Friday, May 29

My Baby Boy...

Awwww, my baby boy is 19 years old today. Happy birthday son!!

Wow, where did the years go? He has grown from a very, how can I put this? erm... demanding, vociferous and dare I say.. naughty.. child into a very conscienscious, caring, hard working man.

I'm sure if when he was a toddler I had taken further action, he would have been labled as ADHD. He was a bundle of fury and threw the biggest temper tantrums in the world ever over the smallest incident. Now I have had 3 kids and have worked with many many kids over the years in my childcare working days, and I have never seen a kid like him. My mum used to call him Satan. He wasn't naughty for the sake of being naughty, he struggled to control his temper and would flare up with frustration at the slightest thing. My mum always said, it's a good job that I am such a patient person, as she doesn't know how else he would have survived.

That is all behind us now, and thankfully only a memory. He is a tall, handsome (of course I'm going to say that) lad, who since the age of about 9 hasn't given me any bother whatsoever. I don't think there are many parents that can say that of a 19 year old. He has been with his girlfriend almost 3 years and they are happy. There are no baby Russ's anywhere (well not that we know of), he's never been in trouble with the police, has never done drugs (he has asthma and just won't try them), he does drink sometimes, but I've only had to mop up after him once. He pays his rent on time, he has a full time job and is in the third year of his apprenticeship to become an Engineer, and only has 1 year left before he finishes his HNC in Engineering.

He is a lazy bugger when it comes to doing anything in the house, his bedroom is a pigsty crossed with a warzone full of pizza boxes, empty cans, dirty washing etc etc, I just don't go in there. I don't want anything to jump out and bite me. But if that is the only downside to my lad, I can cope with that.

And then there's his band... lead guitarist in a band that has gone through to the finals of Battle of the Bands locally. To actually see this once so shy, never draw attention to himself kid stood up there on stage rocking out and strutting his stuff was a very proud moment for me.

I love ya Russ.. and happy birthday xxx