Ten

The 28th of April was Michael’s tenth birthday.

The first thing that comes to mind is where on earth did all that time go? I still remember vividly the day that we brought him home from hospital. The first of the tribe, a precious little bundle that we managed to deposit in the cot before looking at each other and saying, “Now what?”

Boy, there’s been a thing or two flash by in the ten years since. From his first steps across out from the coffee table at the tender age of nine and a half months, he turned to wanting to play with any sort of ball that he could get his hands on as he developed.

I think the strangest thing for me now is trying to reconcile the 10 year old with the little boy that went through all the stages in between. Its easy to picture in your mind what your child looks like now. Its not so easy to think back and remember what they were like when they were say 5. I guess that’s why we treasure our cameras and the images that they produce so much.

At ten years of age, Michael is a sometimes confident young lad who is still at times subject to tears of despair when he’s unable to get his own way.

Potentially pokemon addicted, he shows an ability to retain information that one hopes will be applied to somewhat more important areas of his life … like school. I think that he’s taking after me which is unfortunate because he tends to like to procrastinate.

Just last night I was asking him about homework and he mentioned that he had some that he could do progressively over the week. I suggested that the other way to do it would be to do it all on the night that he got it and then relax every night after that.

There was no way that he was going to buy that one.

All in all though, I have to say that I am very proud of our squidly. He’s a mostly reasonable kid who shows the odd concern for his fellow people (I am sure that’ll die off as he becomes a teenager!), especially when he decides that Emily is worthy of help and/or consideration.

I wonder from 10 where the next 10 years will take us, but then, that’s what its all about isn’t it … guiding, watching, praying …