TODAY IS OUR SON'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY. WE CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT! THE NAME OF THIS POST SUMS HIM UP- HE HAS BEEN EVERYTHING FROM BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, A PIRATE, A DALLAS COWBOY FOOTBALL PLAYER, WOODY, THE LONE RANGER, A BRAVE KNIGHT AND MOST RECENTLY GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON.
HE WAS BORN IN 2003 AND WE DID NOT KNOW IF WE WERE EXPECTING A BOY OR A GIRL - WE DID NOT FIND OUT. SINCE WE ALREADY WERE BLESSED WITH A DARLING DAUGHTER AND THE SONOGRAM LOOKED SO SIMILIAR TO HER'S I THINK WE JUST BOTH EXPECTED A GIRL. THERE WAS A LOT OF ANTICIPATION IN THE DELIVERY ROOM, AS WE DID NOT KNOW IF THE BABY WAS A BOY OR GIRL, THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WERE VERY EXCITED ALSO!
ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER THE DOCTOR SHOUTED, "IT'S A BOY!". THE WHOLE PLACE WENT CRAZY! EVERYONE WAS SO EXCITED, TOMMY AND I COULD BARELY CONTAIN OURSELVES - WHAT A GIFT - WHAT AN UNEXPECTED BLESSING. LATER, THE NURSES TOLD US - THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN TWO PARENTS SO EXCITED ABOUT A LITTLE BOY! I GUESS THAT IS WHY HIS PERSONALITY IS SO BIG AND HE IS ALWAYS ENTERTAINING AND PUTTING ON A SHOW - HE WAS DELIVERED INTO THE WORLD WITH AN APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE!
HE WAS A SWEET AND CUDDLY BABY (AND HE STILL LIKES TO CUDDLE - I LOVE THAT!). ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS ONE AND TODDLING ALONG, HE WOULD ALWAYS FIND A TOY OR SOMETHING TO STICK IN THE BACK OF HIS SHIRT, EARLY ON HE WAS PRETENDING THAT IT WAS A RIFLE OR SWORD OR WINGS. I NEVER DREAMED THAT OUR BOY WOULD DRESS UP AND PRETEND AS MUCH AS OUR DAUGHTER WOULD.
WHEN HE TURNED 18 MONTHS OUR LIVES OF EASY DISCIPLINE AND BEING SPOILED BY A CHARMING AND RULE FOLLOWING FIRST BORN WERE TURNED INSIDE OUT. WE READ EVERY BOOK BY DR. DOBSON AND DR. LEHMAN JUST TO KEEP OUR SANITY. AS A MOM, I LEARNED THAT MY DAYS OF TEA PARTY'S AND SMOOTH SAILING WERE GONE.
GOD HAS TAUGHT ME MANY LESSONS ABOUT PARENTING THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL BOY - FIRST HE IS A LOT LIKE ME IN HIS NEED TO ALWAYS STATE HIS CASE AND BE HEARD. SECONDLY, OUR DEFINITIONS OF CLEAN ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE AND NOW I KNOW HOW MY HEAVENLY FATHER FEELS WHEN I, MYSELF AM DISOBEDIENT!
HE HAS THE MOST EXCITING ADVENTURES IN HIS LIFE AND CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE, ALWAYS ASKING "CAN WE GO HERE SOMETIME, CAN I VISIT HERE OR TRAVEL THERE. HE HAS MANY GOOD QUALITIES OF HIS DADDY'S INCLUDING, BEING VERY OUTGOING AND FRIENDLY. HE HAS SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS - I'M QUITE SURE THAT HAD THE WRIGHT BROTHERS NOT MOVED EARLIER THIS YEAR - OUR CHURCH WOULD HAVE SEEN THE FIRST PRE-SCHOOL AGED PRAISE BAND. HE HAS MANY DEAR 'BUDDIES' AMONG HIS MOST CHERISHED IS HIS DEAR COUSIN CARTER WHO HE SAYS IS HIS BROTHER.
HE HAS TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT HISTORY THAN I EVER LEARNED IN SCHOOL. BY GENETICS OR ENVIRONMENT HE HAS A LOVE OF HISTORY, THAT I HAVE ONLY SEEN IN ONE OTHER PERSON AND THAT IS MY DAD - HIS BELOVED PAPA! ONE OF MY MOST CHERISHED MEMORIES IS WATCHING THE TWO OF THEM SWORD FIGHT IN OUR BACK YARD WITH BIG FOAM SWORDS.
HE ADORES HIS SISTER AND WANTS TO BE WITH HER CONSTANTLY. SHE TOLERATES THIS ONLY SOME OF THE TIME, BUT THEY DO PLAY TOGETHER WELL AND IT MAKES ME SECURE IN KNOWING THAT HE WILL ALWAYS WATCH OUT FOR HER.
AS WE ATE LUNCH YESTERDAY, HE WAS TELLING ME IN GREAT DETAIL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RATS AND MICE. ADMONISHING ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO CREEPY CRAWLY SPECIES, AND HOW COULD I EVER LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THAT RATS WERE JUST BIG MICE. HE GOT THE STORY STRAIGHT FROM HIS TEACHER.
WITH ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD HE SAYS TO ME, "YOU KNOW MOM, I THINK MRS. MCKAY IS SMARTER THAN YOU.". HORRIFIED, I SAID, "HOW CAN ANYONE BE SMARTER THAN YOUR MOTHER?".
HE LOOKED UP AT ME WITH THOSE HUGE GREEN EYES AND SAYS VERY SERIOUSLY, "MOM. GOD IS."
YES SON, GOD IS SMARTER THAN ALL OF US, AND HE KNEW YOU WERE JUST WHAT THIS FAMILY NEEDED. AS GOD HAS TAUGHT ME TO ROLL WITH IT - THINGS WILL NOT ALWAYS BE PERFECT AND YOUR KIDS SURE WON'T ACT THAT WAY - BUT THE ROLLER COASTER OF THE JOURNEY IS WHAT MAKES LIFE LIVING. AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS I THOUGHT I SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY - AND NOW I KNOW I SHOULD JUST LAUGH!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG B - THANK YOU FOR LOVING GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART AND EMBRACING LIFE FOR EVERYTHING THAT IT IS AND EVERTYHING YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE!
- A GRATEFUL MOM
