even ESPECIALLY to Hunk.

And actually it really was funny to him too.

AFTER his mouth calmed down.

And even before his mouth cooled off... He loves pulling pranks and he was a great sport about having one pulled on him.

I stopped snapping photos at this point and they took off to the Meadow to begin their camp out. 

I of course didn't get much sleep because (thank you Mr. Cell Phone) I couldn't sleep until I knew they were done going on their "hike" around the property and were "at camp" for the night.

Boys....

Oh, and while they were gone on thier hike my oldest (7th grade) daughter and Hunk headed up to their "campsite" and put their tent up on top of their camper.. 

They usually sneak up and scare them, but since the boys were gone, they had to do SOMETHING.

Morning came quickly.....

I woke up and started making this...........

And this.......

teenage boys are hungry after Pow Wow's

or before them

or during them

or

anytime

and

all times

 I heard them come down and went to see what they were doing....

ummmmmmm.....OK

Ah.  They are seeing if the projector works on my sons stomach.

It's a Rugrat Screen

sorry....silly things crack me up

Hello there teenage friend......

His reply.... "I smell bacon...... you so love us don't you?"

To which I responded "Yes, I do, now keep your paws off until it's ready or I will have to hurt you......after I have more coffee."

Did I mention all these Rugrats are on the wrestling team?  So they could pretty much make me look like a pretzel (all be it a very plump one) if they felt like it...... 

Instead....

They mind.

They love me.

They are good boys.

But I still needed more of this.....

To have the energy to finish more of this......

After going to bed at 2:30 am

Think they are hungry? (and tired)

Breakfast is ready boys...  Come and eat...

Then clean up your mess, pack your crap and go home....

Kidding!

In fact most of the boys stayed until after dinner...

Did I mind?

Nope......We want our home to be "the hang out" place for the kids.

We can keep track of them and their friends without them realizing we are watching

AND

they think we are cool and fun parents

(we so have them fooled)

It's a WIN WIN SITUATION.

I'm all about that

and

I'm all about cheese

(sorry, I'm in a mood)

Moral of the post.... Encourage your kids to have their friends come over.  Try to make a fun environment that will encourage them to WANT to come over. 

This allows you to get to know their friends, see how they behave, influence them in the proper ways to behave and we have really been blessed by many of the children who come and go through our home.

I have a list of kids that I'm honored enough to have call me "Momma"

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ciao Bellas~

~Momma~

P.S.  Another easy peasy dinner to make for a group is "crockpot chili verdi" or for breakfast if you don't want to do bacon and pancakes do "breakfast burritos"  Whatever you do make it easy on yourself.  Teenagers will eat anything.