8

It's going to take me a while to get used to saying that.  It just seems so OLD.  How can I have an eight year old?

In honor of my sweet boy's birthday...

Eight Things I Love About You

(although there are so many more)...

• Your infectious laughter.  You have such a goofy, all boy, sense of humor and it's not hard to make you laugh - and when you get started it's hard to get you to stop!  You love to be tickled and I love to listen to you being tickled.
• Your sweet, sensitive soul.  You have become such an empathetic person.  You think about how your actions will effect others and many of the things you do (or don't do) are a reflection of that.  You show such compassion toward animals.  When you are around, we need to be sure to carefully release unwanted bugs and spiders to safety (rather than killing them which I am more inclined to do!)     
• Your self-confidence.  You continue to amaze me each time you volunteer to get in front of a crowd whether it be to participate in a game or skit at church, play an instrument or help a speaker at school, sing karaoke at an unknown place, the list goes on.  You have no problem getting up in front of others, which is something I have always struggled with.
• Your friendliness.  You can strike up a conversation with a-n-y-o-n-e!  We lovingly refer to you at "the Mayor" because (just like your dad) you  can literally talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything at all!  It could be the cashier at the grocery store, a random fellow shopper, another male in the bathroom, a passer-by on the street, etc.  Elderly people, young people, classmates, teachers, babies, you name it!  You make friends so easily.  Within minutes of arriving at a park, you have introduced yourself and joined another boy or group of boys to play.
•  Your love for your sister. The two of you are very close, which is a wonderful thing.  Although you know how to push her buttons, for the most part, you want to be around her.  You stand up for her when she's being treated unfairly or unkindly, and want to make sure she's being taken care of.  You immediately take her side when someone has made her cry (you even get upset with Daddy and me when we punish her)
• Your endless energy.  How do you do it?  I would be wealthy if I could find a way to bottle up some of your energy and sell it.  You are on the move from the moment you get up until the moment you go to bed.
• Your sweet, snuggly side.  Always at bedtime, and occastionally other times, you snuggle up real close to me.  You tell me how much you love me and smother me with kisses.  My favorite is when you tell me that I am so cute you can't even stand it! 
•  Your intelligence.  You are such a bright child with an eagerness to learn new things.  You are very inquisitive and like to find out how things work. 

I love you sweet boy...each and every ounce of you!

Bedtime Stories......and memories that last.

Thanksgiving 2011 was another great trip to Long Island to see family, relax and enjoy spending time together. Among so many memories, conversations, good meals, belly laughs and blessings, we took time to go as a family to visit Cedar Hill Cemetery. While that may be a gloomy topic of conversation and may spoil the mood of all the time we spent giving thanks over the holiday, I believe that is where thanks is most deserved. Nevertheless, my motivation tonight for posting a blog entry is not to share about a cemetery visit or to reflect on our lost loved ones, but instead to comment on how the little things that often go undetected can be so meaningful. Connor, or should I say Thomas Connor Terry, is standing among many Terry's in the picture. He's still too young to really understand where his name came from, but he knows that he is standing beside his great grandfather with the same name while facing his great, great grandfather up on the hill also with the same name while his father takes his picture,...who shares the same name. And there is even more to tell, but that will wait until he ages some more. Standing there, Connor said little and ran around the place more than he participated in any discussions. It wasn't until tonight that he shared his thoughts and began talking about it during bedtime.

Jenn and her mother went out for the night. I had the kids for the night. For me, it was a long day, but spending time with Connor and Carly almost always rejuvenates me and keeps me positive. Among the chaos and bedtime routines there is almost always a moment that I am so grateful for and that makes me feel so blessed to be a father. Tonight, was no different.

I chose to tuck Carly in first and then went to Connor's room. As we settled in and I was getting him all tucked in, he surprised me with his questions. "Daddy, why do girls change their name when they get married?" "When I get married will that happen too and will the girl have the same name?" I will spare you my answers, but this sparked a deeper conversation. We talked briefly about his name, where it came from, how he is the only boy with the Terry name, and that his name is special.

