Bountiful energy.
Outrageous odours.
Yelling noise.
If the above acrostic poem describes a boy, it certainly describes my boy. Sam, my gentle, reflective boy of 2011 has changed gear in the last 12 months. He is now BOY in full throttle.
Yes, the energy levels are high as evidenced by his inability to sit still (often reading his reader on his head), the hours spent outside riding his bike, running full speed after his little brother to dish out a retaliatory whack, or climbing just about anything he can climb.
The odours are fast becoming a main attraction – the delight and hilarity and great sense of accomplishment (that will forever befuddle me) at the smells and sounds that exit certain regions have taken on a life of their own. Nowadays, he is proud to take ownership of the offending odours.
And the noise. This guy likes to talk. And talk. And shout. And scream. And cry. And laugh. And sing. He is full of life and joy. Mostly, his bubbling chatter and noisy exuberance are delight to behold. But there are those occasions when the glass-shattering piercing cries that emanate from bowels of his bedroom bring the neighbourhood running with the hospital on speed-dial. Only to find that a stubbed toe or a childish insult from his 4 year old baby brother is the cause of the earth-ending yells. This little guy doesn’t do half-measures with his emotions. Tears or giggles, you will know where he stands.
Ah, Sambo. It’s been a privilege and a joy watching this guy blossom and grow over this past year. Accomplishments like learning to ride his bike, reading his first reader, fixing his own toys, writing love notes to mom and dad, making sense of a riddle, swimming a width have been little sparks of smiles along the way. Seeing his confidence grow as he waves us goodbye at holiday club, merging into the sea of kids without so much as a backward glance brings a wave of mixed emotion to mom’s throat. Yet, having him throw his arms around my neck and covering me with kisses, without caring who looks and sees, proves that he is still my little guy. But, this little guy is, like so many boys his age, 100% in love with all things technological. Most especially mom’s iPad: the wonderful evil that it is, for it serves as a brilliant tool and a mind-sapping entertainment centre. And it can turn Sam’s generally sweet temperament on its head if one dares suggest an iPad time out. Thankfully, not all of life is iPad driven, for this little guy also spends hours with daddy’s screwdriver snuck from his toolbox, unscrewing all manner of battery-operated gadgets and bringing many a forgotten toy to life again. This little guy has swapped his deep fascination with train track building for an equally deep fascination with all things Lego. While he still loves his train tracks, it’s the Lego box that gets top priority these days. It’s not surprising that Lego has been on the top of his birthday list and that his Lego catalogue is dog-eared; worn thin with coveting. Ah! Watching him grow has certainly been a delight.
But perhaps more than the little milestones that make up the journey from toddlerhood to childhood are the heart changes. As with all kids who struggle with their selfishness and self-control, Sam has had lots of learning experiences that have exposed his sinfulness and brought him face-to-face with his struggles. Sharing has never been his strong suit – most especially sharing with his brother. Worst of all is sharing the love of his life – Jemma T. But, this year has seen Sam graciously downplay the issue, making way for everyone in the blossoming friendships. Not all his struggles are so amicably solved. Yet, on-going as they are, it is still a great joy for us to witness him take ownership of his weaknesses. One such example stands out – this year he has really struggled to pay attention during big group at Sunday school and kids’ club. His friends are fun and exciting. Together they love to fool around, egging each other on in the game of laughs. Not surprisingly, this hasn’t gone down too well with the teachers, and a few talks later, Sam decided to remove himself from his friends during big group time. It was his decision and action, not prompted by mom and dad. Sam’s explanation? “I can’t stop playing with my friends when we are sitting together so I sat away from them so that I wouldn’t be naughty.” Watching our kids own self-governance in a positive manner surprises us more than it should! But, at the same time, it’s another delight that holds greater significance than a sweet drawing or a reader finished for it is the kind of independence that will potentially serve God’s glory with greater clarity than an ability to write his own name.
In the meantime, we keep walking this road of parenting – mindful of our own sanctification as we navigate the minefield of childish emotions and enjoy the blooms of humour, love, generosity, thoughtful ponderings and the day-to-day moments that make up a lifetime.
And, on this day, October 19th 2012, we rejoice in yet another year where we can call ourselves parents of Samuel John Hayes. It’s been a journey filled with hills and valleys, but overall, the view has been breath-taking and the experience enriching. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with Sam-Wam. And thank you Sambo for being a blessing to us. We love you!
Happy 6th Birthday!
As with the past few birthday posts, here are a few of the “funny things they say” snippets that made their way onto Facebook. Sam’s collection from 2012 are …
So our family has had an afternoon in bed with coughing, spluttering and the like. Then Sam climbs into my bed and starts shoving his finger up his nose. Mom says: “uh uh, no nose picking in my bed or I boot you out! This is a pick free zone”. Sam, quick as lightning shoots back with, “Oh, so it’s free to pick then?” Monkey!
I was talking about what snowflakes look like under a microscope today with the kids during school time. Sam pipes up and says, “they should’ve called it a “bigascope” – true true!
I’m killing myself laughing! My kids have been watching lots of Tin-Tin lately. Today they’re playacting “spies”. Katie is Can-Can (Tin-Tin) and Sam is Darky the Dog! (Originally known as Snowy the Dog)
Sam’s take: dads’ bottoms move up and down when they walk. But ladies’ bottoms wiggle wiggle when they walk. Actually, only posh ladies’ bottoms do that!
Sam: mom, when I’m older I don’t want ‘bracelets’ on my teeth.
Overhead in the vuvuzelamobile today: Micah, 3:”I’m going to marry Jemma when I grow up.” Samuel, 5: “no, I’m going to marry her!” Micah: “well, *I* gave her a hug, so I’m going to marry her!” Samuel: “Well, *I* kissed her, so *I* am going to marry her!!” … What to make of this? Scott and Hayley Tubman – you may want to lock your daughter away! 
so, in discussing metamorphosis today with the kids, I asked them if they could think of other examples of metamorphosis besides the butterfly that we were studying. Sam answers with all seriousness, “Yes! Paul!”
I ask, “How’s that?”
Sam replies, “You know. He was Saul and then he changed so much and became Paul. That’s metamorphosis!”
Can’t argue with that I guess!
