I have a friend who has two teen daughters, has been a mother to teens for years. She’s way ahead of me in experience. My friend frequently tells me of the angst, drama and emotional horrors that come with teens, especially with girls.

When she gives her speech, going on and on about said horrors and how she might not have become a mother if she had know the tears she would shed over her girls, inwardly I’ve got my hands over my ears and I’m stomping my feet in frustration. (Who did that in books? Was it Ellen Tebbits? I can just see her, droopy socks in saddle shoes, pigtails askew.)

I don’t care much to hear my friend’s negative comments on teen girls. I want to form my own opinions, have my own experiences. Why do I need to expect these years to be hell as a mother?

I think we all know some teens freak out when they get to this age. Some stay the course and remain like normal people. I expect my girl to make mistakes, to have hormones, to be in a place of figuring out who she is because that’s what young people are supposed to do.

I have no intention of hanging her out to dry here, on my public space, when she has no voice to give her side.

All this to say: my firstborn is now what is commonly referred to as in the teen years, aka a teenager. I’m going into this new area of parenting with my heart full of anticipation. I look forward to watching my girl grow into the young lady the Lord would have her to be.

I’m realistic but not defeated before the train has barely left the station.

Thirteen is not three. Three was a tough age with all my kids.

Thirteen will not be the same as fourteen. A lot happens in a year.

All the years beyond this one will only be better in the sense that the both of us will be better at this parent-and-teenager dance. Give and take. Back and forth. She grows. I grow.

We both change.

No one will be able to change my mind on that point.

Are the mom to a teen daughter? Tell me about her.

13 is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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I think the image below says it all (click the image to enlarge.)

Thanks, 77Kids, The Motherhood, for making it happen.

Why Operation Gratitude? It’s the least we can do.

NJ mom bloggers help Operation Gratitude for 77kids Do Good Day is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Miley Cyrus is no longer age appropriate for your preteen daughter.

That didn’t take long.

Bummer.

The new Miley Cyrus. I’m not surprised. is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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No words is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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It’s a great way to meet other bloggers and for new bloggers to learn about your corner of the web. The party starts tonight, so get your post ready (I’m giving away a book. No surprise there.) Follow the button above to learn all the details.

Ready to Blog Hop? is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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So I want to do something a bit different for the blog party this year.

Instead of bookmarking this blog, please follow the below links, just for a quick click. Add one, two, (or all!) to your bookmarks, StumbleUpon page, Delicious collection, or whatever it is you use to keep track of stuff you want to read later. Then when all the craziness of the party is over, when you have a quiet moment, go back to those sites. Please. All are deserving your time and attention.

These all represent issues people close to my heart. I hope they burn into your conscience too:

International Justice Mission

Red Envelope Day

Save Darfur

Stop Demand

Compassion International

Be strong and courageous,

Monica

A different type of party post is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Said one of my boys when he knew I was going shopping for socks and underwear:

“Don’t get me Fruit of the Spirit, I like Hanes.”

Bwahahahahaha. Love it when the lines of The Way and this world are blurred.

Seen and heard: at the breakfast table is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Bwahaahaa. Am I not the funniest blogger ever?

6 Things I Value:

1. Freedom

2. Good books

3. Holiness

4. The Bible

5. Family

6. Mercy

6 Things I Support:

1. Homeschooling

2. Marriage

3. Missionaries

4. Compassion International

5. Voice of the Martyrs

6. Coffee! More coffee for everyone!

6 Things I Do Not Support:

1. Gay “marriage”

2. Baby murder (most folks call this abortion)

3. Restrictive homeschooling laws

4. Blog trolls

5. Banning books

6. Really bad coffee

6 People I Tag

Everyone listed in my blogroll wanting to play along, but specificly I tag: Marianne of Writer-Mommy, Lavonda of What’s Up, Rick of Concept 53, Tara of Tara’s View of the World, Melanie of Me Melanie, Pam of Matriarch, Nell of Casual Everyday Friday, Kelly of Fruit of the Womb, Sarah of Kingdom Twindom, and Melissa of Multitasking Mama. I’m feeling generous, and I know what a thrill it is to be called by name for these things, so I’m tagging ten of you. If I never post again it may be because the meme police have taken me to bloggy jail.

Feel free to participate or compeletly ignore this tag if this isn’t your thing. If you are feeling chatty, let me know what you think of my list too.

A meme: 6 things is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Girl with sword: ink drawing by 10-year-old girl is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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What isn’t so lovely is that I can’t upload it to YouTube because the file isn’t recognized, or some such Windows Movie Maker nonsense. The kitchen still wants cleaning, the kids are playing “I’m not sleepy, I’d much rather wrestle,” and Doc is no where to be found. He disappeared an hour ago with a belly ache.

Not good. Considering my youngest threw up earlier.

Other than that, it’s been a lovely holiday.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Don’t read this if you haven’t had pumpkin pie yet is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Twitter writing contest at Copyblogger is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Notice I did say POSTS. I’m thinking three. We’ll see… I just wanted to give you a fair warning, so you’re not freaking out over your over-active RSS feed. I have no intention of making a daily habit of posting so much in one day; and I don’t want to make one huge post Wednesday, so I’m going to break it up.

Oh, and by the way… don’t forget about my latest book giveaway. Right now no one is entered. Are you all without teen boys in your life? Please enter, you could always donate it to your church library.

That’s it. See you Wednesday.

Oh, I almost forgot… you can follow Blog Action Day updates, information and happenings on Twitter too.

