{pretty}
There is a certain someone who has been driving me and just about everyone in the Central Flo (yes, it extends that far) absolutely cracked lately. Not sure why I use the word lately, when I really mean since he was 2.
Oh, Jude has that special tendency of making everyone around him not only squirm with disquiet but erupt in frazzled fury. I would have loved to see Mother Theresa explain to him that his skateboard doesn't usually belong on top of his brother Joseph. For the thirteenth time. In an afternoon. Undoubtedly, she would handle it with grace and aplomb, so why couldn't she raise him? If only Jude were born on the streets of Calcutta.
Instead of covering myself with sackcloth and ashes at his every, every, every misdeed, I focus on the pretty, even the beauty, he exudes from those devilish yet sweetly gentle blue eyes. Because he does.
But oh my, it takes concentration to see his goodness when you read desperate teacher penned emails with so very specific details of his classroom behavior like no mother has read since Billy the Kid was a freshman. So tempted to disclose the content here, my web log, but like the good mother I pretend to be, I will deny that urge.
{happy}
I don't think there is another way to paint happiness, however, than when he is his happiest. Nothing like getting home from an after school trip to the beach for surf and sun, followed by a boxing match with your big brother, to, you know, unwind after all that relaxation.
These pics were really hard to capture, but I was totally bereft of happiness inspired moments in this week previous, courtesy Jude. So when he is happy, there ain't nothing like happy.
{funny}
boxer snarl? |
Because God is good, there is one somebody who not only can handle Jude all the time, but actually loves him all the time.
Peter earns his greatest family brownie points by simply over lording and appreciating Jude when the rest of us have run dry.
And in my nightly prayers, I remind the Heavenly Father he needs to keep Peter always a little stronger than Jude.
{real}
Real? I won't be done raising teenage boys for quite a long time. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger...right....RIGHT???
KO'ing the big brother's buddy Mike.
Ok, thanks for letting me play along! I had great fun trying out the black and white filter on the camera. I have a lot to learn. Suggestions?