Raising a child is hard work. You experience an unconditional, completely fulfilling, extraordinary, selfless love like no other while simultaneously completely losing your mind. Like, seriously losing your marbles. There are days that I feel my nerves are like piano strings and Colby hops on each one seeing how loudly he can bang them. God entrusted a very special, brilliant, loving yet defiant child into my care and sometimes you feel as though your doing the best you can.
Last time to tuck in a 6 year old
I can't believe my little man is now 7 years old. Time does truly fly by. So at 7 years of age these are the "Colby" highlights:
(1)Colby, like most kids this age, has developed the "smart mouth syndrome" that makes you want to chunk them out of a moving vehicle at times. We are learning things like "your not the boss of me" and the ole Rudy Huxtable standby of "I never get to do anything I want to do!" Something I've tried teaching him since he was young is when your angry, take a deep breath and just walk away. I find I am having to tell myself that now more than I'm having to tell him.
Punishment before his birthday party ..... He thought it was fun at first. He quickly realized it wasn't.
(2)Colby is extremely affectionate. He is very outgoing and never meets a stranger. I've seen him jump into people's arms and then realize he has absolutely no idea who they even are. He can't just simply shake your hand or give you a simple "what's up", he has to violently attack you in a bear hug or very unexpectedly jump into your arms. I've had to remind myself that it's my insecurities that this bothers and that it's just his personality. He can't simply sit by you, he needs to sit on you. He plays with my hair while watching tv and always wants to hold my hand. He wants a kiss before getting out of the car for school and one before falling asleep.
(3) He loves music. His IPod is full of 80's rock. He can tell you every Journey song and can even distinguish between Steve Perry and the new singer Arnel Pineda! He loves to sing the most inappropriate songs in the most inappropriate places such as "I'm sexy and I know it" at church and alerted everyone in Walmart once that he had "moves like Jagger". He will break it down whenever he sees fit.
(4) He loves baseball. He started out a little rocky but after some great coaching he is getting the hang of it. He is still scared of the ball when it's thrown to him but he is working on it. I may be partial but my goodness he is precious in the outfit too. He slides into home even when he doesn't need too and he has great sportsmanship.
(5) He "jokes" instead of "lies." Colby you said you put your dirty clothes up.... Well mom I was just joking. Yea nice try... Try again.
(6) He is very smart. He has made all A's so far and his reading abilities blow my mind. His favorite subject is still "recess" and he hates math but he gets that honest. He loves to tell people that he is smarter than me because he knew who the 16th president was and I didn't. If he only knew I had to google the difference between an adverb and a preposition.
(7)He is extremely clumsy. He thinks he is a gymnast. He thinks jumping from couch to couch is a fine art that he must master. Eventually the floor is going to win.
(8) He thinks money grows on trees already. He doesn't understand why I can't just go to "that money thing" (ATM) and "just get some dollars"
for whatever it is that he is wanting.
(9) He loves to swim. He mastered this last summer but he begs to swim every day. When I told him it was too cold yesterday he pleaded that he would wear his long johns and boots.
(10). He no longer can take a picture without making some sort of face. Case in point:
(11). God love him he barely has any teeth. We had to have a few removed due to his mouth being too small but the others he has pulled. I can remember as a child pulling my teeth was a tragic event but he does it like a champ!
(12) Colby is VERY into girls. He loves to pick out girls and tell them they are H-O-T hot! He has a girlfriend at school but until recently that relationship has only been one sided. He tells her he loves her, she tells him she hates him.... Typical young love. Yesterday he got in the car singing a song he made up entitled "today I got my girlfriend back". Apparently they are now "on again". Lord help me...
Here are some highlights from his 7th birthday party. I have said this before but plan on sticking to my word next year that this will be the last big birthday party he has.
Kids are like wild animals being released when a piñata breaks.
Scavenger hunt was a huge hit!
A huge shout out thank you to my dear friend Shae who helped me paint all of these bags!
Impossible to get everyone to look.
Pin the ball in the catchers mit.
Happy 7th Birthday Colby Owen Mills. I love you to the moon and back no matter how much I gripe about you. You have made me lose my mind yet find my soul. Although some days I'm determined your trying to kill me, I realize that you are actually what keeps me going. You will never know the depths of my love for you. You have taught me more about myself in 7 years than I knew in the 25 years previous.
