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in reply to a message by Darkest
Notice:
-I did not use the namebanks for the boy/girlfriends, but I did use them for the new baby.
-I used these random events:
--One of your children has just experienced his/her first crush.
--One of your children is expecting!
-I included a ton of drama in the writing. And I mean a ton.
-I changed the formatting of the family so the multiples were split up. That makes it easier to put in boy/girlfriends.
-Because there was so much writing, I put the pictures in a seperate post. Dial-up people would thank me. :)
Posting Name: Darkest (10) (x)
Surname: Blackwood
DH: Daniel Benjamin (42) [karate instructor, ex-Marine]
DW: Catalina Raquel (Acosta) "Cata" (40) [Dallas Police Officer, ex-army]
DS: Nathaniel Reginald "Nathan" (17, triplet to Benjamin and Nora)
-Dgf: Laura Marie Riviera (18)
DS: Benjamin Karl (17, triplet to Nathan and Nora)
-Dgf: Keira Ann Westfall (16)
DD: Eleanor Grace "Nora" (17, triplet to Nathan and Ben)
DD: Madeline Rose (17) [illegitimate - Daniel]
-Dbf: Dillon Jonas White (17)
AD: Tasha Raquel "Tash" (16) [parents: Peter Smith & Chela Acosta-Smith]
-Dbf: Franco Durante Acardi (17)
DS: Trenton Rhys "Trent" (16)
-Dgf: Stephanie Lynn Paugh (15)
AD: Heather Anica (15) [parents: Peter Smith & Chela Acosta-Smith]
-Dbf: Maxwell Rhys Yates “Max” (16)
--DD: Audrey Raquel Yates (-2 months)
DS: Daniel Blaise (14) [Cerebral Palsy]
DS: Justin Cedric "Jace" (12, twin to Kathryn)
-Dgf: Sophia Anne Hart (13)
DD: Kathryn Helena (12, twin to Jace)
----------------------------
Wow; where to begin? It’s been a hectic seven years!
First, Heather and Tasha agreed they wanted to change their surname to Blackwood. We agreed to have the names changed, and everyone is happy with the situation.
Then, a team from Daniel’s youth karate class was chosen to perform at a festival in Austin which got national attention. Daniel is making nearly twice as much now, and we have moved into a larger house a few blocks away from our old one. Before, there were two or three people in each of the five bedrooms. Now, Nathan, Benjamin, Nora, Madeline, and Tash each have their own bedroom upstairs, Heather and Trent have separate bedrooms in the basement, Daniel has a bedroom on the ground floor, and Jace and Kathryn have portioned rooms in the attic. There are far fewer fights among the children now that they have their own space.
With ten children of our own, it’s no surprise we usually have at least fifteen or twenty kids in the house. Nora’s best friend, Katya, is one of the most constant faces. Katya was born in Russia, and her family moved to Dallas when she was eleven. She is a delightful girl, and we love having her around. It’s almost like having another daughter of our own at times - one who goes elsewhere for supper!
Another frequent visitor is Nathan’s best friend Joey Armstrong. Joey is not exactly our favorite person to have around, but we attempt to tolerate him. He’s what Kathryn told us, with a perfected roll of her eyes, is called an “emo kid.” We aren’t entirely sure if that means he’s some type of bird or what, but we are willing to give him some sunflower seeds if he needs. Nathan and Joey spend most of their time playing video games in the garage - indeed, we would hardly be surprised if we found out Joey had moved in out there. Joey spends more time in our garage than his own home and occasionally refers to Daniel as “Pops,” but, as Cata said seventeen years ago - what’s one more?
The main problem we have with Nathan and Joey is the drinking. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation. If we kick Joey out to keep them from drinking, Nathan will just sneak out and drink elsewhere, without us there to keep an eye on him. If we allow them to drink, the other kids will see us giving in - they can smell weakness from the other side of Dallas. As a result, we try to be sure to yell at Nathan in front of the others at least twice a week. We really don’t like that our son has been drinking - we just know when we can’t win. We tried every method possible before we gave in. Cata even went so far as to take him to jail to sober up once, and he’s been grounded more than every other kid in his grade at school put together, according to several whiny sources. All we can do is weather the storm and hope he grows out of it.
