Caleb AFTER the Pioneer Handcart Trek
Caleb DURING the Pioneer Trek with his "family"Caleb is in the front on the right
His "Ma 'n' Pa" are the couple on the left
What a BEAUTIFUL sunset!!!
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Caleb BEFORE the trek - on his way out the door!
We just got our Caleb back on Saturday after a 4-day "Pioneer Trek" in which he re-enacted some of the experiences of the Mormon Handcart Pioneers.
He put us through so much drama about his clothing before the trek that I was doing the "happy dance" after I dropped him off and praying for a humbler, kinder Caleb to return. It is still undetermined as to whether or not that prayer was answered to my wishing.
Caleb is VERY into his "look" and fashion. He wanted to carry this big part of his personality into the trek as well - which for him included purchasing $50 Hollister button-up shirts to wear for his recommended "plaid button-ups - NO T-shirts" requirement. Caleb does not want to appear "preppy" in any way, and has recently decided the only things in his wardrobe worthy of wearing are THREE of his T-shirts. The other T-shirts are too "preppy." So we do laundry every two days, and I still have no idea how a T-shirt of any kind can be considered "preppy." Plus, he picked out all the T's in his closet. I guess that's just part of what makes me the mom. Well, me being the overly practical person that I am, as well as trying to instill some reason, logic and thrift into my child - I told him there was absolutely no way I was going to spend $100 of MY money for Pioneer Trek shirts (each boy is required to bring TWO button-up shirts.) I let him know I planned to go to DI or Goodwill and find some decent button-ups for the occasion. A trek is like camping and he's just going to get it dirty, yadda, yadda, yadda. If he didn't like what I picked out, or he wanted them badly enough, he was more than welcome to use HIS money - assuming he earned that much in time.
Well, I don't know how many of you with teens can relate - but he FLIPPED out at the thought of going to a DI or Goodwill store, and there was NO WAY he would wear ANYTHING from either one! I tried to ease things up for him, by saying maybe we could find something really cheap at Target or on clearance somewhere that would suffice. He tried to reason with me that getting something JUST for the trek was an even bigger waste of money because he would never wear it afterward. So if I got something he could wear to school as well, that would be MUCH more practical. Wow, these teens are good, but I still wasn't buying it! This type of back and forth conversation went on for at least a month. . . and please keep in mind, I'm only giving you a small taste of this whole thing.
To spare you the drama details, I ended up getting some AWESOME deals on clearance at Fred Meyer. One of the pairs of pants was less than $5 - and I don't think I could have done that good at DI or Goodwill. Needless to say, I got his 2 pairs of khaki pants, 2 button-up shirts, hiking boots (from clearance at Big 5), and straw hat for less than $50. I was quite pleased with my trifty purchases and the great deals I'd found in his sizes and everything. Well, he still insisted on one Hollister shirt. He had earned enough of his own money for just one. Since he was home while I was in Vancouver, I had to go to the Hollister store without him and communicate via cell phone to get one he liked. He'd shown me the one he wanted online, but it was not in the store. So I took pictures of the ones I thought he'd like and sent them to his friend's cell phone (which by-the-way Hollister is NOT pleased with me for taking pictures of their clothes. They got after me AFTER I'd already sent the pics I needed to send - phew!)
He was quite pleased with his Hollister shirt. I told him it was a very nice shirt, and I thought it would be great for school next year, but I discouraged him from taking it on a trek. He ended up going on the trek WITHOUT the Hollister shirt (proof, he DOES take my advise sometimes!) - so the pics above are the products of my thrifty finds. :) Now this is the part I don't get. The Hollister shirt is hanging up in my laundry room, and he wants me to return it to the store. I DON'T GET IT!!! He drove me to near insanity for over a month for that *#@*% Hollister shirt! Now he wants me to take it back! Did he really just want me to spend $100 on Hollister shirts just for the trek, and he never really intended to wear them to school anyway? (Like so many of the other rejected shirts now in his closet.) I may never know. . .sigh . . .
How did he like the trek? The food was AWESOME! Which was NOT a realistic Pioneer representation, but I'm glad he ate well. He was not fond of his "Ma." sorry "She was sexist and controlling and didn't let them have ANY fun! She liked the girls, but not the boys and made the boys do all the work! She didn't let them go play with the "children" in the other families, and they had earlier bedtimes, etc. etc. etc." (Keep in mind, this is one side of the story.) Was it worth it? Well, he has a nice farmer's tan.
