There's no bigger joy then watching your tiny newborn grow up throughout the days, months, and years. Watching him/her learn, being curious about the world, and changing your perspective of life.
This post is dedicated to my precious baby boy that somehow with each passing day makes me love him more and more and everyday does something to make me a proud mother.
A couple of weeks ago we were home relaxing in bed. He was laying next to me watching Netflix while I was browsing the web. Or maybe I was studying. I don't quite remember but that's not what's important. As we are laying there on this random day my 5 years old son asks me if I can give him a pencil and paper. I was really comfortable and didn't feel like getting up so I gave him the first thing I saw. An envelope and pen. A few minutes later I noticed that he was saying something. So I stopped what I was doing and just watched him. I asked him what he was doing and he said writing. I asked if I can see what he was writing and he said yes. He started to explain to me what he had learned in school. I took a look at the envelope and I was seriously in shock. The envelope read...
"I see a _______".
Then on the blank line he had a dog. On top of the dog he drew a cat. And on top of the cat he drew a bird. then he proceeded to read to me what he wrote and in his cute 5 year old voice and pointing at each word and drawing he read "I see a dog. I see a cat. I see a bird."
What had happened to that colicky baby that I brought home from the hospital 5 years ago? I thought to myself. My baby is reading, writing, spelling words right, and forming sentences. I was so happy. So proud. I set aside my things, held my baby in my arms and just hugged him while having the biggest smile on my face. He smiled back and said "What mom?" I just replied "I love you so much baby". Then we had a little talk about how he had learned how to spell those words and why he had put a "blank" in his sentence. It was the first time in 5 years It really really hit me that I no longer had an infant, or a toddler. My baby was growing up way too fast and I was missing it all. It was the happiest yet saddest moment I had experienced in awhile. I was so proud of him yet I felt like I didn't have much to do with his recent development because I've been so caught up with my own life at school and work.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday (11/8). I had my first parent teacher conference. I had worked the night before so I was tired. And obviously there was no school so Steven Jr. was home making sure I didn't fall in a deep sleep. A couple of hours after falling asleep all I hear is this little boy saying "mom get up mom. Get up mom make me a soup". I was so tired and begged he let me sleep a bit longer. But he insisted "please mom please I want soup". So there I was super tired and knowing that there was no way he was giving up. I wonder where he gets it from lol. So I get up and say "Ok Steven, Ok. I'm coming". I make him his soup and then we start getting ready to head to school.
We arrived at the school and waited for his teacher. We sit down and for 30 minutes I had a smile from ear to ear. His teacher went on and on how MY son is a very bright kid. He has potential. He's one of the few that is ahead of his class and is reading at a advanced level for what he should be at with only 3 months of school. He can identify and spell close to half of the words he should know by the end of the school year. He wants to learn. He likes learning. He said he was very impressed and proud of him. That he's the type of student he'll push to see how far he can go. And he even demonstrated what he was telling me by asking my son random questions from time to time and my son got them all right. =D
Now you tell me. How would you be acting if you are being told all this wonderful things about your son/daughter? I was afraid I was going to jump out of my seat and do my happy dance lol. And although that didn't happened I think my face gave me up. I could not control my muscles to stop them from having that cheesy smile I had. It was a Mother's Proud Moment that was unable to be hidden :).
After getting out I called his dad, aunts, uncles, and grandmothers to give them the good news. My SIL gave me the idea to keep a journal for him with things like this that I'm sure I won't remember when he's 20+. I already started a scrapbook about his school years. I have an album from birth to 5 y/o. And I started one that I want to maintain from kindergarten to his high school graduation. It will mostly be of pictures, certificates, graduation diplomas, etc. But now I will be adding special moments in his life and ours that he can look back at and read for himself.
Being a mother, a parent, is the greatest gift. It breaks my heart when I hear of those parents who abuse their kids or even kill them. Who can do such things?! I feel guilty enough not being home as much as I want because I have to work. Or because I want to do better myself and obtain a career to better support my family.
So again I say, this night time job is seriously a blessing in disguise. I'm away from home while my boys are asleep. I sleep while my boys are at school and work. And I spent time with them in the evenings and weekends. Life is treating me good right now. I hope it continues to do so so that I can share more proud moments with my son and future kids and so that I can be a part of their life and development like I should.
What are things that your kids do to make you proud?
