~Samuel Matthew Turns Nine~

Sam ~ One year old!

Oh wow. My boy turns nine today! He has already called me this morning. He and his Dad were on their way to Walmart to get some type of scooter, and he is so excited. "Guess what , Mom? It's snowing here. It's snowing on my birthday!" My heart melts when I hear his little voice over the phone.

Since Sam is going to celebrate on his actual birthday today with his Dad, we went Tuesday of this week and he picked out a Nintendo DSi and a game. I already had three other games put away for him, however, it was over 24 hours before he actually played a game on it, because the camera and the voice recorder are such fun.

Sam is such a special little soul. I love this little boy with all of my heart.

My "Bug"

Sam nursed until he was three. He never tasted formula, nor did he ever drink from a bottle.

Sam LOVES his brother and sisters!

Sam is always concerned for everyone. He can't stand the thought of someone hurting, physically or emotionally. He is always trying to make things better for his brother and sister when they are upset. He can't stand conflict and turmoil. He reprimands me when I am ugly to my husband..."that was just mean, Mom. Why are you being mean to Mike?" He can't even stand it when the dogs fight. I always warn him to just stay back when the get into it, but he never does, he always attempts to stop the fight. He is always aware of anyone being "left out."  We were having breakfast one morning, then leaving to go to a home school event. Mike was at work, but comes home for lunch. "Where is Mike's sausage biscuit, Mom?" He made certain that Mike would have a sausage biscuit as we did when he came home for lunch.

I love that Sam doesn't play the game of "I'm better than you" or the humiliation and ridicule game.... the games that come so naturally to traditionally schooled children. I stand back and listen to how he handles these situations with other children, then talk to him about it later. You know, those mean little kiddos that call names and make fun, just for the hell of it? I am so grateful and so certain that my Sam will never be one of those. We just have to work on how to handle this appropriately, without fighting ugly with ugly. I am just now getting there myself, because, yes, even adults are that way...so Sam and I are learning together.

Sam's enthusiasm for life is relentless. To Sam, "anything worth doing is worth overdoing." I am probably the only person in this world who understands him completely. He is just like me. He attaches himself to an idea so intently and becomes so focused, maybe an idea that holds no value to others, but holds the utmost value to him. You may speak to him or ask him to do something or stop doing something, and you may have to repeat it five times before he hears you. When someone says, "He doesn't listen!" or  tells him, "You don't listen!", I feel like punching them. Adults can be so stupid. The same people that ask me a question, then direct their attention away from me or interrupt me as I am speaking are usually the very ones that expect children to be perfect.

He frequently gets on peoples nerves with his endless amount of questions and his passion for communicating. I say rock on Sam. People need better communication skills, so give them all the practice you want to. I do stress good manners to him, and it is so sweet to hear him say, "Excuse me, ma'am?" or "May I (request) please?"  I get so many compliments on what good manners he has.

Mike once named Sam as our family "Ambassador of Good Will"... Sam never meets a stranger. He is the perfect home schooler. He is secure, and doesn't sweat making friends. We are a part of many different groups. I would say we meet an average of two new "friends" a week, and Sam just rocks right on with it. I get so many compliments on what a sweetheart he is.

 Sam is the perfect unschooler. He never becomes stagnant in what he wants to learn and pursue. I can barely keep up with him most of the time. Unschooling is NOT for the lazy parent, and unschooling Sam puts you in overdrive for sure!
 

Sam loves to be a helper. I love the time when he noticed the elderly lady behind us in line at the library holding her books because there was no space to sit them on the counter. He said, "Excuse me ma'am, could I help you hold your books?" She was so surprised and genuinely impressed with him. That's my boy. He is always scoping out an opportunity to hold a door open for someone. There are so many times he has helped someone when we are out and about, that I couldn't possibly think of the details of them all to share right now. Can you believe, though, that a few people actually were irritated with it? Some people are just assholes, Sam. Just keep doing your thing anyway.

Sam is my accident man. He drank gasoline at two. He took Granny's heart meds at two. He crushed a finger at one. He clipped the tip of his finger off with nail clippers when he was one. He jumped into the pool when he was one. He is always bopped and bruised, because his body never stops moving. My heart has been in my stomach many, many times with Sam. I have been frozen with fear over and over. He was wandered and disappeared, over and over. (Shut up Jen!;) He climbs to the tops of trees, he climbs to the top of boulders on hikes and stands on the very edge, he walks in creeks, he hops from rock to rock in the river, he goes as fast as he can on wheels, he goes as far out into the ocean as he can until I go crazy and make him come back. My heart is racing as I type this. I do hover over him, some people thinks it's too much, and Sam gets irritated with it. But with Sam, you just never know what wild idea may cross his mind, not recognizing the danger of it. Sigh. I keep Sam alive, day by day. That's what I do.


Sam is NOT the compliant little sheep that people want children to be, as I have not encouraged that... in any of my children. I promote being kind, loving, and respectful, but question people, question everything.  Sometimes he is so impulsive, and his body moves faster than his thinker does, and he makes a mistake, breaks something, runs into someone, etc. I do know, though, with all of my heart, that he will never, ever hurt anyone intentionally...physically or emotionally. So when I see someone hurt him emotionally or physically, I become more furious than I have ever become over anything. I have never felt a hatred so intense as I do for people who are ugly to him or impatient with him. I despise when I hear someone preach patience to him, or any other child for that matter. I can't name an adult alive that genuinely practices patience in all matters. So practice what you preach, or shut the fuck up. Don't mess with my kindhearted, caring, sensitive Sam.

Sam is my funny man. He loves to laugh. He loves comedy. He loves jokes. He loves to hear others laugh.

Sam confided in me with his first crush earlier last year, at the age of eight. I must say, he has fantastic taste! It lives on, and it is a pleasure to watch him around "her", knowing our little secret. 

Sam in my belly.

I am so excited to experience the age of nine with my Sam. There is no way to describe how thankful I am for NINE beautiful years so far with this wonderful little being.