Beau turns 9!

Everything seems to be a blur these days. Time is moving so fast. We've been settling into our home, getting ready for school, and starting football practice, and it just seems like the days whiz by - especially the weekends. But I need to take a minute to reflect on my son, Beau Charles Grant. He turned nine on August 6th. It was a Monday. Of course his celebration started over the weekend. He got to see both sets of Grandparents and family, which he truly loves. Of course, that brought presents and spoiling, which he loves even more.

We celebrated both Saturday and Sunday enjoying good food and company.  Then on Monday, I let him stay home from camp and that afternoon I took off work and he and I went to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He had been looking forward to that all summer.

That evening he had football practice, but when he came home we opened a few more presents, and that was it. Little uneventful, but we hope this Fall we can get a few of his friends together over here at the house to have a sleepover so he can have a good time with his buddies. As I can attest, summer birthdays are just a little tough, especially the week before school starts.

In any event, I think he had a good time. Part of me still can't believe he is nine, but he is definitely showing signs of pre-adolscence, which hurts my heart a little, and has caused me to buy a few books on how to properly communicate to kids in the pre-teen stage.

I realize my mother is laughing right now as she reads this, but seriously, that boy thinks he knows everything. He has his moments of disrespectfulness, which we are dealing with. However, you ask his grandparents how he behaves, and he is the sweetest, most thoughtful boy ever. And I truly think that is what his core is made of, but he is definitely testing his parents, which I know every child does. And if he behaves at grandparents' houses, school, and friends' homes.....then we must be doing something right.

Beau Grant has a very tender heart, and wouldn't hurt a soul.  He has NO idea how strong he is. He is 4 foot 11 inches and a little over 100 pounds. He can't wait for the day to pick me up and be taller than me, and I know that day is coming soon. Now if we could only work on his mental toughness.  He tears up a lot.  He stresses and is anxious a lot - and most of the time not over the "big" things like starting school or going to a new place, but little things like eating vegetables, and not being able to play sports for a day. I'm trying to decipher how his brain works, as we have definitely had some challenging moments this summer (insert "he knows everything and refuses to believe Mom and Dad could be right").

I love this bronzed stocky "little" boy with all my heart and soul. And every once in awhile I get a glimpse of the sweet boy that used to climb on my lap. Sometimes he forgets he is a "big" boy and slips his hand into mine. I am careful not to squeeze too tight so he notices what he has done.  He definitely thinks his Dad is cooler and funnier than his Mom, and that hurts a little too, but I understand that is all part of the growing up process.

So here he is....ripe ole age of NINE!  I took these pictures in our backyard.