.jpg)
Caleb BEFORE the trek - on his way out the door!We just got our Caleb back on Saturday after a 4-day "Pioneer Trek" in which he re-enacted some of the experiences of the Mormon Handcart Pioneers.
He put us through so much drama about his clothing before the trek that I was doing the "happy dance" after I dropped him off and praying for a humbler, kinder Caleb to return. It is still undetermined as to whether or not that prayer was answered to my wishing.
Caleb is VERY into his "look" and fashion. He wanted to carry this big part of his personality into the trek as well - which for him included purchasing $50 Hollister button-up shirts to wear for his recommended "plaid button-ups - NO T-shirts" requirement. Caleb does not want to appear "preppy" in any way, and has recently decided the only things in his wardrobe worthy of wearing are THREE of his T-shirts. The other T-shirts are too "preppy." So we do laundry every two days, and I still have no idea how a T-shirt of any kind can be considered "preppy." Plus, he picked out all the T's in his closet. I guess that's just part of what makes me the mom. Well, me being the overly practical person that I am, as well as trying to instill some reason, logic and thrift into my child - I told him there was absolutely no way I was going to spend $100 of MY money for Pioneer Trek shirts (each boy is required to bring TWO button-up shirts.) I let him know I planned to go to DI or Goodwill and find some decent button-ups for the occasion. A trek is like camping and he's just going to get it dirty, yadda, yadda, yadda. If he didn't like what I picked out, or he wanted them badly enough, he was more than welcome to use HIS money - assuming he earned that much in time.
Well, I don't know how many of you with teens can relate - but he FLIPPED out at the thought of going to a DI or Goodwill store, and there was NO WAY he would wear ANYTHING from either one! I tried to ease things up for him, by saying maybe we could find something really cheap at Target or on clearance somewhere that would suffice. He tried to reason with me that getting something JUST for the trek was an even bigger waste of money because he would never wear it afterward. So if I got something he could wear to school as well, that would be MUCH more practical. Wow, these teens are good, but I still wasn't buying it! This type of back and forth conversation went on for at least a month. . . and please keep in mind, I'm only giving you a small taste of this whole thing.
To spare you the drama details, I ended up getting some AWESOME deals on clearance at Fred Meyer. One of the pairs of pants was less than $5 - and I don't think I could have done that good at DI or Goodwill. Needless to say, I got his 2 pairs of khaki pants, 2 button-up shirts, hiking boots (from clearance at Big 5), and straw hat for less than $50. I was quite pleased with my trifty purchases and the great deals I'd found in his sizes and everything. Well, he still insisted on one Hollister shirt. He had earned enough of his own money for just one. Since he was home while I was in Vancouver, I had to go to the Hollister store without him and communicate via cell phone to get one he liked. He'd shown me the one he wanted online, but it was not in the store. So I took pictures of the ones I thought he'd like and sent them to his friend's cell phone (which by-the-way Hollister is NOT pleased with me for taking pictures of their clothes. They got after me AFTER I'd already sent the pics I needed to send - phew!)
He was quite pleased with his Hollister shirt. I told him it was a very nice shirt, and I thought it would be great for school next year, but I discouraged him from taking it on a trek. He ended up going on the trek WITHOUT the Hollister shirt (proof, he DOES take my advise sometimes!) - so the pics above are the products of my thrifty finds. :) Now this is the part I don't get. The Hollister shirt is hanging up in my laundry room, and he wants me to return it to the store. I DON'T GET IT!!! He drove me to near insanity for over a month for that *#@*% Hollister shirt! Now he wants me to take it back! Did he really just want me to spend $100 on Hollister shirts just for the trek, and he never really intended to wear them to school anyway? (Like so many of the other rejected shirts now in his closet.) I may never know. . .sigh . . .
How did he like the trek? The food was AWESOME! Which was NOT a realistic Pioneer representation, but I'm glad he ate well. He was not fond of his "Ma." sorry "She was sexist and controlling and didn't let them have ANY fun! She liked the girls, but not the boys and made the boys do all the work! She didn't let them go play with the "children" in the other families, and they had earlier bedtimes, etc. etc. etc." (Keep in mind, this is one side of the story.) Was it worth it? Well, he has a nice farmer's tan.
1 comment:
Wow. Sounds like a roller coaster, that I am going to get to enjoy as well in a few years. And, I know I did that kind of stuff to my parents. Hopefully he'll live and learn right!?!
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