Them Danged Old Hills!

Lonestar has a song out there with some pretty powerful lyrics. My favorite this week has to be Walkin's easier when the road is flat Them danged ol' hillls'll get you every time

And much as I want my flat road , the song goes on to remind us that God gave us mountains so we might learn how to climb. So, while I'm dealing with those hills, Thing One is scaling the top of the mountains. Two scenes in the past 24 hours brought to light why I work so hard to be an advocate for him.

• Last night, homework time. I tell Thing One "time for homework" and he comes and gets his packet and runs upstairs telling me as he races up to his room "I'm going to do it in my room, ok?" Ok I say with my jaw still on the ground. This is the boy who protests loudly and frequently about homework. Next thing I know he's running downstairs "I need my math book". Ok, but you don't have math homework. "I know" he tells me, but the guys are doing math while I do spelling". What guys? I sneak a peek upstairs and he's taken his laundry basket, turned it upside down and is using it as his podium. And all his "guys" are really his collection of moose, facing him with the math work book in front of them. And he is deligently working on his spelling homework. He tells me "they are doing silent math work while I do my spelling".

I try to keep the mommy tears from flowing. To see how far this little boy has come: where he is enjoying the process of learning, eager to work on his homework by himself and to be involved in creative productive play is just more than I could take this week. THIS is why I get frustrated when other people see just his difficult quirks. If we dedicate our energies to him, there is no reason to expect anything less than a normal, typical future!

And if that wasn't enough of a sign from above, we're walking in to school this morning. I"m watching, trying to stay clear of the people I have recently called to task to do right by my son. When I hear this little voice call out Thing One's real name. "Hey wait for me" his classmate hollers. And we pause and Thing One smiles and says "Hi Johnny. How are you today? Want to walk to the back with me?". Sure says his pal and within minutes they are chatting away about Pokemon (the character that drives us mommies nuts but bridges all sorts of social gaps!).

More mommy tears are starting to form as I see not only has he figured out creative play, but what a huge leap in social interaction with a peer.

So, for all you mommy bears wondering where you will find the energy to climb that next hill when you are so damn tired of always being the one advocating for your child. THIS IS why we do what we do:

The photo is from my collection. I wish I'd had my camera today but instead, I figure any picture showing the boys being boys, happy, well adjusted boys, gets the point across.