My first love. My inquisitive, stubborn, independent 8 year old boy - who makes his mama proud everyday. Like every child, he is going through a rebellious phase. It's like a little game he plays with us to see how far he can push, too bad he has two of the most stubborn people he'll ever meet - as his parents. We are no fools, too bad for him. ;) In the process, he has started this thing where he asks why he's always in trouble and says things like, "You all just don't like me." or "You all don't love me."...despite our many discussions of behavior and how mama is his parent, not his best friend, so some things I have to do are not going to be things he likes, but I always have his best interest in mind.
Truth is, I don't REALLY know what I'm doing. But I can't let him in on that little secret. We are both learning from each other on some level. I know we will make it beyond this "Test Mama and Dad" phase. I mean, we will, won't we?
Of course we will.
That beautiful 8 year old boy will someday be a handsome grown-up and I'll look back on these times and be glad. Glad that we made it. Glad that through all over the arguing, the groundings, the exasperation felt by all -- we grew together.
Hopefully he will look back and realize how lucky he was to have parents that took the time to "parent" him and guide him to adulthood with love.
Hopefully.
-Joy-
