There are moments in life that define who you are, who you were, and who you will be. They don’t come often, but they do come. I’ve had three. My first was the birth of my oldest son, Brandon. My life had been laid out, every plan was in place, and then SURPRISE! Children were certainly not what I had planned, especially at the ripe old age of 18. No, definitely not planned, but it turned out that it was exactly what was needed. I knew the first time I stared into that little dimpled smile that my world had shifted for the better.
The next 15 years were whirlwind of sports, food, toys, more food, arguments, and more food. He’s broken my heart, been my best friend, my biggest pain, and always will be one of my best reasons for living. Words fail to describe just how proud I am of the little rat, though I won’t tell him that. He thinks too much of himself already.
I know everyone has seen The Blind Side. Well, the only thing he has in common with that is he’s got a mama that would do anything for him and he’s played that left tackle position since he first stumbled onto the gridiron at 9-years-old. At barely 15, he stands 5’10” and weighs in at a measly 195 pounds. He’s got arms like a gorilla and shoes big enough to go rafting in. He’s good . . . and he knows it.
The second milestone in my life was marrying my husband. Brandon was 4 when he came along. He’s strong, caring, and forgiving. He’s the kind of man that all the guys like and a woman can trust. (Not that he hasn’t tried me on that one, but then I’ve tried him pretty good too at times.) He’s someone you feel safe leaving your kids with. He’s someone you can’t send to the grocery store. You give him a list with ice and water on it, he’s going to forget the ice. No maybes about it. He does as good a job with the boys as any mama, but with more understanding of how boys think and despite the fact he still remains pretty much clueless when it comes to the workings of his wife’s mind.
His addition to our lives was smooth, almost like he’d been there all along. Not to say there weren’t problems and bumpy spots, because there were . . . lots of them . . . but we are perfect for each other. (No one else could put up with us.) Through him, Brandon learned to love hunting and fishing and I learned to share the remote. We taught him the joys of baseball and football and the dangers of opening saying anything anti-Astros even in jest. He went from being a bachelor with a bottle of catsup and a jug of water in his fridge to juice boxes and vegetables. A tough change, but he did fine. It was only after five years that we began thinking it was time for another of those life markers.
That moment of insanity brought us to the latest of the trio of my biggest moments . . . Colt. This child is as sweet as you can imagine. He’s got dancing blue eyes and a little dimple that pops up on one cheek if he’s really amused with something. He’s thoughtful, loving, and absolutely the most hard headed, aggravating, and rude little bugger I’ve ever met.
When he was born, I knew it would change us all. It marked the end of my childbearing years and started the transition from newly-wed and starting a family into raising our boys and moving towards an empty nest. We were ready for that. What we weren’t ready for was to spend the next three years trying to catch someone who went straight from sitting up to dead run and hasn’t stopped since. He gets up at 4 a.m. and goes until midnight most days; all at a sprint. We’ve learned to adapt, to team up, and to work in shifts so that someone always gets a little rest each day.
And he’s fast - oh, let me tell you he’s fast. I’ve seen him outrun my husband, his big brother, and several kids on the football team. We’ve chased him in the stores, through the yard, down the street, and around multiple football stadiums. If that wasn’t enough, the boy is strong. Snapped the clasp right off of the kiddie leash we bought in a desperate attempt to avoid being outrun yet again.
Brandon, hubby, and I are a team. We’re messy, cranky, boring, outrageous, tired, fun, and one of a kind. We love sports, food, friends, and family. We speak our minds. We fight. We cry. We laugh. We will stand together. We’re going to make it through this life and we’re taking everything we can from it; all while doing the one thing that binds us even more closely than blood and vows . . . chasing Colt.
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