Mothering Two Different Types of Boys

I love my boys. There's nothing I wouldn't do for either of them. They are two totally different types of children, however. I was thinking about that tonight at dinner. There we were at the table--my mom, my dad, my husband, Brad and myself and we were talking about Drew and how he had to serve a detention for the 2nd time this week. Brad kept chiming in about what Drew had done and I could tell that the wheels in his head were turning, thinking about what not to do in the future. It's funny (odd) to think about their differences because they're literally like night and day.

Drew is impulsive like me. He does things without thinking them through. Brad is my analyzer. He has always been an observer and will think about things before he does them. Drew is not a high achiever when it comes to academics. He gets average grades and test scores but for him, school is a social call. Brad has friends at school but he's always been in love with learning. He will be testing for the gifted and talented program at his school and is a fantastic reader. Drew is a born entertainer--he played saxophone in the band last year, he is a great actor and singer and Brad is my athlete. Drew wants to be an actor or a model (he's a gorgeous child)and Brad wants to be in the football hall of fame.

I don't want much out of this life. I don't hope to live in a mansion and have gobs of money, I don't need to drive a luxury car to be happy. But I am so excited to watch these boys' lives unfold, supporting them every step of the way. I want to see what God has planned for them and how He will use them in the overall scheme of things. These are two very special boys who have so much ahead of them and I feel so blessed to be their mother.

A Thought to Ponder...

I saw this verse in a book tonight while I was at work. I love it and it really hit home with me.

"If there is something to desire, there will be something to regret. If there's something to regret, there will be something to recall. If there is something to recall, there was nothing to regret. If there was nothing to regret there, was nothing to desire."

What's the last thing you desired? Did it make you ache? Did it make you regret? What if the thing you desired most was something you could never have again? If you couldn't have it again, would it make you appreciate the final experience that much more or would it not mean that much to you?

15 Books

Rules: Don't take too long to think about it. List 15 books you've read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose. Accept that my choice, and maybe yours too, would be different on any given day.

1. The Shack - William Young
2. Tara Road - Maeve Binchy
3. Summer Sisters - Judy Blume
4. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
5. The Brutal Telling - Louise Penny
6. Still She Haunts Me - Katie Roiphe
7. Ozma of Oz - L Frank Baum
8. Night - Elie Wiesel
9. Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally
10. Giorgio's Village - Tomie de Paola
11. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
12. Remember Me - Christopher Pike
13. You've Been Warned - James Patterson
14. The Birthday Present - Barbara Vine
15. Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine - Tom Jordan

In Honor of Valentine's Day

Yes, tomorrow is V-Day. I am not really a very mushy, lovey-dovey person but I read a quote in February's issue of Glamour magazine at work the other day talking about love. It reads: "It's okay to show up at a guy's house with a dozen roses and declare your undying affection. It's okay to have too much to drink and call your ex 20 times then be embarrassed when you realize your number must have shown up on his caller ID. It's okay because making a fool out of yourself for love is ultimately about YOU, how much you have to give and the distances you will travel to keep your heart wide open when everything around you makes you feel like slamming it shut and soldering it closed."

I've done this, blog friends. I am notorious for wearing my heart on my sleeve. Sometimes it's blown up in my face leaving me devastated and crushed and sometimes it's been wonderful. I guess love and loss is part of this amazing adventure called life.

Braggin' on Brad

I hope Drew doesn't read my blog one day and get jealous that I'm bragging on his little brother but tonight, I just have to. My baby has been nominated to test into the gifted/talented program at his school and I am one proud Mama. During his basketball game today (well, when he wasn't actively playing) I filled out the 3-page questionaire about him and it was really hard not to over hype him. My grandma and I have always considered Brad to be an "old soul" in a little body and while going through the questions, I couldn't help solidify that theory.

One of the questions asked for an example of how he shows compassion and caring for others around him and I had to tell the following story:

When we lived in Decatur, he and his brother, Drew had a friend named Drew who happened to be a black boy. One afternoon after school, they'd all been playing together and Brad came in to get a drink of water and he told me, "All the kids call both Drews 'White Drew' and 'Black Drew' but I don't. I always say, 'My brother, Drew' or 'Drew C.'" As a mother, for a 7-year-old child to have seen past race and just acknowledged Drew C. as a person rather than a color absolutely melted my heart. I have always, always done my best to ensure that my children understand that we're all different and we're all unique. That every single person has something to offer in this world. I get teary-eyed to think that he's already seeing past boundaries like that at such a young age... he and his brother both have such tolerant and accepting personalities and I like to think that I had something to do with that. I could not have asked for better children than those which I have.

Saturday's Random Thoughts

Hello, blog friends! Again I am at a loss for topics.

*I feel badly because I don't blog very often. I keep thinking maybe it's because nothing is going on in my life, but in reality, lots happens--it's just the same stuff, different day.

*I love singing. I do it all the time and have been at it for 20 years.

*I saw the new Mel Gibson movie and loved it. I don't care what people say about him being a nut or whatever, I think he's fantastic and he's been one of my favorite actors forever.

*Speaking of favorites, I love Rod Stewart. I've loved him since I was probably 7 years old. I think he's amazing.

*My workouts are going well! I have kind of stalled in that I don't go but maybe 3x a week rather than 5. I've lost 15 lbs and I can't imagine what would happen weight-wise if I went 5 or 6 days a week. I love it when I workout because the veins in my arms and a couple in my legs pop out; that's hot!

*My celebrity athlete crush is Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

*I hate it when I think I've done something wrong to someone. I am a people pleaser to a fault and if I think someone's mad at me, I'll do whatever it takes to fix the situation.

*I'm excited to announce that my youngest son, Brad has been selected for testing in his school's gifted/talented program. I hope he qualifies because he's such a hard worker and phenominal thinker. My grandma and I have always said that he's an old soul in a little body.

*American Idol has started again for another season. I always get a little irritated during the audition process because what they show on TV is nothing like it is in real life. I went to the Austin audition about 4-5 years ago, had a great time, and was glad that I hadn't given up everything and hinged all my hopes on AI.

*I hate it when things change but when things stay the same, I get bored.