I often have people comment on how hard it must be to have 3 boys, or ask in a disheartened sort of way "Do you ever want a girl?". My response to that? I could never have imagined that I would be the mom of 3 boys (and yes, I had to grieve the girl), but if you know MY boys - you know that I'm not missing out on anything. They are such precious gifts. Here's a bit about what they're like right now:
Andrew, now 7 1/2 is growing up so much. He's FUNNY, and witty - definitely has his dad's sense of humor. He also loves sports, I mean really loves sports. Which has been somewhat of surprise to me. He spent a good amount of the winter bouncing a ball through the house. We turned the garage area of our basement into the Verizon Center - he and Caden alternated between basketball and hockey ;). If he could pick anything to watch on TV? Sports. Sports Center or recorded games (especially when the Wizards and Caps were still playing). He told me that I had to record here that his favorite sport to play is basketball, adn his favorite sport to watch is football. He also loves reading. I had a moment today when I peeked into his backpack - they have "Friday Fun read", and get to bring a book and stuffed animal for quiet reading time. The book he brought today was CS Lewis's "The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe". Can't believe I have a child who is old enough to be reading these books on his own!
Despite that fact that he's all boy these days - he's also still incredibly affectionate and tender hearted. He daily melts my heart with his genuine "I love you, mom" or sweet hugs and kisses. Oh, and he just lost his 5th tooth! And he still loves his stuffed puppy, Spunky.
Caden (5, almost 6). This boy. He keeps us on our toes, and kills us with his precious, sweet, tender heart. Here's some examples. One night last week as I was tucking he and Andrew in, Andrew asked, "Mom, are we rich?". Before I could even respond, Caden sat straight up and said "Yes, we're rich - we have God."
And then a few days later I hear a very loud pounding noise coming from upstairs during his quiet time. So loud, in fact, that the dishes in our cabinets were rattling. When I went upstairs, I found his bedroom window wide open, and realized he was ON THE ROOF. But I couldn't see him! As I screamed his name, he came scurrying down a narrow incline, which is 3 stories up. I didn't even need to say anything - he saw the look on my face and he started crying immediately. My heart rate recovered eventually, and we decided he wasn't allowed upstairs for 3 days (and windows will be bolted). The sweet part? He discovered a Bible with narration/song CD's in our basement the next day, and sat and listened/followed along for several hours.
Will, 3 1/2. He is such a JOY. He has a laugh that makes your heart sing, and one that erupts often and freely. He's a ham, and when he wants to be inappropriate, he "shakes his booty". His speech is coming along WELL. We still meet weekly with his therapist from the county, and every other week with a private ST. A huge milestone these past few weeks has been conquering the "f" sound - one that has really affected his intelligibility (food comes out as "sood"...no one but us knows what he's saying). He's also started potty training more intensively. Today we were at Target and he said he had to go potty. We actually made it to the bathroom, and he went on one of their big scary potties...big deal! It's hard to believe that shortly, I could be done with diapers after changing them for almost 8 years straight. Tantrums are becoming a more regular part of our day, but somehow the third time around, they don't get to me as much. I'm soaking up every last little bit of baby/toddler that's left in him, and really enjoying how precious this age is.
I am so incredibly thankful that I get to be their mama. Lord, give me grace to do it well!
