Originally, the title of this post was going to be, "We're Not Going to Make It to Five." You see, my baby turns five this Thursday and during the past year, he has grown quite challenging. The ways vary, keeping us on our toes, but the frustration is the same. He is quite spirited with, unfortunately, his mother's temperament...he is easily frustrated, incredibly particular, quite bossy, and often crabby. I openly admit he gets this from my side of the family and from behavior I have poorly exhibited at some of my less than finer moments.
Recently, Remodel Man and I both have had little patience for Builder Boy. Builder Boy has started doing things just to rile us up. Since this almost five year old is clearly smarter than us, we realize too late what he is doing, thereby falling directly into his evil plot to tick us off. Yesterday, it was shoveling piles of dirt onto our freshly cleaned porch as we prepare for his weekend birthday party. He has also taken to using the hose on us when he is out playing in the sprinkler. Sometimes it's merely whining until we want to run screaming. Regardless, he is being naughty and we are not being diligent or consistent parents.
But today I realized something amazingly obvious...he really IS a good boy. As we sat waiting for his speech therapy appointment, a pen fell from the receptionist's desk across the room. Seeing this, he ran over to pick up the pen for the receptionist. I did not ask him to do this-he saw what happened, knew it was difficult for the receptionist to retrieve the pen, and did what needed to be done. Later, as we sat at a restaurant having lunch, he politely asked the waitress for more lemonade, please, then complimented her on how quickly she got it for him. While getting his haircut today, an event he hates with a passion, he would sit quietly, asking if it would be alright if he sneezed now. During dinner this evening, he ooh'ed and aah'ed over my homemade canned pickles. While all of these things appear simple, they are not to the average soon to be five year old.
It made me aware that we so often focus on what he is NOT doing...he's not being a good listener. He's not being well-behaved. He's not being polite. He's not calming down. He's not following directions. He's not sitting quietly. He's not. He's not. He's not. But he IS a good boy. He truly is.
As we begin to navigate the waters of five year old life, Remodel Man and I need to focus on what Builder Boy IS being. And at his very core, he is a good, sweet, intelligent, polite little boy...with one heck of a spirited streak. These traits will serve him well as an adult. And right now? Well, it makes him an interesting, loveable, and GOOD little boy
