Letters to Brady: 13 years old

Brady,

What's up brother (pointer finger in the air). Check Tuesday, check Tuesday. Special teams, special plays, special players. 

As you look over my shoulder during the writing of this, and your sister dares me to write these words, I thought I'd write something that made sense to you but is nonsense to most of the world.  Teenage talk is its own language, one I don't wish to be fluent in, but would still like to understand.

It's hard to a believe a teenager now lives in our house.  Though our house has smelled like a 7th grader for many months now.  I'm not talking stinky BO smells, I'm talking Axe body spray type smells that seep down the stairs daily. You shower each morning, spray your sprays, and style your hair.  Yes, teenagehood has arrived.

If you ask most adults to pick a time in their lives to travel back to when they were happiest, I expect very few would pick middle school.  Hormones are high, kids can be cruel, and feeling awkward is the norm.  You seem to have thrived in middle school, though, and so far, I haven't seen the sass that can come along with being a teenager (though you do sometimes act like you know more than your parents).  When I ask how school was, I generally get and enthusiastic "good", which feels like quite the win for a middle school boy.  

I know there are many things in middle school that stay in middle school, but I appreciate how you're willing to talk to me and tell me some things. You've had two girlfriends this year and I think your sister was more devastated that you were when you broke up. 

You continue to have a confidence about yourself walking through the world, the same confidence that you displayed when you were a toddler. You walk into a room and believe you belong.  Or you challenge your mom to a tennis game and believe you may win.  The flip side is you're mad when you don't, even though you shouldn't. Thankfully for you, you have a family that will keep you humble and make sure you don't get too big for your britches.

Only 3 more years until you drive and only 5 more years in our house and then you will be going to college!  Time really is flying by.  I hope 13 is good to you and I love you very much.

Love,

Mom