Saturday, August 8, 2009

He Doesn't Miss A Thing

Tonight after church I was doing sign-ups in the lobby for our upcoming women's retreat. McGee was hanging out with me behind the counter when he said, "I have to go potty!" I asked a couple of ladies to watch things for a moment and as we were walking down the hallway towards the restrooms he jumps ahead of me and says, "Let's use the circle one!" At first I didn't know what he meant, but then I realized the difference in the shapes of the mens and womens restroom signs. Is there anything this kid misses?

Yesterday we went with some gals from church on a little walk/hike/picnic and some friends drove with us. At one point I was turning and the blinker went on. McGee said, "Why did the light go on?" My friend Elizabeth didn't know what he was talking about and I explained that he wanted to know why the blinker light was on. She said, "Wow, he's really observant, my girls would never even notice that." This has been true from the beginning with McGee. Practically since birth I have heard comments about his "furrowed brow" and how "he doesn't miss a thing" or "you can tell he's always thinking". He doesn't miss or forget even the most random or seemingly inconsequential things.

I read long ago in my first Kevin Leman book "First Time Mom" not to make promises (at least this is where I think I gained this bit of knowledge) to my children. I remember at first thinking this seemed like bad advice, until I read further about how promises to a child should never be broken, so unless you can positively, absolutely guarantee something will happen, don't promise it. Sounds simple right? Well as a mom I've come to realize there is very little I can really control completely. For instance, I have NO control over stoplights or traffic (the rule I've found is that if you have a screaming infant, you WILL hit EVERY red light), I have no control over doorbells or phones ringing or dogs barking (thanks Callie & Ben) and I have no control over the weather. So promising my kids a fun day at the park in the morning as I tuck them into bed is found to be a bad move when we wake up to find it raining with inches of water on the ground. Get the idea? It's not that promises are bad, but with kids, promises should not be given out lightly. This advice has saved me numerous times since my McGee NEVER forgets anything I say and I can just imagine the backtracking and explaining, not to mention guilt, I'd have to go through if I ever made a promise I couldn't keep. We don't know what the future holds for our little thinker, but I'm sure it will be well thought out.



Dearest McGee,

Every day you amaze us with your clever quips, your memory, your thoughtfulness (the other day you shared your much coveted cookie with mom & Miss Em), your loving and nurturing nature and your incredible smile! We are so in love with you and so proud of the little boy you are becoming. We continue to pray for wisdom in being Godly parents and raising you well, but we couldn't be more happy that God has given us YOU!

We love you,
Mommy & Daddy

2 comments:

  1. I don't know why your blog isn't showing up in my "list" anymore. :( This was a sweet post. I love little "thinkers." Makes you want to teach him EVERYTHING doesn't it? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interestingly enough, I have taught my daughter that the girls bathroom has the circle and the boys bathroom has the triangle, so she knows the difference. She likes to point at the triangle on the boys bathroom and ask "Is this the wrong bathroom?".
    I love how little kids are just sponges. Has your little guy experienced the "why" stage?

    ReplyDelete