One of the things that I enjoy as his mama is getting to know this little man.
There are things about his personality that I saw in the first year of his life that are still present. And yet there are new facets that have developed or grown stronger over the last year.
Joy. Can you say exuberant joy? He is joyful and he brings joy to me. Not every minute of every day - there are growing pains. But...when I think of my Barber I can't help but smile and see his smiling face in my minds eye and hear his giggle.
Love. This boy loves his family. Hugs and kisses abound and we still have our secret handshake. He is definitely independent and likes to do things on his own - by himself. But then, in his own way - loud and obvious or quiet and thoughtful - he makes sure that you know he loves you and needs you and enjoys spending time with you. He may snuggle up and ask me to read a book to him - or better yet, he reads one to me. He might hand me a flower just because he wants me to know that I am special. His favorite are the buds from the Bleeding Hearts that we have in the front yard.
Intensity. It is seen when he is playing t-ball or soccer on an organized team. This intensity is also apparent when he is working on a project for school or building something or playing the Wii. Whether he is working or playing, there is an intensity about him. Not in a bad way either - he just puts everything he's got into whatever he is doing. 100% all of the time. The difficulty is when he is so focused that he forgets that Mommy and Daddy trump anything that he is doing...
Opinionated. One thing that Barber has never lacked is his opinion. He has no problem with telling me whether he likes my hair or not, an outfit, how something smells, etc. He started picking out his own clothes when he was two years old. He is sensitive to others and their feelings but he doesn't allow that to control what his likes and dislikes are. It seems like he was born knowing who he is, what he likes, etc.
Humorous. This child makes me laugh. Genuinely laugh. What he says, how he says it, the faces he makes...I can't quite put my finger on it. He just has an excellent sense of humor and sometimes it happens when we least expect it. For example, Simms just put a chain on our gate door this past weekend (so it can be opened from the outside when it is unlocked). A few hours later he discovered that it was off!?! While we were eating dinner he asked the boys about it. Barber ended up telling us this story of how he was trying to get into the backyard and was struggling with the chain until he "had enough of that" and pulled it off and threw it out. May not sound funny now but Simms and I giggled quite a bit over this incident.
Inquisitive. Barber definitely has the making of an investigator. His Kindergarten teacher refers to him as a little scientist. He likes to figure things out and is very tactile. A little too much at times for my liking. I know it is there for a reason - I'm still teaching him how to think of the consequences before he moves forward on one of his ideas. I'm praying this lesson is learned sooner than later.
Imagination. One moment he is a superhero until he is a police officer or a spy or a pirate or a knight...the list is truly endless. The one theme that is seen throughout is that there is adventure involved in the story line he creates and he is ultimately the hero that saves the day.
Charmer. He doesn't know this...yet. Hopefully it stays that way as long as possible. This coupled with any and all of the above is why this mama spends a lot of time praying. Where did he get this attribute? Do you know my husband / his Daddy? Need I say more? Already - in Kindergarten, there are little girls that give him the "eyes". He isn't seeing it but I do when I visit him at school. There is one girl in particular. He has known her since preschool and this past week he told me she is his girlfriend. I corrected him "no...she is a friend who happens to be a girl". His response? "I know. That's what I said. She is my girlfriend". Ugh.
Oh my sweet Barber - you are truly a gift, a priceless treasure. I'm so blessed to have you call me Mommy / Mom / Mama and I will always love you no matter what.
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