A Week Can Change Everything
Declan is growing so fast. It’s like I can see his face and arms and legs expanding in front of my very eyes, like how super heroes transform in minutes during their big movie moments. And with his big growth, comes big hurt.
Last week, he was at summer camp and he was seriously left out. Keeping up with the movie references – it was one of those kleenex moments where he had tears, I had tears and you would have tears if I could give you all the details. But as I mentioned, he is growing up, and has asked for certain things – the really embarrassing things – to be left at vague details.
Let’s just say I was ready to bust some heads.
Which is what happened two days later.
Camp called and told us Declan has been beaned in the head (accidentally) with a baseball bat and was feeling dizzy. Could we come get him?
Um. Yes.
That afternoon was spent in urgent care, checking out the lump on Declan’s head and watching my kid perform roadside sobriety tests.
He was fine.
More than fine, actually.
Between the mean kid behavior and the smack on the head, we had done a lot of role play. Ways to make new friends. Ways to stand up to old ones. My kid is really comfortable around adults, but has always had issues being really himself with other children.
He is a confident, smart, funny kid. But other kids rarely see that.
He is different, and we know how much kids appreciate different.
When I picked him up Friday evening, he said he had made two new friends that week, and wanted to introduce me to one of them.
Um. Sure.
“Mom, this is my friend. Friend, this is my mom. We played a lot of tennis together this week.”
Um. OK.
His friend looked about as shocked as I was with this burst of confidence.
Which kept pulsing all weekend as we ended up at various carnivals with friends, where my normally very timid child rode everything crazy and insane. To the point where my husband sent him along alone because he was feeling sick.
Maybe we should have bopped him in the head a long time ago.
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You also failed to mention “adorable and future lady-killer.” That is one good-looking kid you’ve got there, Greebs!
You also failed to mention “adorable and future lady-killer.” That is one good-looking kid you’ve got there, Greebs!
You also failed to mention “adorable and future lady-killer.” That is one good-looking kid you’ve got there, Greebs!
Love it!
My 12 year old is very cautious, to the point where it’s a drag when we got to amusement parks because he won’t ride anything. Maybe it’s time to buy a baseball bat. Heh.
I had a freak out moment last week about him. I know he’s getting older and everything, but for the first time, I really paid attention to the girls his age at a youth group thing, and noticed that they are old enough to have boobs. O-M-G, I am so not ready for this.
Meghann – THAT TOO!!!
I found myself holding my breath a little, I get this. I too have an awesome not-at-all-average kid. He will be 13 (?!!) next month.
I was one of those kids, too–got along great with adults, not so much with kids my own age. Unfortunately, I didn’t really grow out of that until I was about 28 & the kids my age really were adults.
Vicki, I sure hope so! 🙂
I can so relate to this. Your kid is awesome and so are you guys. When he’s in high school and college with a million friends, you’ll laugh about this time in your lives.
So glad things came around at camp. It’s one thing for a parent to say “Go do it this way” but for them to listen and make a difference – shows so much confidence in himself, as well as what You and Bryan have done to build him up and feel secure about himself.
Glad the baseball bat bean was minor. UGH!
He is such a great kid.