January 27, 2014
Bill is set on joyful this morning:
"I can wake up? Oh thank you, I’ve been waiting so long!”
“My toast is burnt! I LOVE when my toast is burnt, just like Grandpa Tom!”
“I GET TO POP A BUBBLE IN MY APPLESAUCE!”
I’m not saying that my youngest doesn’t complain. That would be ridiculous, and wholly inaccurate. He hates being sweaty without access to a shower. He can’t stand when clothing doesn’t fit correctly. He gets mad when I interrupt him, even if he interrupted me first. He thinks it’s dumb that the high school makes him keep his backpack in his locker and he can’t just lug his stuff around all day. He’s pretty sure his dad should be able to take him fishing or hunting every single weekend.
All of that aside, he’s pretty optimistic for a 14-year-old. He recognizes that, overall, he’s a lucky guy. He knows he has it better than many of his classmates. He has terrific relationships with people he loves: my dad and Dan’s brother Mike are particular confidants of his, and overhearing snippets of their conversations warms my heart. Many of his teachers have expressed to us what a special kid Billy is, though he has struggled with behavior and attention in class. Being in the same district as one’s teacher-mother isn’t always comfortable for him or me, but it does mean that I get to hear a few more of the intricacies of his school days. For instance, I once answered my phone to hear his English teacher on the other end of the phone, the class in the background, requesting that Billy not be given beans anymore for dinner as his flatulence was out of control. Then there was this conversation, with the Media Specialist (my side of the conversation is blue):
Because he goes to school over in my district instead of the district where we live, the car ride gives me some extra alone time with him most days. As anyone who has ridden in the car with Billy knows, he is a talker. He is his father’s son that way, constantly asking questions and letting me know what’s on his mind. I know what teachers he likes and dislikes, and he tells me why. It has made me reevaluate moments in my own teaching practice. He tells me about his friends, whom he loves. He talks animatedly about the plans he is making with them for the weekend — winter camping this time around. Lately, he has been expressing admiration for their older siblings. I think he’s trying to decide how he wants to shape himself as he watches the boys he’s long admired get ready to graduate, knowing that he’s eventually going to assume that place for the younger set. He also makes sly comments that make me gasp, and then laugh hysterically, “Mmm… this BK coffee tastes like what I thought the coffee should taste like at that hotel with the condom in the parking lot.” Oh dear.
In just the past few months, Billy has managed to catch me off guard with a new style of asking permission for Big Things. He thinks long and hard about the issue, so that by the time he presents it to me, he can be calm and logical and present his case in a way in which I have no choice but to consider it seriously. He anticipates my objections and answers them thoughtfully and honestly. In this way, he has managed to get us to allow him to purchase a television for his room, drop out of choir, and go winter camping (including ice fishing) without an adult present. He should probably write a book at this point.
The other night, Dan and I happened upon a video from a few years ago of Billy reciting lines from The Princess Bride. Dan said, “Whose voice is that?!” It is really hard to believe how much this child has changed in just 2-3 years. He’s nearly as tall as I, with a deepening voice that still climbs to a little boy’s timbre as he’s giggling with his gaming friends over his headset in the evenings. I miss my squishy-cheeked baby who inexplicably smelled of cupcakes, but my young man still gives me cuddles and tells me he loves me, even in front of his friends. What more could a mom ask for?
I mean, I wouldn’t mind fewer complaints about vegetables at dinner.
Thanks for reading.
Love, Susie
How fun to hear about your relationship with your son!! And fun details that give us a glimpse of Billy! 💙 Such a blessing, your family!
How wonderful - and Billy should read it over and over again in case he doesn't already know how much he means to you. As if he doesn't.