Happy Birthday, Josh!

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Fourteen years ago today, I remember groggily opening my eyes following an emergency c-section and hearing my husband ask, “Do you want to hold your baby?”

And, like the good mom I was, I said, “No.”

Hey, I was still reeling from the effects of anesthesia. It wasn’t long before I did want to hold him, though – all 10 and a half pounds of him. Today, my only boy turns 14 and I couldn’t be more proud of the young man he’s becoming. So, in Josh’s honor, today’s Top Ten post is going to be 10 things that make my boy pretty amazing.

Josh Bday

1. He’s an amazing musician. Yesterday, he decided he wanted to learn to play 3 new songs on the guitar. So, he did. When he played the recorder in homeschool music class, every so often his teacher would give the kids a new song to learn to play by ear. By the time we’d get down the road to the Chick-Fil-A, where we always had lunch after music class, he’d have the song down.

So far, he’s a pretty good guitarist, drummer, and pianist. Oh, and that recorder.

2. He’s got a good heart. A couple of weeks ago, he was sick and didn’t go with us to my dad’s house for dinner. Unprompted, he sent me a text asking me to tell everyone that he loved them and was sorry he couldn’t be there. Melt a mama’s heart, y’all.

3. He’s courteous. He frequently holds my car door for me, though I’ve never asked him to do so. It’s not unusual for him to show up at the door, unprompted, to help carry in groceries when I get home from the store.

4. He enjoys serving. There are lots of folks at church who think my boy is pretty awesome, too. He frequently hunts people down to find out if there are places he can serve on Sunday mornings.

5. He’s funny. More than once I’ve told Josh that I keep him around for comic relief. He’s got a quick wit that totally amuses me.

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6. He’s quite tall. He’s just slightly shorter than his 6’1” dad. I’m short. Having someone tall around the house on a regular basis is quite handy.

7. He’s not afraid to kill bugs. He used to be a bit squeamish, but not anymore. He’s the one I call on to kill creepy bugs if Brian is at work or asleep. He’ll even kill them for his sisters.

8. He is, in the words of Phil Robertson, a godly young man. I remember that, even as a 2-year-old in the nursery, Josh treated the Bible differently than he treated other books. Way back then I knew that this was a kid who was going to grow up to love the Lord. He’s got a kind of quiet spirituality about him that impresses me. He’s not showy about it, but he’s a faith-filled kid. I love that about him.

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9. He’s giving. Nearly every year, Josh uses part of his birthday money to purchase Christmas gifts for me, Brian, and the girls. He’s not expected to do that. He wants to.

10. He’s reasonable. I won’t say that he never threw a temper tantrum as a young kid – because that would be a big, fat lie – but Josh is almost always the kind of person you can reason with. If he understands where you’re coming from or what’s expected of him, he may not like it, but he’ll deal with it.

I remember several times when, as a kid, he would be so mad about something and his face would be set and angry, but if I could just keep my cool and explain the situation to him, I could watch his face and tell the moment he got it. His face would soften and most of the anger would leave his expression and we could move on. Being reasonable is a pretty admirable quality in a kid or an adult.

I think that boy of mine is pretty awesome. Happy Birthday, Josh!

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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5 Comments

  1. He sounds like an amazing young man! Maybe he’s trying to make up the whole 10 1/2 lb. thing to you! 😉 Seriously, though, you and your husband must be equally amazing parents.

  2. Thanks for sharing. I worked up a similar list for my son last night. My oldest son turned 10 today. He wasn’t an emergency c-section, but he came too quickly for any pain meds! He’s been a blessing ever since. It’s nice to see some fruit from our parenting as the kids get older. I really enjoy reading your posts and learning from your homeschool journey. Thanks for keeping it up.

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