we make a big deal about turning ten.

we create an entire weekend to celebrate this life moment.

what's not to celebrate about using all ten fingers and watching your child slowly quickly approach the doors into tween-dom?

at least in our home, i see the ten year old with so much childhood left in him, yet eyes on the world around him that he's learning to figure out and put together.

and we want to be the ones to whom he bounces off his ideas.

we want to hear about his curiosities and help him discover this world with a strong foundation and a clear identity.

so before peers and public education and our culture start to speak even louder, we give him a foundation that is solid and true.

it's one we've been building for him for years, but this weekend is strictly intentional.

we use the curriculum passport to purity and make it our own.

so you know where we're headed with this as parents.

we are giving "the talk" or whatever your parents called it!

but it's cushioned with...

24 hours with mom/dad (sons go with dad, daughter goes with mom)

nice dinner date with the other parent

10 guys of influence come over for special blessings dinner

a special gift

cards from friends and family that i requested a month in advance

and since this is our second time around, he knows what's coming

and he's been counting down the days for days!

here it is in a nutshell and it can be reproduced so easily...

*NOTE: the curriculum is Bible-based and spoken from a Christian worldview. it has strong in values and comes with several ways to map out a weekend with your child. however, if you aren't a Christian, i still encourage you to try it out. it guides you to open up with your child and instruct them on a path that is free and abundant while respecting the opposite sex with dignity and grace.

thursday

explain the weekend, get packed, start session 1

friday

after school, leave on 24 hour trip (sam chose and got invited to tour google headquarters. thanks frances)

session 2 and 3 with dad

saturday

drive home with session 4

open presents

nice dinner date with mom {we talk dating. i share mine and ben's story.}

he completes session 5 and that's as far as we go with the sessions {there are additional ones and devotionals}

sunday

10 guys of influence come over for special blessings dinner {these guys share what it was like to be a boy and what they've learned. they encourage sam and pray a prayer of blessing over him. he knows he's loved and supported and has a network of men who he can talk to.}

this is how we did the big ten weekend for elijah...

elijah's tenth birthday weekend

i know i didn't cover everything in this post, so ask me some questions. i'm here to help. from one momma to another.

*thanks to the dozens of you who sent cards. he was overwhelmed by every single one of you.

your dollar will prove profitable one day!