It’s not very often that the baby of this family gets to shine in athletics since he’s still in elementary school, and lives in the shadows of his older brothers, but this year is different. Nathanael, aka Scooter, is motivated. He’s working hard and making a name for himself. Well, kind of. When we asked...
Category Archives: Kevin
Look Mom….PARKOUR!
Kevin cracked me up today with his attempt at Parkour. It reminded me of this: The Office: parkour from Cris Castillo on Vimeo.
The gift that keeps on giving
We bought this satanic bird for Kevin on his 13th birthday. That was almost seven years ago. Bobo is a Sun Conure, a bird larger than a Parakeet and smaller than a Parrot and I was counting on the fact that Bobo would live a grand, full life of four to five years. Apparently I...
Hot Wheels
I don’t know about you, but my first car was a holy nightmare. It was an early 70′s Plymouth Grand Fury, electric blue, and most notably, a former police car which meant that the V8 engine sucked gas at rates that put my modest bank account into shock. Not only that, but the muffler had...
Approaching transition
Kevin leaves for college on Saturday and that simple fact has caused me to turn into a broody mother hen. I’m trying to be good and not pass on my fears to him, or project any sense of nervousness about it because he’s dealing with his own issues of packing and planning, of instilling a...
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Kevin works at a small scale amusement park that doubles as a ski resort during the winter months. He repairs go-carts on more than full time basis so he’s becoming an expert at small engine repair. He’s also learned a few things one would never expect in his line of work. On occasion, Kev is...
All you need is love
This past week has been a tough one for our family. Kevin wrestled at Sections and unlike last year, didn’t qualify for State because his weight class this year was stacked with very talented wrestlers. Also, our wrestling team cooped with another school which bumped us from A to AA. We were competing with larger...
Interception!
What do you want to bet he tells this story to his children one day?
Markers of mass destruction
How un-novel of them.
Get out the vote
I snapped a few “senior photos” of Kevin today and I could use some help choosing which one to send in for the yearbook. One: Two: Three: Four:
THOU SHALT NOT HAVE AWKWARD SILENCE IN THY HOME
Last week there was a Marine recruiter sitting at my dining room table. It was surreal and awkward, mostly because it’s not every day that someone with shiny shoes pays us a visit. Our UPS driver has my full respect but he wears ankle boots and knee-high brown socks that say, “For the most part,...
The Rodney Dangerfield of photographers
Kevin is a senior this year so we have to do senior portraits. My camera is decent enough and I have wonderful editing software so there’s no good reason for me to pay someone else to take his photos. Makes sense, right? Except because I’m just Mom and not a PROFESSIONAL, ON THE CLOCK PHOTOGRAPHER,...
This is why some animals eat their young
I’m going to break my own rule of sharing too much personal information with the Internet. I’m not talking about using duct tape to give myself a tummy tuck or this horrible incident. I’m talking about a painful parenting experience which I am in the midst of right now. Kevin, second born and our eldest...
Now he can buy his own dang minnows
Kevin started his first job yesterday and of course I showed up with camera in hand to document this momentous occasion. No longer will Kevin have to live birthday to birthday.
So much for the Freedom of Information Act.
Kevin had fun at prom.
Mr. Fancy Pants
Last time he wore shiny shoes and fancy pants he was only six years old. This time it’s not for a relative’s wedding. It’s for prom. Prom is Latin for “nervous wreck” and Grand March might just be the end of Kevin because even though he wrestled in the state tournament, in front of 8,000...
Pirates- the musical
Isaiah, Elly and Nathanael performed “Pirates, the musical” tonight with their elementary school classmates. Putting a microphone in front of Elly’s face is like giving Robert Downey Jr. a ticket to the All-you-can-eat crack cocaine buffet.
Armed and Hilarious
He’s almost nine years old but Nathanael has the pipes of an 18 year old. At least while Kevin is in the mood to goof off with his little brother.
State of the state
The first day of the Minnesota State Wrestling tournament was super exciting, surreal, expensive, exhausting and exhilarating. Kev lost his match today and while we knew William Hunt was going to be a tough opponent, we didn’t realize the kid was built like a brick shithouse. There’s a reason Hunt is known as “The Human...
Kevin Johnson headed to state
My baby placed second in his weight class and earned himself a chance to wrestle at state which starts on Wednesday, March 4. So many people have invested time and energy into Kevin’s life which helped him to make this achievement. It’s a day for many people to celebrate. Congratulations, Kevin. Your determination and hard...
Pinned to the hope
Today was the first day of 7A Individual Wrestling Sections. For those who are unfamiliar with high school wrestling, an individual section tournament decides which wrestlers advance to state competition which, in Minnesota, is being held next week at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Going to state has been something Kevin has...
Victory…times four
I’m currently experiencing one of those “mom highs” when I’m bursting with pride over my children’s accomplishments. Last night our wrestling team wrestled at our conference championships and Kevin took first place (the only team member to walk away with a championship) at 160 pounds. It’s beginning to look as though Kevin has a good...