Charlie Walker Way

God knew what he was doing when he made Charlie my first born.  He is my child that is most like me...which means we butt heads often!  He is my little Type A kiddo.  He loves to be good at things and when he cannot preform something well he gets super frustrated.  Sometimes choosing to just not do it:(  We have been working with him on this and we are getting him to work at whatever it is that is frustrating him...and with little effort he is very good at almost all things he puts effort into.  Weather that be school stuff, helping me do projects or sports stuff.  I think he will by my kiddo that things come fairly easily to...if he will just put forth the effort! 

Charlie is funny..this kid cracks me up daily.  His prayers have provided much entertainment for Bradley and I lately!  A few recent favorites..

"and dear God help me not be crappy to the Easter bunny"..night before Easter.  Bradley and I chose to let this go and not get onto him for saying crappy..can you discipline for prayers??  We smiled and let it go!

"and God forgive us of our blessings and bless us with loveness and safety"..he prays for people and for them to have "loveness" all the time..jury is still out on what loveness exactly is!  He tries to make his prayers sound so eloquent and uses big words and flowy phrases..and then always ask how he did when he is done!

"thank you God for Cady, Mark, Margaret, David* and Ellis*" pauses to look at me "who is David?"

I told him that was Harper's daddy and he says "but we don't know him?"  I told him no. "and I have never met him?"  I said no.  "then why am I praying for him?"  I then told him why and why we were grateful for David and he ends with "if you say so mom?"  Love this sweet boy who thanks God every night for all our families other mommies and daddies..even if he has no clue who 2/5ths of them are!

*names changed

Charlie can be kinda a punk sometimes!  He can be the most well behaved, well mannered and PERFECT child..but if he does not want to..there is almost no turning him around.  It must be his idea.  It must be on his time.  Using all kinda craftiness to make him think its his idea is tricky..he is smart and catches on quickly:)  But when he is ON..this kid is sweet and kind and so well mannered.  He makes me so proud when he lets other people see this sweet side of him.

Charlie is smart.  He should start Kindergarten this coming August since he will turn 5 on August 12, but we have decided to hold him back since he is a boy with a summer birthday.  I have had many people tell me that he is really smart and ready for kindergarten.  If it was based just strictly on his school smarts then I feel confident he is ready.  But he is sensitive and still would greatly benefit from another year to mature in social aspects..he would benefit from time to mature emotionally and socially.  And truth be told..when some of Eastons ECI workers told me that Charlie was ready and that they feared he would be bored when he finally got to school ...I got red, I was sweating and I was panicked!  I am NOT ready for him to leave me for school.  Once he is gone for kindergarten..he is gone forever:(  I will put that off as long as I can!!!!!!!!

Charlie is an amazing big brother.  He dotes on Harper and caters to her EVERY need.  He baby talks her and can get her to smile more and bigger then anyone else can!  He is protective of Easton and watches out for him when we are out and about..often scolding Easton for attempting to cross a street without looking first:)  Charlie and Easton fight...like I spend all day play umpire between these two.  But I will say..Easton is the instigator most of the times and I think Charlie does a pretty good job of not always hitting him back!  The older Easton gets the more I see these two playing together and not just beside each other.  Every night when I cook dinner I send them out the back door and they run their guts out while I cook.  Looking out the window and seeing them play together warms my heart and makes me feel so grateful and proud.  I pray daily that they continue to grow closer every day and grow up to be each others best friend. 

side not..Easton is still struggling to communicate and that lack of speech causes 98% of their fights.  In my perfect world..Easton will soon be "using his words" and I hope to see a more playful relationship with these two:)

This kid is thoughtful and does a great job of always thinking of others.  He is sweet and tells me he loves me about 10 times every day.  He is amazing..and I still think its amazing that I get to be one of his mamas.  The older he gets the more I feel the pressure to raise him to be a good christian man who is strong, generous, gentle, loving, communicative and loyal.  He is all of these things or on his way to be all these things...I  just need to keep working hard, keep talking to God and most importantly......do not screw him up!!!!!

I love you Charlie Walker Way...you made me a mama and you have made being a mama so incredibly awesome!