The Boys in My House

Elijah just celebrated his birthday. I love the way he celebrates it. He doesn't wait for someone to guess what he likes, he just plans it all himself. He starts giving me lists and gift ideas pretty far in advance. This year, he had his birthday candle picked out in the summer. He arranged for his grandparents to call and sing to him on the morning of his birthday. In the past, he has arranged for breakfast in bed, he has called family members to work through plans for flag football, and he has followed up with friends to make sure they can come over for his birthday. He chooses his menu and is just so incredibly good-natured about all of it. His gift list is often unusual. Last year, his number one request was a Pack-It lunchbox. Done. He was perfectly pleased with it. This year, his number one request was a blue wide-mouth Nalgene. Done. Again, perfectly pleased. I wonder if all of us could benefit from his cheerful, laid-back planning of his own celebration and the way he can go to bed on his birthday with only one unmet expectation--"Could you guys sing Happy Birthday to me one more time before I go to sleep?" Done.

This year, as usual, he was utterly spoiled by family and friends. The main gift we picked for him (and begged for a little cash infusion from Grandma) was a microscope. I had to laugh when I was trying to get the boys to put their school efforts in high gear last week on a particularly busy day and he was messing with his microscope hollering, "Mom, I can see the cell nucleus!" Nothing to do with the microscope was on his school list, but as I watched him study the world of cells, I thought:

"Son, quit learning so much with your microscope and start on your schoolwork," said no homeschool mom ever.

I chose to take a deep breath and sit with him and his microscope and he told me his expanded dream. Along with the big blue semi truck full of food he will drive through Africa to feed hungry children, he will also be a scientist who figures out how to make medicine for sick kids. He will bring medicine in his big truck too. I am so glad I got to hear that dream as my not-so-little boy peered at the wonders in his microscope. We might be a little behind in the vocabulary workbook, but I think I'm OK with that.

As for the teenager in my house? It's been a year since Joseph was diagnosed with celiac disease. I have watched him grow in character so much during that time as he has chosen to respect the limitations celiac places on him and care for his body. He doesn't sneak gluten. He doesn't rebel or complain. And that makes it even more fun to bless him with delicious treats I have learned to make for him. It has been a joy to see him grow in every way, even as he finds himself on the outside looking in at so many events and gatherings. He has had to learn to take charge of what goes into his body because we can't always be there and he's gotten very good at it. On the outside, he has grown almost five inches. On the outside and the inside, the shape of the man he is becoming is starting to appear. I choke up pretty regularly when I see him. I search his face for signs of the little baby I held. The eyes are the same, but the boy looking down (yes, down) right back at me is more man than boy now.

The boys continue to be so deeply attached to one another. Elijah can't sleep if Joseph isn't in the room. Joseph can't sleep if Elijah isn't there. They take breaks during school and go outside to play garage tennis or basketball or just have a good old-fashioned fight at the top of their lungs in the front yard. Yup. That's us. Really, why can't they fight inside where the neighbors can't hear them as well? Anyway, they also love football and I can't believe the tackles and airborne boys I see out the window. A few days ago, Elijah got tackled and his head bounced off the ground. He was dizzy and had a headache for awhile. The next day, I said they couldn't tackle, at which point they both protested loudly that football is no fun without tackling. I told them flag football or nothing. They grabbed dish towels and headed outside. I heard happy, happy sounds. Then I went to the window and watched the happy, happy sounds continue even as I watched Joseph grab Elijah's "flag" with one hand and take him down to the ground with the other.

Boys.