Thank Goodness for Little Boys

Life is Good: with gratitude to our youngest

Month of Gratitude, Day Seven

Today and every day, I am grateful for being a mother. It is my greatest thrill. It is my biggest source of joy. What I believe will be my most important work in life and my greatest contribution to the world. It is truly my purpose.

Today, I focus my gratitude on our precious little one, affectionately known around here as "Mister T".

Oh, you are a persistent one, aren't you? You are unstoppable. Seemingly, invincible. And boy, you get stuff done. I love your determined attitude. You have absolutely no idea that your age or size or anything else should prohibit you from doing anything. Anything. Absolutely anything. This super power will serve you well, I imagine.

I love the mischievous sparkle in your eyes, your sheepish, stinkerish expressions, and that you walk into a room and make friends with everyone you see. Your smile beams like sunshine. All proof you have your granddad's DNA.

Right now is an extraordinary time in your development. I love how you talk as if you are sharing your every thought and feeling in real time. I get it, kid. We're two of a kind, that's true. The word in spanish is, "Simpatico". Maybe it's because we share a birth month, a zodiac sign. Maybe it is because you spent ten months in the womb with me. Whatever it is, I am grateful for your words and can't wait for all of the conversations we will share!

I will never get tired of hearing you sing. You are the sweetest sounding duet partner a mama could ask for. When my voice cracks, it is from an overwhelming sense of joy that you are here on this earth with me. If tears appear, it is because I am simultaneously saying silent prayers of gratitude. The blessing that you are is nearly impossible to explain in words. If I miss a word or two, it is to hold back giggles. I'm not laughing at you, but rather reveling in the sweetness of the sound, the moment.

You are quick to smile, to laugh. Your love of all things art is so exciting to me. I love to watch you draw...such intensity. I am always amazed to hear you tell me what you are drawing. You always seem to have a vision and a goal. Paint seems to be your medium. The mere sight of a paint brush makes you effervescent.

You love to build and uncover how things work. It's been that way since I can remember. I might guess that you would be an engineer when you grow up. After you've made it as a rock star, of course.

You have a sweetness that seems to radiate out of you. Friends and strangers alike comment on it. Am I gushing? Shouldn't all mamas adore their children so?

I am so very glad that you are a part of our family. God knew exactly what He was doing when he brought you to us. It is an honor to be your parent. It is a blessing to be your mama. It is a joy to be your playmate.

I treasure each moment with you, my little one.

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Names for Boys

Life is Good: and full of giggles!

The big kid has been at Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week and having a fun time. Each day on the way home, he tells me what his favorite activity was or who he sat by at snack time. He hooted and hollered as he told me about how the person behind the puppet stage was exposed on the first day.

And each day, I've asked him which friend he hung out with the most; who he sat by, who he played with. His response is typically that he spent time with everyone, which satisfies me to no end. This little boy has always been so friendly and eager to make friends and I love that while he does have his "favorite friends", he is interested and excited to play with everyone. Being inclusive is really important to me and I feel like we are off to a good start with that.

So the big kid has mentioned a boy named "Finn" a few times. "I sat by Finn.", "Finn said this or that.", etc. But I couldn't quite figure out who "Finn" was. It seemed "Finn" always last to arrive and first to leave because I never saw him or his parents during drop off or pick up.

Finally, tonight, as we were setting the table for dinner, the big kid was talking about VBS and said, "Sebastian said something really funny." Sebastian and his mom were in our playgroup when the big kid was about two, so I was happy to hear that they were interacting. "Oh, you were talking to Sebastian? How nice!" I said. Then the big kid explained that, "Sebastian is Finn." Huh? Then he explained that he had been calling Sebastian "Finn" all week. And why, you might ask? "Because he just looks like a 'Finn'" he tells me! What? Then he goes in to great detail about how Sebastian really should be named Finn. "His face and hair and stuff just look like a Finn", so that's what he has been calling him until today when he decided to go ahead and call him Sebastian. Oh, the wheels that turn in that little (big) brain. You just can't make this stuff up, folks.

I think the big kid has a future in naming things. It is a real job, in case you didn't know it! Coincidentally, I was just telling a couple of moms this morning how several Sundays ago, while we were driving home from church, the big kid asked if we could change his little brother's name. To something "less bored". Excuse me? "Less bored meaning extra boring." Well, no. We can't rename your brother. After all, we have been calling him that name for almost two years. And it is not a boring name. Still, the big kid started calling him "Zeke". And without fail. For a couple of weeks, he would call the little one Zeke every single time he spoke to or about him and the little one seemed to respond to it just fine. And then it was Wendell for a few days and then a couple of other names for a few days at a time after that. But now, we are all calling him by his given name again. If the little one needs therapy when he is older, we all know why.

These kids keep us on our toes and "in stitches". I am sure that this all seems so boring to plenty of people who I know but I can't imagine life being any more magnificent. I giggle all day long only to be interrupted by laughter. Life is good. No, it is better than good. Life is blessed.