Exhale!

Ahhh....my boy is back! I will make this nice and short (you can chuckle, I can't hear you). It is so good to have my Brendan home. He is already fast asleep. The reunion was storybook like! I went to pick him up at my friend's home (she drove to pick my son and her children) and as I got out of my car, I think my feet only barely touched the ground. When inside the door (I just walk in, she is like family to me), my face scanned the surroundings, looking for my boy. Not knowing what I might find. Was he taller, stronger, did he grow a beard....ha....nah not at 7 years old, but those were the feelings. (Perhaps because he hadn't mentioned to Ms. Lorrie that he really missed his Mom or anything, in fact I think he and Ms. Lorrie's son were wanting to spend more time together (sorry Dude, this Mama has first dibs!)) So I said my obligatory, polite hellos to Ms. Lorrie and her daughter without really looking at their faces. As I searched the house, I shouted something like "Thank you so much for picking him up.....Where in the world is he?!" My heart pounding, I shouted "Brendan"!! I opened the door to a room and there he was!! I just wanted to cry (I did actually cry)!

Ohhhh! His eyes lit up more than it does at Christmas! His face looked different.....no not a beard.....his teeth looked bigger.....OH he lost a tooth at camp! phew! It was the fattest, sweetest smile ever! "Mom" he shouted (not Mommy, but I'm good with that!)! We held each other so tight! It felt amazing. Even though for a brief second I thought, "is there any way I can just stick this child back in my womb and leave it at that - I don't know if I can take this growing up stuff!!!" It was brief, don't send my your therapist's name and number!

SO, I get him all to myself until brothers come home. "How was camp?" "Did you sleep?" "Did you miss me, because OHHHHH I missed you!" Did you eat new foods? What was your favorite part? Did you write in your journal that I gave you! Did you take pictures? Did you go tubing? Did you make new friends? Did you take showers, and wear your deodorant?....you know the list went on!! Here are a few of the answers!

Sleep? Yes, but not much really!
Miss me? Yes (well lets hope so!)
New food? Yes, meatloaf and mashed potatoes and green beans (Hello, I have made that very same thing!)
Favorite part? Tubing, canoeing, worship time
New friends? Yes!
Shower? Yes!...............But only the first day!
Brush teeth? Yes!..........But only the first day!
Deodorant? Yes!..........But only the first day! (Did he check my check list - apparently not!)
Pictures? Yes!...........Lost the camera!
Journal? No!............too much other stuff to do!

Ok, so 1 shower + 1 teeth brushing + 1 application of deodorant = 1 stinky boy! (My pastor earlier today pointed out that he did probably swim once or twice a day - that is kind of like a bath) My pastor is a man! My son's camp counselor was a man! My boy is a man! (I don't really get it because I am married to a man, who showers once if not twice a day!) Go figure!

Well, we have one healthy, happy, adorable, stinky little boy and he is mine and I love him! I am so happy he is home! PS. He showered and and scrubbed and applied the appropriate hygienic stuff and we snuggled and read some books and watched.............The Adventures of Winnie The Pooh...the original! Yes!!!! He is still my little boy! Can you just imagine my smile right now?