Perfect 10

Those of my friends who have older sons had told me that ten was the perfect age for a boy. He would not yet be an obnoxious preteen and the last remnants of his boyishness would still be lingering. I waited for ten. I waited with a twinge of excitement for the arrival of my perfect ten year old boy: one that would never complain, test, negotiate, negate, whine, or pester. He would be completely compliant, all the time, never forgetful, and able to reign in his impulses with superhero willpower. 

I mean, I wasn't asking for much.

And then he turned ten. Overnight an alien ship abducted my son and replaced him with a different version of my son for which I was not prepared.

I wondered what my problem was. We were battling each other at every turn, I was wiping more tears than normal (mine and his). I was picking up more dirty socks, still reminding him to flush the toilet, arguing over bed times. He was testy and pesty. Whiny. I was frustrated, at a loss as to what was going on. I needed a manual.

I do not know when the realization hit me but I rejoiced when it did: he was in a major growth spurt and he was, what I call, "out of his skin". Uncontainable in his emotions, impulses. Disagreeable at every turn. He was "off", out of whack. It was his usual growth spurt protocol and I just had failed to prepare myself, or recognize it for what it was when we were in the middle of it. I sighed a resounding "DUH".

And then I stopped freaking out. We made our way through it. We survived.

This kid is almost eleven now, but he is still ten. When I came across this picture of him at the pool from the other day I stopped to observe how much he had grown.

My heart swelled with love and pride. Can I just boast for a moment and tell you what an amazing kid he is? Thoughtful, kind, protective, curious, hard working, honest, sensitive, funny, tender-hearted, smart, ingenious, clever. He is enjoyable to be with, fun to play with, easy to talk to, and kind to everyone. Sure he still forgets to pick up his dirty socks, flush the toilet, or stop pestering his sister, but he is, as my friends told me he would be, at a perfect age.

He is my perfect TEN.

Now, anybody out there with an eleven year old?


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Vacation update: he has carried his own in our rounds of Nertz. Was a major contributor to the 500 piece puzzle. Has slept in the same big bed as his sister and kept her safe from bears (yes, there are bears in these parts that have been known to come into houses for the ice cream in the freezer). Has not complained about sharing a bed with his sister. Asks me every second when we are going down to the lake. Loves being here with his Grammy and Papa. Loves loves loves the mountains, just like his Mama. The first thing he declared when he got out of the car here: "I can smell the trees!" Again, he's just the best kid.