That's My Boy...14

Monday will mark fourteen years ago that we were blessed with a baby boy. We weren't expecting him, at all. He was predicted to be a girl. So much so that there was only one boy outfit period in all that we had. I was so shocked when the doctor announced he was a boy, I knocked the sterile drapes down because I didn't believe him! I wondered what on earth I was going to do with a little boy. I was used to bows and dresses and dolls. Girl stuff was what I had known since Taylor was born. I shouldn't have worried though because I was a tree climbing, frog gigging, lizard hunting, fish catching little tomboy myself. But there we were, and there we held, the little boy who took us by storm in the delivery room that day...he has continued to be a never ending source of entertainment and at times button pushing to the max, adventure. That little boy of mine just happens to be a lot like his mom. Don't let him know I said that though, or the eyerolling and denials will commence on the spot. He definitely has his mom's stubbornness, and his mom's ability to contribute more vocabulary words daily than surrounding ears are equipped to absorb. And yes, like his mom, he seems to always strive to have the last word. It's been an amazing thing to watch him grow from a little blond haired Tonka, Lego, helicopter loving youngster into the teen who loves nothing better than to whip everyone around him in Xbox games. He can spend hours proving his worth against any competitor who dares to enter his domain. Very few walk away in triumph, after an encounter with him. He welds a pretty nasty guitar in Guitar Hero too, although his sister has him on that one! Along with the normal teenage striving for independence, has also arrived the sometimes sullen, grumpy for no reason, I'm mad at the world attitude we all as parents dread. In and out of the normal ups and downs are some tear jerker episodes, and then, there are times that make me say..."Hey! That boy right there? That's my boy!" See, it seems sometimes, God opens the window just a little, and I see the character that is developing inside him. For a time it may be hidden by his longer hair and clothing that we seem to fight and fight over...but it's in there. And it's growing, day by day. One thing I'm finding out, is that this boy, is quickly growing into a young man. And some of the observations that come out of him every now and then astound me.

Most all of us have been affected by the economy, in some way or another. One of the things Keith and I decided was that we needed to become better stewards of the money that comes into the household. This brought on some changes. Some changes were forced by the economy and some we felt would just form better habits for us and for our children. We aren't as quick, to hand out money as we used to be. Now, our kids have to think about the different things coming up and decide which things they are most interested in doing. Sometimes they choose things like youth trips with the church, and sometimes they decide on things that involve other groups of friends. They know, though, that when they have earned the money for something, that's it and they may have to sit some other things out once their money is spent. Sometimes (it's the mom in me) I would like to do more for them. This, brings me to the moment I want to share with you. Cody and I were discussing what he'd like to do for his birthday. He had three things he would really like to do and/or have. I told him I really would like to do every one of those things, but because of different reasons, mainly financial obligations coming up, he would have to choose one idea. His attitude really surprised me. He made his choice and he seems pretty happy with it. Then, my fourteen year old boy looked at me and said "Mom, I'm okay with the ten or twenty you and dad give me every now and then. I think, that if you guys handed me money all the time, I think that I would have a really rotten attitude." I guess that really struck me as awesome coming from him because Keith and I don't hand either one of the kids a ten or a twenty very often. They really have learned ways to stretch their money. It's really more of a priviledge and definitely a treat to even have the chance to earn it. Just to hear that come from Cody, was like a window opened for just a moment, letting me see how this boy really looks at things. Would he love to do everything every friend of his does? Sure he would! And I'm sure sometimes, he is disappointed to sit some things out. But we've started sticking with, when the spending money is gone, it is gone...no if's, and's or but's about it.

Anyway, this is my moment to have more than a little pride in my son, and share a glimpse of the man he is one day going to be...I"m proud of him (most of the time :) longer hair, funny faces, weird sayings, skinny jeans and all....He is my youngest; he is my baby (I hope he doesn't read that or I'm in so much trouble)...Yes,that boy is MINE! I will enjoy this feeling today...for tomorrow I'm sure I will be pulling my hair out!! Lol...

A friend posted this...it fits the mood I've felt about the ups and downs of being a parent...get your kleenex ready...