Nathan has a new girlfriend, Laura. Laura is a beautiful Hispanic young lady, and she seems far more responsible than Nathan. We hope she can instill some maturity into her boyfriend. Even if that fails, his time spent at the movies with Laura is time not spent in the garage with Joey, and we can be grateful for that.
Benjamin is also troublesome in comparison to the ideal son, but his behavior doesn’t hold a candle to Nathan’s. He is one of the smartest of our children, but, in his words, he has “a strict policy against doing any work.” He doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs (to our knowledge), but he is about the worst smart ass we’ve ever seen. He spends most of his time outside of school listening to his iPod and using his laptop, which are thankfully harmless, but the other sliver of time is spent with his paintball gun in hand. The neighbors were distinctly unpleased when Benjamin and a couple of his buddies - “Yo” and “Sup” when we asked their names - bombarded the side of their house with paintballs.
Despite his faults, Benjamin does have a responsible side. He volunteered himself and his buddies to repaint the neighbor’s house, and his teachers reluctantly admit that he is always helpful and courteous to the other students, if not the teachers. He rarely attends parties we suspect of having alcoholic beverages, and he is always in the house and sober by curfew. His bedroom isn’t too terribly messy, and his friends don’t live in our garage. (“Yo,” however, seems to be a bigger fan of Nora than Benjamin.) Benjamin may not be the perfect son, but he is a good one.
Nora skipped sixth grade, and she is now a senior in high school. She is very bright and has gotten nothing but A’s all through high school and her classes at the community college, and she has applied to several prestigious colleges. Nora’s goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon and “a writer on the side.” We can only sit back and smile when she tries to talk medicine to us - we’re both smart, but we’re far more into action than the fine art of dissecting a cat and comparing its tongue to that of a frog. A tongue’s a tongue, and we couldn’t be prouder of our little girl.
Madeline is a junior this year. She is also very intelligent, but she lacks Nora’s need for perfection. Madeline gets excellent grades, but she also has fun. She spends time studying almost every evening, but Friday nights are for relaxing. She goes to a movie with her friends or her boyfriend, Dillon, the first Friday of each month, and the other Fridays she goes to dances or parties. Madeline enjoys listening to music and writing, which she is quite good at.
Our resident musician is Trent. Trent is usually very quiet; an introvert caught in the rush of everyone around him. He seems to awaken, however, when he manages to catch some time out in the garage with his band. (That is, whenever Nathan has a date.) We enjoy having his band members around, too. Josh, Richard, and Tyler are all fun, polite boys who don’t get in much trouble. We can certainly appreciate that.
We had quite a shock a few months ago. Heather found out she was pregnant! Heather has always been a very introverted girl, and she hardly ever goes to parties or hangs out with friends. Indeed, she spends most of her time in her bedroom with her iPod and her laptop. She has been dating the same boy, Max, for over two years, and he is her first boyfriend. Heather was completely shocked when she took a pregnancy test and it turned up positive. Both Max and Heather insist they used protection, and we have to believe them. It was just one of those freak things.
We were shocked to find out Heather was pregnant, but we weren’t all that angry. She has always been a good kid, and we understand that teenagers these days are going to experiment. We can only be glad she is in a steady relationship with a boy who doesn’t seem likely to leave her, and that she came to us as soon as she found out she was having a baby. She is determined to stay in school, where she is in tenth grade. Max, who had a GPA of 3.75 for his freshman year, is going to help her keep up with the work while she is out of school, and Nora will tutor her if Max can’t handle it.
Heather found out a week ago that her baby is going to be a girl, and she and Max have agreed to name her Audrey Raquel Yates. Raquel is a traditional middle name in Cata’s family, and she is thrilled that Heather is continuing the tradition.
Most of the others are excited about Heather’s baby - except Tasha. We really aren’t sure why she is so upset, but she will hardly speak to her sister. Kathryn, our inside source, says it is likely because she thinks she would have gotten in more trouble if Franco had gotten her pregnant. That doesn’t make much sense to either of us, but they’re teenage girls and really don’t have to make sense all the time.
