She is smart, brave and adventurous. And I love her.
Tomorrow is Big Boy's 20th birthday! I can't believe he will be 20. There is a small tear in the corner of my eye right now. A 20 year-old. I don't know how that happened. When I look at him I still see that scrawny-necked little brown-eyed boy who talked so big.
Here are some of my favorite conversations.
He is six. It is the first time we saw him. We are so excited to be meet him. We have been getting things ready for him and the little boy to come home. We are driving down the road.
Me: (very excited about the newly decorated baseball themed bedroom waiting at home) "Do you like baseball?"
Big Boy: (in his very deep, Forest Gump voice) "I don't, I think Justin does."
Me: (looking at Lovey) Crap!
A few weeks later. He is going to summer school. The bus drops him off at the end of the driveway. The Little Boy and I are waiting. I notice that he has a big gap cut in his already very short hair.
Me: (in shock) "What happened to your hair?"
Big Boy: (in that very deep, Forest Gump voice) "I don't know."
Me: (trying to decide the best way to handle this) "It looks like someone cut it."
Big Boy: (no reply)
Me: "Did you cut your hair?"
Big Boy: (shrugging his shoulders) "I guess."
We walk into the house. I come up with a plan; we go into the bathroom. I stand him on the sink so that he can see himself in the mirror.
Me: (in my best momma's voice) "Just look at that spot in your pretty hair. What does that look like to you?"
Big Boy: (smiling hugely) "A Nike swoosh. It looks just like a Nike swoosh!"
And it did. He was a huge Nike fan; I had just lost.
Summer was well on it's way. We were still at that it's-all-new stage of parenthood. And watched the boys all the time. They were outside playing, and Lovey and I were sitting in the kitchen watching them through the window. Big Boy picks up a big stick and just knocks the mess out of his brother. Lovey and I go out on the porch and call them both over.
Me: "We were just watching you out the window. Why did you hit your brother just now?"
Big Boy: (after thinking it over for a minute) "I forgot to look and see if y'all were watching."
A few weeks later. The regular school year had just started. He was making new friends everyday and learning so much.
Me: (in my best I-love-school-that's-why-I'm-a-teacher voice) "What's your favorite thing about school?"
Big Boy: (confidently and in his very deep, Forest Gump voice)"Confession stand."
We are not Catholic. Nor did he attend a Catholic school. He mean concession stand. His favorite part of the day was buying snacks. I had just lost again!
A few year have passed. He has been out of school for a year now. This fall I was surprised to hear him say that he missed it just a little. Although I don't think it's the actual school part he misses, it's athletics. But I must say that I miss watching him play football just as much as he misses playing it. I lose again.
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