My boys.

13 more days of summer.  I am sitting outside again today, taking care of the daycare, but also watching my boys play some game that they made up together.   They make me smile.

I have gotten a lot of time to be with my boys this summer.  The change in daycare kids that I had a year ago changed the dynamics of my daycare.  Kids moving on that I miss and babies getting older.  I still take care of many kids, but my attention has been focused more on my boys.  Also with the change in Jason’s job the three of us have a lot of time together on off hours.  I am learning, as they get older, the subtle and not so subtle differences in my two boys.  I know that some of the differences have to do with their ages, but personalities are truly surfacing now.

Eric, the almost 12 year old, is my quiet thinker.  You know that when he starts to talk that he has something very important to say.  He thinks about things for a long time before he actually says anything.  He gets hummer that others his age might miss.  My Eric is not aware of how other people are feeling, except for me.  He has always been a comforter of his Mother.  He can tell if I am sick, sad, angry or hurt without me saying anything and he can react accordingly.  If you are looking for Eric, just look for where the books and a nice comfy place to sit…you will find him there.

Stephen my almost 9 year old is my little fireball.  He is always moving, thinking and talking.  He is as smart as his brother in many ways, but the difference is he usually is thinking so fast and reacting even faster that he doesn’t think of the consequences until the action has already been done.  He is the  one that gets into the most trouble, but usually remembers not to do the wrong thing twice.  His memory is amazing.  He is also following in bother’s footsteps and you will find him most often when he is quiet reading in a corner as well.

For a long time these differences in personality made for many brotherly battles.  I have noticed that they are getting along better most of the time this summer.  They are either learning how to deal with each other or liking each other more, hopefully both.  This school year is the start to them going to different schools for several years.  The next time they are in school together Eric will be a senior and Stephen a Freshman in High School (that was hard to type lol).  I truly feel that they are going to get even closer over the next few years while going to separate schools.  As Stephen gets older and calms down some and Eric learns to more on how to “deal” with more people/personalities they will become friends more and more.  At least this is the prayer from this mother’s heart.

I love my boys and who they are becoming so much.  I am so thankful for them both and for their uniqueness .  God knew what he was doing when He gave them to me and I hope that I am making Him proud by how I am taking care of and raising these amazing gifts.