While we’re on the subject of Tasha, she is a junior this year, as her birthday is only seven months later than Nora, Benjamin, and Nathan’s and six months later than Madeline’s. Tasha has a wide circle of friends, and three best friends she hangs around all the time. Despite that, the one person she says she can tell anything is a freshman girl she only met three weeks ago and has hardly spoken to in person. Apparently, confidantes are now made on Myspace through responses to those little status things…
Tasha is dating a senior named Franco Acardi, an exchange student from Italy. Franco is a delightful young man, and we love having him around. He often stays for dinner, and he always helps wash the dishes afterwards. He gets along well with all of the kids, even Nathan, and has spent a good deal of time hanging out with the boys even when Tash isn’t around. Daniel enjoys his company and has been teaching him some karate. Cata’s only concern is that he has to return to Italy in a few months, and she is worried of how Tash will deal with not having him around.
Our three youngest are holding their own in the race for the most drama as well. Daniel, now fourteen and a freshman in high school, still has to use crutches to get around. He has never dated, and he has himself convinced no girl will ever like him because he’s disabled. We try to convince him otherwise, but he managed to inherit both our stubbornness. Once he gets an idea in his head, it stays there.
Meanwhile, Jace has his first girlfriend, Sophia Hart. Sophia is a sweet girl, and Jace is absolutely crazy about her. The angst in the weeks leading up to him asking her out was astounding. We’ve rarely seen any of our children so nervous.
We’ve been concerned about Kathryn lately. She seems quieter than usual, and she’s been having trouble with her schoolwork. We aren’t sure what’s wrong with her. She doesn’t want to talk to either of us, and she spends most of her time holed up in the attic by herself. She won’t even talk to Jace, and she’s always been close with him. We can only hope this is just a phase she’s going through.
As you can see, we have had an extremely hectic seven years. With our work, the kids’ various activities, and the teenage drama of ten children, we can only sit back and ride out the years. It’s a good thing our love for one another has remained strong, because neither of us could handle all the drama without our dedication to our children and to one another.
-I did not use the namebanks for the boy/girlfriends, but I did use them for the new baby.
-I used these random events:
--One of your children has just experienced his/her first crush.
--One of your children is expecting!
-I included a ton of drama in the writing. And I mean a ton.
-I changed the formatting of the family so the multiples were split up. That makes it easier to put in boy/girlfriends.
-Because there was so much writing, I put the pictures in a seperate post. Dial-up people would thank me. :)
Posting Name: Darkest (10) (x)
Surname: Blackwood
DH: Daniel Benjamin (42) [karate instructor, ex-Marine]
DW: Catalina Raquel (Acosta) "Cata" (40) [Dallas Police Officer, ex-army]
DS: Nathaniel Reginald "Nathan" (17, triplet to Benjamin and Nora)
-Dgf: Laura Marie Riviera (18)
DS: Benjamin Karl (17, triplet to Nathan and Nora)
-Dgf: Keira Ann Westfall (16)
DD: Eleanor Grace "Nora" (17, triplet to Nathan and Ben)
DD: Madeline Rose (17) [illegitimate - Daniel]
-Dbf: Dillon Jonas White (17)
AD: Tasha Raquel "Tash" (16) [parents: Peter Smith & Chela Acosta-Smith]
-Dbf: Franco Durante Acardi (17)
DS: Trenton Rhys "Trent" (16)
-Dgf: Stephanie Lynn Paugh (15)
AD: Heather Anica (15) [parents: Peter Smith & Chela Acosta-Smith]
-Dbf: Maxwell Rhys Yates “Max” (16)
--DD: Audrey Raquel Yates (-2 months)
DS: Daniel Blaise (14) [Cerebral Palsy]
DS: Justin Cedric "Jace" (12, twin to Kathryn)
-Dgf: Sophia Anne Hart (13)
DD: Kathryn Helena (12, twin to Jace)
----------------------------
Wow; where to begin? It’s been a hectic seven years!
First, Heather and Tasha agreed they wanted to change their surname to Blackwood. We agreed to have the names changed, and everyone is happy with the situation.
Then, a team from Daniel’s youth karate class was chosen to perform at a festival in Austin which got national attention. Daniel is making nearly twice as much now, and we have moved into a larger house a few blocks away from our old one. Before, there were two or three people in each of the five bedrooms. Now, Nathan, Benjamin, Nora, Madeline, and Tash each have their own bedroom upstairs, Heather and Trent have separate bedrooms in the basement, Daniel has a bedroom on the ground floor, and Jace and Kathryn have portioned rooms in the attic. There are far fewer fights among the children now that they have their own space.
