Big Boy

I love him because he's gentle. He's calm. I love him because he's accepting....because he's smart, because he reminds me of his dad, because he tries hard, because he's a perfectionist even when he's trying something new. I love him even though he's easily distracted, even though he's getting too tall, even though his floor is always covered with Legos. I smile when I see him want to be a great athlete. I love that he knows by rote that "God gives everyone different talents." I hurt inside still when I think of the day 2 years ago when he broke his leg.

He made me a mom. I love all that he has taught me. I love all that I have learned from him, and all he has learned from me. I love that we read thousands of books together his first year, and many more after that. I love the time he spends with his Dad...how he wants to be just like him. He is a bank of obscure knowledge (if you know his dad, this will sound familiar). "Hey Mom, did you know most rubies in the world come from Myanmar?" I love that he's innocent, boyish, pretty well protected and sheltered, in a good way. I love that he has not yet seen Star Wars, even though I am arguing against a growing army about that one. But he's still so little. He'll still be entertained by Dora the Explorer, if that's what is on the TV.

 

He loves to read.  LOVES it.  He is in the 1st grade but reading at around a 4th grade level.  He devours books.  He's been into the Magic Tree House series of chapter books and I like to give him one for some quiet time while the girls nap on Sundays, but he usually reappears in 30 minutes with the finished book as excited as could be telling me all about it.  He misses the library desperately.

He understand Portuguese better than any of us, and according to his teacher he is 100% involved and connected in the classroom, speaking, understanding, reading and writing in Portuguese on par with his peers.  But, of all of us, he's the one that talks the most about going home.
 

He aches for those without, he wants to help everyone.  He wanted to bring home one of the orphans when we visited the orphanage.  In fact, he insisted about it for quite a while.  We've been reading in homeschool about countries and people groups who are not Christians and he has a strong conviction to find a way to send them all Bibles (forget that they may not actually want them!)  He's devoted to the Lord.  He thinks God is amazing, he loves Bible stories.  He's obedient and wants to please his parents and his God.

 

At school conferences his teacher told me he is friends with everyone in his class.  That sounds about right.  He has not yet met a kid he didn't get along with.

I don't really want him to grow up and I tell him that often.  He laughs and says he'll still be my boy, even when he has a wife and I'm a grandma.  He says the sweetest things.  Then again, he also told me that my "bum is chubby."  Well, I guess honesty is one of his strong suits too.   But he loves unconditionally.  Don't we all have something to learn from that?

D one year ago, shortly after we arrived in Brazil