Monday, May 9, 2011

Growing Up

My youngest celebrated his 4th birthday this weekend and so now he is so proud of himself because even though he was a big boy before, now he's really a big boy.  When a friend of mine asked him what he was going to be doing for the weekend he said, "We're going to go visit my mom's parents." LOL!!  We did have a packed weekend!  I took him along with his sister, who is 11, to the March of Dimes walk in Des Moines and the Tulip Festival in Pella.  It was a long weekend but he was a trooper!  At the walk he saw the mascot for the Drake Bulldogs and said, "Hey mascot, I know you're fake.  I know that there is a person inside of you!"  Perhaps you can also tell that he has two older siblings??

He walked quite a bit at the walk and at the Tulip Festival.  Otherwise he did have the option of either a wagon or a stroller to sit in to rest.  It's just amazing how much they learn and remember at such a young age.  On the car ride to Des Moines Saturday morning he said, "I love the March of Dimes walk because of all the animals there."  He had just turned 3 years old for the last walk and it was at the zoo.  I had to tell him that they move the walk every year so this year it would not be at the zoo.  Then while we were in Pella he brought up the fact that the last time he was there they had a tornado warning and they had to go to the basement.  Again he was 3 years old!!  I really wish my memory was THAT good!  I'm lucky to remember at the end of the day what I ate for breakfast and whether or not I ate lunch.

He's really big into baseball right now so he was so excited to get a pair of baseball cleats, batting gloves and a bat bag for his birthday.  He taps his bat on the ground, takes a practice swing, spits and then is ready for me to 'throw balls at his bat' as he likes to call pitching.  He's also big into guns that shoot anything from water to balls to darts so he was excited that he got a huge water gun and a gun that shoots balls for his birthday too and he played with both of those all day yesterday!  It's refreshing to watch a child play without a care in the world.  The older I get the more I try to be that way.  Obviously I have certain responsibilities and obligations I have to up hold but for the day to day stuff I find myself saying..."You know what the dusting can wait, you want to go out and play ball, let's go out and play ball." Or "The dishes can wait, I'll read you a story right now."  The older I get the shorter life gets and my kids aren't going to remember if the house was super clean or semi-clean but they'll remember that mom always made time for them.   Below I've included my new favorite quote.  My mom came across it at Tulip Time and these are truly words to live by.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.
            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.
            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.
           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.
            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.
            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.
            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.
         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.
         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.
-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

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