With ten children of our own, it’s no surprise we usually have at least fifteen or twenty kids in the house. Nora’s best friend, Katya, is one of the most constant faces. Katya was born in Russia, and her family moved to Dallas when she was eleven. She is a delightful girl, and we love having her around. It’s almost like having another daughter of our own at times - one who goes elsewhere for supper!
Another frequent visitor is Nathan’s best friend Joey Armstrong. Joey is not exactly our favorite person to have around, but we attempt to tolerate him. He’s what Kathryn told us, with a perfected roll of her eyes, is called an “emo kid.” We aren’t entirely sure if that means he’s some type of bird or what, but we are willing to give him some sunflower seeds if he needs. Nathan and Joey spend most of their time playing video games in the garage - indeed, we would hardly be surprised if we found out Joey had moved in out there. Joey spends more time in our garage than his own home and occasionally refers to Daniel as “Pops,” but, as Cata said seventeen years ago - what’s one more?
The main problem we have with Nathan and Joey is the drinking. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation. If we kick Joey out to keep them from drinking, Nathan will just sneak out and drink elsewhere, without us there to keep an eye on him. If we allow them to drink, the other kids will see us giving in - they can smell weakness from the other side of Dallas. As a result, we try to be sure to yell at Nathan in front of the others at least twice a week. We really don’t like that our son has been drinking - we just know when we can’t win. We tried every method possible before we gave in. Cata even went so far as to take him to jail to sober up once, and he’s been grounded more than every other kid in his grade at school put together, according to several whiny sources. All we can do is weather the storm and hope he grows out of it.
Nathan has a new girlfriend, Laura. Laura is a beautiful Hispanic young lady, and she seems far more responsible than Nathan. We hope she can instill some maturity into her boyfriend. Even if that fails, his time spent at the movies with Laura is time not spent in the garage with Joey, and we can be grateful for that.
Benjamin is also troublesome in comparison to the ideal son, but his behavior doesn’t hold a candle to Nathan’s. He is one of the smartest of our children, but, in his words, he has “a strict policy against doing any work.” He doesn’t drink, smoke, or do drugs (to our knowledge), but he is about the worst smart ass we’ve ever seen. He spends most of his time outside of school listening to his iPod and using his laptop, which are thankfully harmless, but the other sliver of time is spent with his paintball gun in hand. The neighbors were distinctly unpleased when Benjamin and a couple of his buddies - “Yo” and “Sup” when we asked their names - bombarded the side of their house with paintballs.
Despite his faults, Benjamin does have a responsible side. He volunteered himself and his buddies to repaint the neighbor’s house, and his teachers reluctantly admit that he is always helpful and courteous to the other students, if not the teachers. He rarely attends parties we suspect of having alcoholic beverages, and he is always in the house and sober by curfew. His bedroom isn’t too terribly messy, and his friends don’t live in our garage. (“Yo,” however, seems to be a bigger fan of Nora than Benjamin.) Benjamin may not be the perfect son, but he is a good one.
Nora skipped sixth grade, and she is now a senior in high school. She is very bright and has gotten nothing but A’s all through high school and her classes at the community college, and she has applied to several prestigious colleges. Nora’s goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon and “a writer on the side.” We can only sit back and smile when she tries to talk medicine to us - we’re both smart, but we’re far more into action than the fine art of dissecting a cat and comparing its tongue to that of a frog. A tongue’s a tongue, and we couldn’t be prouder of our little girl.
Madeline is a junior this year. She is also very intelligent, but she lacks Nora’s need for perfection. Madeline gets excellent grades, but she also has fun. She spends time studying almost every evening, but Friday nights are for relaxing. She goes to a movie with her friends or her boyfriend, Dillon, the first Friday of each month, and the other Fridays she goes to dances or parties. Madeline enjoys listening to music and writing, which she is quite good at.
Our resident musician is Trent. Trent is usually very quiet; an introvert caught in the rush of everyone around him. He seems to awaken, however, when he manages to catch some time out in the garage with his band. (That is, whenever Nathan has a date.) We enjoy having his band members around, too. Josh, Richard, and Tyler are all fun, polite boys who don’t get in much trouble. We can certainly appreciate that.
