Monday, March 4, 2013

No Convincing Otherwise



As Glenn quickly approaches his fourth birthday, I can’t help but think how far we have come.   There are a few pictures in particular that for some reason I have always used to measure his growth.  The first is him, as a newborn, lying on his blanket.  He is happy, unable to roll over, and on his stomach in our living room floor back in Wisconsin.  The second is him in the same spot, approximately a year later, only now he has managed to crawl about ten feet away from the blanket.  The third, another year later, and he is sitting by the corn field looking back across the street at the house, seen above, his little blanket still sitting on the living room floor.  Now he is in Texas and I feel like he will forever be exploring farther and farther away from his little blanket.  I’m looking forward to the growth curve slowing.

It’s tough, because I want him to grow up, I want to him to not need company or assistance when he goes to the bathroom.  Sometimes I wish we could just fast forward to him at 22, and sit together at a bar.  Discussing life, love, and politics like two friends.  He is close to moving beyond the little boy stage.  Will things be easier or do they just remain differently difficult?  As parents the more work we put in, the less they need us.  Eventually he will be 22, and he will no more want to spend time with me than he needs his little blanket.

Despite what seems to be his accelerated pace towards adulthood, we still have some time.

The follow is a list of items/habits that we are “working on”

#1- His Uncle did not make his Nani.(pronounced na-nee) The stuffed animal he sleeps with at night.

#2- He had not previously met a friend of mine even though I hadn't seen him in years.  “Yes Dad I met him a long time ago…

#3- His uncle did not give birth to his second cousin. 

#4- I can’t get him to stop referring to stores, by the state in which they reside.  ‘Dad you remember that time grandma took me to Wisconsin Wal-Mart.  I remember that.’

#5- He does not need to scream my name in order to have his nose wiped.  A much better solution would be to move his hand 30 inches to take the tissue and wipe his own nose.

#6 His brown eyes do not help him see in the dark

Truth be told I’m glad because, I want him to stay right where he is at.  Where he can look past every bumbling mistake I make, and still see me as a superhero.  Where he randomly will tell me that I’m his best friend, spend the morning cuddling with me, and show me his ‘moves’ as he wrestles with imaginary bad guys.  More than anything I want him to stop crawling further and further away from his little blanket. 

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