I never thought I’d say this, but it is so much fun having an almost-teenager.
This is my last #52Project post of 2015, and what a better subject than my favorite goofball, my oldest kiddo Logan.
He’s pretty absent on the Rushed Mommy blog scene, so this is an extra-special appearance on his part.
I got really lucky with this child. He was my first, so I didn’t know it at the time, but he is a really easygoing kid. His dad and I split up when he was a baby, so until John and I got married it was just Logan & me. We shared a room until he was 3 and I made enough money to rent my own apartment. For the first 3 years of his life we slept together and spent all of my non-working hours together. For a while I was working as a substitute teacher during the day and a cocktail waitress at night, so my little guy was bounced from daycare to sitters, quite often both in the same day. He’s a resilient little trooper. He never cried when I left him and always ran into my arms when I returned.
I have many joyful memories of adventures with little Logan. While I was in college I worked mostly nights so I often had free time during the day. We would go to San Diego’s Balboa Park and take advantage of the rotating “Free Tuesday” museums. One time we rode the commuter train down the coast and explored Old Town. We frequented parks and libraries and window-shopped in the malls. We went everywhere together.
Now he’s turning the big 1-3 in a few months. He’s taller than I am and his voice changed without any warning. One day I called him on the phone and was completely blown away when a teenage guy’s voice answered, “Hi, Mom!”
He’s into all the cool trends, which is kind of nice because he is now my connection to what is “in” in society. I was so proud of myself when I knew what the Whip and Nae Nae was and my coworkers didn’t! I guess that is one positive to the endless repetitions of that song I had to listen to – thanks, Logan! 😉
He loves to laugh. Lately it’s turned into this older dude-sounding laugh, but he has always been ready to turn a situation into something silly. Sometimes I don’t even think he’s trying to. A few years back he found a stick while we were hiking in the snow. He entertained himself for hours by hitting anything and everything with it. It was both funny and annoying because we were desperately attempting to make some forward-moving progress meanwhile Logan was constantly leaping off-trail to go hit the snow on a nearby log. Just yesterday we were driving home from church and he pulled his beanie over his face. He started acting like he was a bank robber who couldn’t see where he was going, playing up the comedy of the situation. He’s such a ham.
But he is also still very attached to his mom. When John is at work or school and I’m home with tired, crying little guys, Logan always steps in to help out. I don’t ask him to do much because I don’t want young siblings to be a burden or for him to resent them for the extra work they require. Maybe that’s why every request of “Can you hold the baby?” or “Please help your sisters with ___” is received with a positive attitude.
Thank you for helping make this tough year just a little bit more joyful, Logan. I love you to the moon and back.