We had quite a shock a few months ago. Heather found out she was pregnant! Heather has always been a very introverted girl, and she hardly ever goes to parties or hangs out with friends. Indeed, she spends most of her time in her bedroom with her iPod and her laptop. She has been dating the same boy, Max, for over two years, and he is her first boyfriend. Heather was completely shocked when she took a pregnancy test and it turned up positive. Both Max and Heather insist they used protection, and we have to believe them. It was just one of those freak things.
We were shocked to find out Heather was pregnant, but we weren’t all that angry. She has always been a good kid, and we understand that teenagers these days are going to experiment. We can only be glad she is in a steady relationship with a boy who doesn’t seem likely to leave her, and that she came to us as soon as she found out she was having a baby. She is determined to stay in school, where she is in tenth grade. Max, who had a GPA of 3.75 for his freshman year, is going to help her keep up with the work while she is out of school, and Nora will tutor her if Max can’t handle it.
Heather found out a week ago that her baby is going to be a girl, and she and Max have agreed to name her Audrey Raquel Yates. Raquel is a traditional middle name in Cata’s family, and she is thrilled that Heather is continuing the tradition.
Most of the others are excited about Heather’s baby - except Tasha. We really aren’t sure why she is so upset, but she will hardly speak to her sister. Kathryn, our inside source, says it is likely because she thinks she would have gotten in more trouble if Franco had gotten her pregnant. That doesn’t make much sense to either of us, but they’re teenage girls and really don’t have to make sense all the time.
While we’re on the subject of Tasha, she is a junior this year, as her birthday is only seven months later than Nora, Benjamin, and Nathan’s and six months later than Madeline’s. Tasha has a wide circle of friends, and three best friends she hangs around all the time. Despite that, the one person she says she can tell anything is a freshman girl she only met three weeks ago and has hardly spoken to in person. Apparently, confidantes are now made on Myspace through responses to those little status things…
Tasha is dating a senior named Franco Acardi, an exchange student from Italy. Franco is a delightful young man, and we love having him around. He often stays for dinner, and he always helps wash the dishes afterwards. He gets along well with all of the kids, even Nathan, and has spent a good deal of time hanging out with the boys even when Tash isn’t around. Daniel enjoys his company and has been teaching him some karate. Cata’s only concern is that he has to return to Italy in a few months, and she is worried of how Tash will deal with not having him around.
Our three youngest are holding their own in the race for the most drama as well. Daniel, now fourteen and a freshman in high school, still has to use crutches to get around. He has never dated, and he has himself convinced no girl will ever like him because he’s disabled. We try to convince him otherwise, but he managed to inherit both our stubbornness. Once he gets an idea in his head, it stays there.
Meanwhile, Jace has his first girlfriend, Sophia Hart. Sophia is a sweet girl, and Jace is absolutely crazy about her. The angst in the weeks leading up to him asking her out was astounding. We’ve rarely seen any of our children so nervous.
We’ve been concerned about Kathryn lately. She seems quieter than usual, and she’s been having trouble with her schoolwork. We aren’t sure what’s wrong with her. She doesn’t want to talk to either of us, and she spends most of her time holed up in the attic by herself. She won’t even talk to Jace, and she’s always been close with him. We can only hope this is just a phase she’s going through.
As you can see, we have had an extremely hectic seven years. With our work, the kids’ various activities, and the teenage drama of ten children, we can only sit back and ride out the years. It’s a good thing our love for one another has remained strong, because neither of us could handle all the drama without our dedication to our children and to one another.
This message was edited 12/29/2007, 9:35 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Pictures
Nathan and Joey
Nathan and Laura
Benjamin
Nora
Katya
Madeline
Madeline
Tash
Tash and Franco
Trent
Trent
Heather
Max
Daniel
Kathryn
Jace
Nathan and Joey
Nathan and Laura
Benjamin
Nora
Katya
Madeline
Madeline
Tash
Tash and Franco
Trent
Trent
Heather
Max
Daniel
Kathryn
Jace
This message was edited 12/29/2007, 9:24 AM
1