My firstborn

Look at those curls, isn't he the cutest thing?! Ah, how they grow so fast....



As I look back at previous blogs, and through my pictures I notice Bourbon doesn't get much "screen" time. He's not the one who says "Take a picture of me momma, take a picture of me!!" like Roman & Starla. He isn't the one who is always striking funny poses or doing things for entertainment purposes. So he ends up not getting much of the attention in the process. Alan, Roman & Starla have that entertainers blood coursing through their veins, they are always on stage, always vying for center stage. I jokingly say that those 3 are always fighting for the center of attention as they do whatever they cane to get a laugh, as Bourbon & I kinda blend into the background. Not that Bourbon doesn't get attention, or that he is forgotten, it's just different kinds of attention. He is much more subtle than his siblings. :)

And although I say he & I are not like the other 3, that doesn't mean Bourbon is like me either. Oh in some ways I can see my genes shining through, but sometimes I look at him and think "Who are you? How can you be my child?!" lol. Anyone who knows me knows that I am such an optimist, I always see the glass half full, I always make lemonade out of lemons. I don't get depressed easily, or get negative very easily, and when I do, I bounce back quickly. Bourbon is about the most negative thing I have come in contact with, lol. It doesn't matter what it is, he has to find something to complain about it. 90% of what comes out of his mouth are negative, pessimistic remarks, and sometimes it just drives me nuts. He also hates to admit that he likes something sometimes, no matter what it is I give him as a gift or something, he'll say something like "I didn't want this anyways." or "This is kinda stupid." even when I know that he likes it, it's like he can't stand to admit that he likes something. Which of course drives me nuts, and makes it so hard to buy him things. He's so stubborn and strong-willed, which is where I can see me shining through. :) He also will argue with you about EVERYTHING, even if you say the sky is blue, he will say something like "Actually it's kinda gray." He always has to have the last word, he can not admit that he is wrong, and he will bend the facts to fit whatever it is that he needs it to. I always say he is either going to make one incredible lawyer, or con-artist, lol, I'm hoping for the first one. :)

I sometimes can't believe he's already 11, it just doesn't seem possible sometimes. He's like a little teenager already, always talking back and challenging my authority. But he's also very sweet when he wants to be, and can be very kind and caring. He has this black and white mentality though, he has a hard time seeing gray. It's either one way or another, he can't get creative and find solutions that aren't already there, or make up his own rules. He's so smart, but he hates to work, so he only does what is required, he won't go above and beyond. So although he is in the gifted class, he sometimes doesn't get his work turned in. He's also incredibly disorganized (again, thats me shining through!) and sometimes he just loses his work, it's not that he didn't do it, he just can't find it because he's so darn messy. :)

He will always be my baby though. I didn't think I could love anyone more than I loved him after he was born. I actually was worried when I was pregnant with Roman, and thought how can I possibly love another child as much as I love Bourbon? But of course, then Roman came along and I realized it was possible, your heart just grows I think. I could never love one child more than another, I just love them in different ways. Someone asked me who my favorite child was once, and I replied it depended on who was being good at the moment, and that it could change in 5 minutes, lol.

At least twice a year I try to take the boys out on dates with me, to spend some one on one time. Usually it is once during the summer and once during the winter vacations. More if I can get away with it, but sometimes it's hard. We got season tickets to the philharmonic this season, and the first show "A Very Merry Pops" is this saturday, but Alan has a DJ gig at the Edmond public schools, so I am going to take Bourbon to the show instead, but first we will go to dinner. I'm looking forward to spending some time with him just him & I. Also, the first full week that I am out of school, on tues & thurs when Starla is at her mother's day out all day, I told the boys I would take one day for each boy, let them stay out of school, take them christmas shopping and out to lunch for a date day. They haven't gotten alot of my attention during student teaching, I've been too swamped, so I am really looking forward to cathcing up with them and hanging out. I love date days with my boys. :)