4th Quarter Katie

I know it has been a while, but that’s probably a good thing.  It means I have a life.  hehehe  At least Mom will be happy knowing that a good portion of my life is currently happening behind closed doors.  And I say to her, “Or on Facebook…”

And I jest.  Anyway, I felt the urge to break my silence because tomorrow is the birthday of the one that I love more than I love anything or person.  (See, that is the problem with physically giving part of yourself to someone, you end up really, really liking them a lot.)  My Reddenator-gator is turning seven tomorrow.

The time has passed so quickly!  The “Don’t you tell me say no!”’s have turned into, “It must be hard being an adult.”’s  The velcro spiderman shoes have turned into the most fantastically ugly self tied bows.  F-ucks (fire trucks) are now the vehicles driven by the profession he wants to be.  And seven years from now, he will be 14.

I wake up everyday convinced that today is the last day that he will think that I am beautiful, funny, smart, and a snappy dresser (which he does).  Each night that I tuck him in, I swear that the next he will refuse to pay me in kisses.  But as he grows, he becomes more and more a gentleman.  Not a morning or afternoon goes by where he doesn’t dutifully hold the door for me.  He helps me cook and clean and runs to check on me if I cough or cry.  It strikes me as ironic that the little boy I don’t want to go away, is the becoming the man that I have dreamed of holding onto for a lifetime.

I am so proud of him.  And I am so thankful of the people he has in his life.  His Daddy who never went a day without believing in him.  His Oma who challenges life patterns by paying love forward on a daily basis.  His Opa who gives him hours of train and peddle time and humors all of his wild notions.  His aunt Beth who can’t look at him in any other way than her surrogate son and lovingly gives herself and time completely to that little boy, in ways his own momma can’t.  His Ma and Pa who can’t resist any chance to spoil him, cuddle him, and show him their love.  And all the others that I haven’t mentioned, namely – my friends who have made my little boy a part of their lives.

Redden Kyle Bugg, I wish you a very happy birthday.  I love you in ways I can’t express and my greatest hope is that you never live a day without knowing that.