Oh this sweet boy.  I can’t believe he’s EIGHT!!  He and I had a chance to go out together, just to two of us, to Fort Monroe in Hampton for his birthday pictures and I had the best time with him.  And you know Breezy Turtle wasn’t far!  (Disclaimer: even though Breezy has recently been outfitted with a Tile, he still doesn’t get to leave the car except for very special occasions!)  I love being able to see the world through “Paxton eyes” for awhile.  He’s so curious and so observant.  I’m sure he asked no less than five.hundred.thousand questions about everything under the sun in the few hours we were gone…

Can you teach me to juggle?

What’s that building?

Who’s your favorite Pokemon (and why)?

Why is there a water tower there?

What does “state law” mean?

What happens if someone runs over the sign?

Have you ever counted to infinity?

Is driving hard?

How does the stop light know to turn green?

What’s the difference between and canoe and a kayak?

Are those two trees or just one that split?

SQUIRREL!!

That’s exactly why I’m so thankful for this boy.  He makes you slow down and see the world in a new way.  He sees things, smells things, hears things, and feels things in a way that most of us don’t in our everyday lives.  Some may think it’s a challenge (and don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is!!), but he’s such a blessing to us for pointing out another way of seeing the world.

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A couple of months ago, I shared some pictures of Pax and his new shoes.  He was not ready to part with his old tennis shoes he’d outgrown just yet and we both ended up in tears in the shoe store.  I think this post pretty well sums up how tender hearted he really is…

“They’re just a dirty old pair of shoes, but to my sweet boy they’re special. I’ve tried for weeks to get Paxton to throw away these shoes. They’re old. They’re too small. They’re falling apart. But today in the shoe store, he cried we he realized he needed new shoes. He’s got such a tender heart and he teaches me to slow down and see things from a different perspective. He makes me appreciate things that other’s don’t see and to not discount how something might make someone else feel. To me, they were nasty old walmart shoes who’s velcro had long since stopped working. To him, they were the shoes he wore to Disney. They were special to him. So we took some pictures and I promised not to throw them away (yet). He’s super happy about his new shoes. He says they’re much lighter so he can run so much faster now. Paxton James, my sweet, tenderhearted boy, I love you in ways I just can’t fully express in words. I’m so glad I’m your Moma.”

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Happy Birthday to my sweet Paxton.  You are so brave and so kind and so thoughtful and so smart.  I love you so much I think my heart my burst some days.  Thank you for letting me be your Moma.