Let's celebrate 4 years of raising one little BOY...

Carter John Meredith

Born July 24, 2007

7lbs 8oz

A boy is a magical creature. You can lock him out of your workshop, but you can't lock him out of your heart. You can get him out of your study, but you can't get him out of your mind.

A treasure to a little boy does not consist of money, gems or jewellery. He will find far greater pleasure in the wonder of a rock, pebble, stick or beetle.

 My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
   -- Mark Twain

 To become a real boy you must prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish.
     -- From "Pinnochio"

  Tall oaks from little acorns grow.

I can sometimes resist temptation, but never mischief.

   He was born with a gift of laughter.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
   -- T.S. Eliot

You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.

The past four years have been filled with everything from dirty cheeks and feet, slivers, bruises, tantrums, tent-building, monster fighting, pirate ship sailing, corner sitting, rolling, jumping, running, falling....a lot of falling, hugs and tickles, tears, and tears, and big ol crocodile tears...

It's been the kind of day when you wish it would never end, and the kind of evening where you wish the silence would never end. The years have been filled with, "you have 10 seconds to get to your room..." kind of threats, "you have 5 seconds to get up off the floor and stop crying" and often someting like, "you are out of seconds buddy" and somehow the fit ends abruptly and I find a little boy hugging my legs saying, "I'm sorry mom, I won't frow anymow fits."

4 years of push and push and pull at my heartstrings, a year where my patience reached it's last thread, only to find that through year two and three and four, my patience grew more threads! Kinda funny how that happens. And how funny it is that when I look back, those so called "awful" days don't seem so awful anymore, and most of em have already been forgotten, and all I find myself doing is remembering the chubby little baby I used to hold in my arms, with red rosy cheeks and drool dribbling down his chin. And I think back to his first steps, first words, first giggle, first smile...

and it becomes such an amazing miracle and journey...this life....his life...

And all I feel is GRATITUDE...

for the opportunity to have 4 years with my little man.

Love ya buddy! A whole lot!!

Ooooh!!

So Stinking CUTE!!!