My name is Liz and I am a parent to a tweenager. Hello, Liz.

My son is turning 11 on the 3rd of March.  I.am.old.  Now, I know that 29 is not old, most 29 year olds don't have an 11 year old son, though.  Obviously, I started a little earlier than most.  :) 
The closer we get to this Birthday the more his hormones are raging.  I don't mean in some girl-crazy, sneaking-out-of-the-house way but in a getting zits and attitude way.  He is also obviously on his way to A&E to be a Hoarder.  My hubby and I cleaned out his binder last night that supposedly "just broke".  Well, my explanation would be it just exploded from the sheer weight of the paper stuffed inside.  Let me just list some of the things we found inside:
a note from me to his Student Council teacher (obviously that's why I never heard from her)
an invite to a Halloween party (good thing I'm good friends with the kids' mom and happened to know about it anyway)
school newsletter from week before Thanksgiving (including times and dates that school would be letting out for the holidays)
graded papers (some good, some not so good)
study guides (that were obviously not studied)
a permission slip that was supposed to come straight to me after school, from his teacher who's daughter is in my Girl Scout troop (whoops!)
and this is the best one.......2 pieces of plain notebook paper stapled together on all four sides.  (what?!, why would you have that?)
The recycling bin is bending right now from holding all the junk.

This morning that same binder, which is now light and he might be able to carry it without getting a hernia, caused tumoil.  Tumoil, I tell you!  He was impressed by the clean and neat binder and even noticed the zipper had been fixed after being forced open by the explosion of paper inside.  He seemed happy about it until I told him to take it with him to school. I recieved this response, "GASP!  Take my binder to school?? Why? I don't need a binder! "   
So, correct me if I'm mistaken and my son is sure I am, but if I buy something that was on the School Supply List doesn't that insenuate that he would need this "supply" for "school"?  Everyone else has to use a binder but not my kid, obvioulsy my kid goes by the underground rules, he lives in the Binder Free Zone.  
They change to four different teachers throughout the day (not including PE, Art, and Gifted and Talented) so he does need a binder to organize all of his subjects.  He let me know that now this would just  be "one more thing to carry!".  Good thing I have a sense of humor and took this hormonal rant and laughed at it and told him there's plenty of "extra junk" that I have to carry that I don't want to either.
This whole episode did make me think of my version of an exploding binder.....you know what I'm talking about, my purse!
When I look through my purse for specific things I even amaze myself at some of the things that I don't throw away or recycle. 
Sometimes these things are in there for a reason like:
Play-Doh ( I have a 3 year old, this is a lifesaving thing to have in your purse!)
Ibuprofen (Once again, I have a 3 year old)
Germ-X (necessity)
Debit card, insurance card,etc.
Burt's Bees lip balm (another necessity)

and some that have no reason but remain there for an indefinite time:
loose change that the kids have yet to steal
gum wrappers
reciepts from the grocery store
brochures and flyers from who knows where


and so and so on....

Anyway, I just guess it showed me to not take it so personal when my son has a little meltdown concerning his stuff, there are limits though.  I would probably flip a lid if someone took my purse and dumped everything out did what they wanted with it.  I mean, that's dangerous territory.
My son has taught me may things along the way.  Being so young when I had him I had alot to learn and I couldn't ask for a better kid to do it with.  I am a better parent because of him and the closer we get to his birthday the more sentimental I get about him.  Not just because he's the only kid you can tell without a doubt that I had either. :)  He is an original that's for sure.  He makes me laugh, he makes me cry and he makes me look at myself in a new light.  We have really created a new kind of parent/child relationship.  I am pretty honest with him and he knows that there is always an open door for him at anytime he wants to talk or has questions to ask.  I really do thank God for my children, without them in my life along with my crazy husband life would be oh so boring!!

Here's to my Tybo.....who is growing so fast my head spins just thinking about it! :)