Afterwards there was a brief moment of silence.

"Daddy, thank you for my name. When you die I will always keep my name and when I have a son I want him to have the same name too".

Now the brief moment of silence was for me.

I was proud. I told him I would like that and hope he has a son one day. "Daddy, I'm sorry I said you were going to die, that would be really sad wouldn't it"? I told him not to worry, I will be around a long time. I pray I do meet his son one day and have the same opportunities my grandfathers did with me to share stories and memories down to the younger generations. That will be special.

So, we talked a little more and I did not want to lose the learning moment. It just so happened that after our visit to the cemetery, I felt a strange desire to find another landmark that would be meaningful to Connor one day and so we found a sign in Terryville that was on Terryville Road. We pulled over and the Terry guys all stood by it and smiled. (This is not easy to convince my Dad AND brother AND son at the same time that this is a good idea, but it happened and worked out this time!) I reminded Connor of the picture we took and explained to him that he was named after some of the people that were responsible for Terryville. It wasn't the first time I has shared this with him, but you could almost see the light bulb turn on and the pride he felt. It was a memorable moment. One that I feel blessed to have had time to experience.

While he may soon grow to realize he was not born into wealth and amazing good fortune, or he may not be the next generation of a famous family in People Magazine, or even be among the children who have families that have accomplished incredible heroic feats, he will know that he is a Terry. That may not be meaningful to anyone but us, but I believe that giving children a sense of pride in their identity and allowing them to learn about their heritage is priceless. All too frequently I meet with students who are lost, unsure of who they are, searching for esteem, self-worth and more confidence. It is alarming. I only hope that I can foster this sense of confidence somehow in my children and I have learned tonight that it is often the little things we do that get our children thinking and asking the right questions. This time it was a visit to the cemetery and a drive around Terryville that stuck with him. The result was this picture that will last a lifetime and hopefully stir up even more questions one day:

Good night Thomas Connor Terry. You are one special kid! I love you.

Triathlon

Our neighbor, a triathlon enthusiast, encouraged me to register Connor for a kids' triathlon her son competed in last year. She is fully aware of the large amount of energy Connor has, and his excitement for anything fast. She was sure Connor would love it and do very well. After talking it over and explaining it to Connor, he quickly expressed interest in competing, so I registered him.

Well, the event was this morning. It took place in the Settler's Landing subdivision on the southside at their Rec Center/Pool. After Packet Pick-Up last night, we went to the site and heard brief but informative rules and procedures (which was extremely important because none of us had ever competed in a triathlon), so we had a little knowledge going into this. We left the house at 6:45 this morning. After arriving, we set up Connor's gear (bike, helmet, sneakers, goggles, etc...) in the appropriate places and then waited for the show to begin! The event was divided into two age "divisions"; Ages 8 and under, and 9+. The younger competitors went first.

First was the 50 meter swim

then the 1.5 mile bike

and finally a .5 mile run He was AweSoMe!

Here he is with his medal (each participant received one)

He was finished by 8:30. The awards were not going to be given until 10:30 and, although we thought Connor did a great job, we felt fairly confident that he would not get an award - paired with the fact the Matt pushed through the pain and came with us despite just having surgery yesterday and was ready for a rest - we decided to head home. 2 hours was just too long to sit around and wait. Unfortunately the "transition area" (where the bikes, helmets, etc... are kept) was closed until the entire competition was over, which meant we couldn't leave. We decided to hop back in the car and drive around a bit (we ended up at Target).

We got back just as the awards were being presented. We sat on the sidelines and watched and cheered and were utterly stunned when Connor Terry's name was called for 1st Place for the 7-8 year olds. Yep..our boy rocked and it wasn't just us that thought so! He came home with a trophy. I think the grin on my face was bigger than Connor's. I am one PROUD momma!