true boy tales: One tough cookie

Saturday, January 29, 2011

One tough cookie

The other day, I sent Bennett out to play in the snow. The only time he gets to go outside is when the neighbor kids are out so I don't have to go out there with him. I had no intentions of setting foot out in the snow for recreational purposes this entire winter. That's what dad's are for. And neighbor kids. I hate winter. Pretty sure I've said that a few (hundred) times on this blog. I particularly hate wearing my winter "uniform" for 4 months- jeans, sneakers, a hoodie and hopefully at least a cute/colorful t-shirt. I also hate the dry air that gives you static-y hair and flaky skin. And the lack of tan. (Although I've finally realized that bronzer isn't just for Snookie. I've fully jumped on the bronzer bandwagon.) And I don't even need to mention my hate for bundling babies up in coats and hats. Seriously sucky.

So anyway, back to the snow day. Dawson and I were watching Bennett attempt the big sledding hill out in our backyard by himself for the first time (its a really big hill). I watched as he gradually made his way up the hill, dragging the sled behind, slipping every few feet but continuing to climb. Then half way up, he slipped and I watched as he lost his grip on the sled rope and it went sliding all the way back down to the bottom as the bigger kids were sledding down all around him. My Momma Bear instincts kicked in so quick, I didn't think twice about my disdain for being out in the snow. I grabbed Dawson, ran downstairs and put on my coat and boots, shoved Dawson into his coat and hat and grabbed the sled from our garage. I then ran out to "save" Bennett. But by the time I dragged Dawson on the sled over to the hill, (laughing the whole way-- poor baby was so deprived staring out the window at all the big kids having fun while his party-pooper momma was keeping him holed up in the warm dry house) Bennett had already made it all the way to the top and sledded (slid?) down by himself.

That boy does not give up. He also doesn't whine or complain when facing tough obstacles. He honestly could have dropped that sled 5 more times but you wouldn't have seen his smile falter. My dad took him on a long walk through the woods near their house this past fall, and Bennett fell into a freezing cold creek while they were crossing a log. My dad recalled him saying something along the lines of, "whoops! I got wet!" and walked all the way back home with a soaking wet bottom half and didn't say another word about it. I'm so proud of his optimism and strong and resilient spirit. And to know that even when I'm not watching and can run to his rescue, he'll be ok.

Once I was out there, we made the most of it. Dawson loved it just as much as Bennett:

Daddy got home to join us for a couple runs. (You can see the sledding hill in the background, meetin up with the fence). When I ran back inside to grab the camera, they were already heading in. (Jon hates winter as much as I do.):

Cutest kid in the universe, you say? Why thank you. I couldn't agree more. ;)

2 comments:

C MaeJanuary 29, 2011 at 3:45 PM
SO cute!!!!! Def don't envy the snow!!! :) LOL so what's this talk about bronzer? do share!
ReplyDelete
Replies
haverleeJanuary 30, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Ha ha. Well, I always hated how "plain" my face looked in the winter, even with blush. My sister has always worn bronzer but my skin is more olive than hers and I just thought it would make me look too orange. So she finally talked me into trying it. I realized with just a little around the edges of my face, it gives me just enough color :)
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Please leave your email if you'd like a reply! Thanks for the love.

for the book lovers {my recent favorites}:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. I have a thing for modern day memoirs of utterly heartbreaking stories (Like Breaking Night and Blackbird). This is a Foster mother's first-hand account of the children she took in over the years and the unbelievable trauma they went through before they came to her.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.