Just a quick update is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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1. I can juggle. I taught myself when I was bored one day. I can only do up to three items, maybe the next time I’m bored, I’ll learn four.
2. I studied nursing for a semester.
3. Tanked on my SATs in high school.
4. I’d love to learn to speak Gallic.
5. As a tomboy growing up, I never wanted anything to do with babies. That changed, obviously.
6. I love hot and spicy food. When we were on vacation last month, I ate a tuna sandwich with a spicy sauce on it. I think had a reaction to the sauce, because not long after, my face turned bright red, my legs and arms became covered with red splotches. Next time  we go to that restaurant, I’m eating the tuna sandwich again – the taste is totally worth it.

The Twitter Moms I tag are:

drmommy
Jentifa
mummifiedx5
TheSupermom
aspiringlife
Texasholly

Now these Twitter Moms answer the meme and tag six other tweeters. Girls, if you want to come back here and leave you link answering the meme, feel free to do so.

6 things no one knows about me – a Twitter tag game is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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For a while I’ve had a modest list on a separate page, but I was never quite happy with that. Too out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Too much like banishment. I like the idea of a blogroll, and I always check out blogrolls when I visit a new blog, but I don’t care for the long list that most blogrolls become. (Gee, how many times can I say blogroll in one sentence??) Quite simply – I find them overwhelming. Who takes the time to weed through a blogroll the size of the Mississippi River?

Enter the Better Blogroll widget. Check it out – every time you refresh the page, new blogs are listed. Scanable content, baby. Sweet. With a shorter list, It’s easy to find new blogs and click through.

So, who wants to trade links? Drop a comment and I’ll add you. You can see my pretty new blogroll at the bottom right corner of this page. I’ve labeled it community, because to me that’s what a good blogroll is – a fellowship of kindred spirits that enjoy reading and discussing what we share via writings, videos and pictures.

HT:  Shane at Caffeinated Thoughts, who happens to be a High Calling Blogs member. Friends – I (heart) the High Calling Blogs community.

A blogroll with rotating links (who wants to be on my blogroll?) is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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That is all. I will now return to my fun and sun. Back later…

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Second – I’m going to be busy with fun family activities for the next week, so I’m not keeping to my regular posting schedule. If you are new to my blog, and simply must have your fix of me and my adventures, feel free to poke around the archives. To get you started, I’m republishing one of my favorites from last summer.

Enjoy these last warm days of summer with your family.

—

Originally posted July 24, 2007.

The most amazing thing happened today

We rescued an injured red-tailed hawk today.

The kids and I headed out early this morning to go to my mom’s. Not too long into the trip, I noticed a beautiful raptor sitting on the side of the road in the grass. Being the hip home schooling mom that I am, I always take the opportunity to check out interesting critters we see along the way, so I turned the car around to show the kids the hawk.

When I pulled up next to it, I knew something was wrong. The raptor didn’t fly away, didn’t hardly budge even when I opened the car door to get a better look. Not good. Plus this beautiful bird was a few steps away from a busy two-lane highway. It didn’t stand a chance, but what to do?

I immediately thought of The Raptor Trust, a local bird rescue sanctuary with the expert knowledge to treat this beauty. It was about an hour away, not too far, but how to get the hawk there? The hawk’s beak was impressive, not to mention its’ talons half hidden in the grass.

And I needed a box. All I had in the car was a diaper bag.

I called the bird rescue folks, leaving a message for them to call me back on my cell.

By this time, another car had stopped. Did he have a box? No. Just when it looked like the bird could not be helped, two men on their way somewhere in a work van with ladders on top stopped see what the fuss was about.

“Do you have a box?” Seems like a silly question to ask strangers, but I wasn’t giving up. And my kids were with me. Mom’s going to get a box for the hawk, guys. Sit tight.

You can guess know how the story ends. Not only did Van Guys have a large cardboard box, but leather gloves great for catching a scared raptor. I volunteered a skirt (fished from the back of my car intended to go into the Salvation Army bin) as a make-shift blanket. A state trooper held back traffic as the red-tail ran across Rt. 12, only to be gently captured by one of the men with the gray, Lands’ End fabric. My three eldest children, spellbound by the scene, watched from the roadside. Poor toddler Lucy still strapped in her car seat.

I wish I had a picture to post, but I didn’t think to use the camera on my cell.

I’m tagging this “learning,” for obvious reasons. Our red-tail is a youngin’, not old enough for the distinctive red tail feathers, a woman at The Raptor Trust told me when we dropped the hawk off. It’s very emaciated, she said, but no wing problems. Hopefully the hawk will be set free soon after recovering. I’m calling at the end of the week to follow up. Just because. It’s like she’s our red-tail now.

I’m also tagging this post “Believing” for the answered prayer, “Lord, bring us a box.” I love the way He added the leather gloves, don’t you?

Family fun, book winners and a bird rescue story is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Thank you!

Click Here to take survey

Who are you and why are you here? Five question survey is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Next book giveaway is Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. Add me to your RSS reader, so you don’t miss it.

Book contest winners: The Healing Choice by Brenda Stoeker and Susan Allen is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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So, if you are looking for my rant regarding Elizabeth Gilbert and home schooling, rest easy by the pool for a few more days. It’s not finished yet and today starts a busy weekend, so no chance it will be up until Monday.

Now everyone look away while I give the over-eager Feedburner a smack down.

A very hungry Feedburner is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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Next book contest, The Healing Choice, is July 30.

Contest winners is a post from: Paper Bridges, © 2005-2010 Monica Brand

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