I've got an Open House to get ready to go to, a trip I need to pack me and two kiddos for, a TON of work, emails and calls to return...but I have to take a few minutes and get this down.
I told a friend today about my Ben. How he has **always** been a happy kid. I remember one day, he was only a few months old, swinging in his swing and started laughing. No reason. Just cackled away.
George was sitting beside him and turned and looked at him and said, "That kid is just a one-man party!".
I'm pleased to say time hasn't changed that about him.
He is happy. He loves making others happy. He is nice to everyone. Has plenty of friends. He would be an argument in favor of cloning! :-)
Every day, since he was in Pre-K, when he gets out of school, he comes out with a smile on his face. Often running over to me and always greets me with a hug. My friends whose sons are the same age often remark, "Wow...there's no way mine would still hug me in front of his friends." Whenever we are walking somewhere, it isn't odd for him to reach and grab my hand.
Ben walks to the beat of his own drummer. He doesn't care what people think (to a degree, of course). What I mean is he does what he likes and if someone says anything to him about it, he says, "I don't care...I like it."
So today as he got out of school, he ran over to me and hugged me. Asked how my day was. Told me his was great and said, "Let's go!". He reached to hold my hand, then...
...he let it go.
I said, "Ohhhhh."
"What mom?"
"You just let go of my hand," and I smiled.
"Oh. Yeah. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he asked very sensitively.
"Yes, baby. I knew this day would come," I answered and grinned at him.
Then the words that made my heart feel like it stopped for a brief second and jumped into my throat...
"I'm so sorry mom. Did it come too soon for you? If it did, I'll hold your hand," he replied.
"No honey. I'm okay. You're growing up and it's really fine," I kept smiling because I didn't want him to feel bad at all.
"Oh just give me your hand! You're gonna cry aren't you?!" he laughed.
"No, it's okay, you sweet thing!" and I laughed along with him. He knows me way too well! Yep...I'm a crier!
"You know I love you, right?"
"I have no doubt about that and I love you too," I said.
And because he is the one-man party, his follow-up was classic.
"What can I say, mom? Puberty is coming so you better grab an auto shotgun!"
What?
"You know...so you can shoot it out of the sky before it reaches me since you don't want me to grow up!"
"Oh my word Ben...I'm okay with you growing up, goober!"
"Good...'cuz I really want to."
::::sigh::::
It should also be noted he got home from school yesterday and cheerfully announced, "I'm officially 5-feet tall!" (They measured in PE). "Yep, I'm growing up for sure mom. That's me...strrrrrronnnnngggg!"
This kid kills me! :-) I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND MORE BEN!
Well, he is right... hang on for the ride. My Randy has man feet, hairy legs (man legs) and a deep voice. He is 5"11 or so (he looked my eye to eye when school started) and is indeed growning into a man right before my eyes. I told him the other day he was closer to being a man then to a little boy. He assures me he is still a kid, but I'm not so sure. He reads his bible everynight on his own, has started forming plenty of opinions (not sure where he gets that from) and really needs to start shaving. How quickly "it" came I can't even describe. Make him hold your hand a little longer! =-)
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