We cut our teeth on this little golden child right here....
Life suddenly sobered up when we found out we were having a baby. Nothing like a positive pregnancy test to make the world look a little differently. We took becomming parents very seriously. I remember all the stresses of learning how to parent...reading books....taking classes, etc. etc. It was too much. One day I said to Nana...."this book says to do it this way....that book says to do it that way..." She said, "You know? It's hard to kill one." That brought a lot of peace to us. We soon figured out that parenting was more about learning from the kids than a text book. Nothing like on-the-job training. Luke was our first preceptor.
Luke was the first of three excellent professors that have taught us about EVERYTHING we never knew we never knew. As the first born, he has been such a patient little guy as we figure out who we are as parents. He is just about as perfect a kid as you can get. We could not have ordered better. God was merciful on us to give us a Luke Mitchell.
We picked his name out immediately. Luke Mitchell means, "Bringer of Light. Who is like our God." His name suits him. He is super fun to be around. Learning to experience life like he does is something everybody should do. He is a very compliant child. We can count on one hand the times Luke "checked to see who is charge." Any time he got out of line a bit, we just reminded him of his name....who he is.
His name continues to grow as he does. As an infant, we called him, "Mr. Amazing."
We've always thought he was rockin' awesome, but I'm not sure we truly knew the treasure we had hiding little toys in strange places. It seems easy for new parents to take perfect kids for granted. We were the typical first-time parents. I have more pictures just for Luke's first week of life than the rest of the boys put together. We have more video coverage of Luke cooing and ooing than there are infomercials. We packed in more memory-making, family fun in one little year than I remember for the decade before. Even still...I'm pretty sure I was greener than car sick turtle when it came to parenting. Maybe some moms get it immediately, but it took me having three boys in 37 months before I really felt like a mom. It took three boys sleeping side ways in our bed before I really began to understand that sleep is not a right, but a privilege. It took breastfeeding, diapering, and food processing for YEARS before I let go of my expectations, pressures, and beliefs about what I thought a mom was. It took three boys for me to give up and learn. I see things like I never saw them. I learn things like I never learned them. Everyday I discover the meaning life. Believe me....I KNOW what I've got now. I enjoy my boys...and it all started with the Amazing Luke Mitchell.
Once I told Luke I had a secret to tell him. Then I whispered in his ear, "Did you know I think you are awesome." Then he said
to me, "I have a secret to tell you." and he whispered in my ear, "Did
you not realize I've had diarrheas since Easters?
Luke was born "older." He is the most confident, dependable, secure, innocent, and responsible child I know. He sees himself as "bigger." If a big kid can do it. So can he. That is why he was running at 11 months old, climbing out of his crib from the lowest level at 9 months old, and did a flip off the diving board the very first day we removed his life jacket. His great aunts always said he was "sure-footed."
Luke has no idea there are limits. But he is well aware boundaries.
One of my favorite stories was a time we were driving through town. Luke was sitting in the car seat with a sippy cup. He looked out his window and saw a tall, middle school boy with a large-frame walking home by himself from school. Luke said, "Huh. He's big like me."
One day when he was about four years old, I asked Luke, "Would you rather be called Awesome or Magnificent." He tapped his finger to his chin to think about it for a few seconds then said, "I think both." That is when his name grew into, "Mr. Magnificent Awesome."
Luke knows things I am not sure how he knows. He is always telling me things that God tells him or shows him. He tells me about conversations they have. He makes grown up decision and tells me that God helped him decide. He told me we didn't need to have quiet time in the car before school, because he talks to God at school too. His relationship with him is evident. His nature is His nature. Luke makes it easy to understand why it is so important to be child-like.
Luke is a cartoon. He does goofy things. Once he got a little scratch on his hand and acted like a fish out of water flopping all over the floor. I said, "Get up, Luke! You didn't scratch your leg!" I even hear his brothers say at time, "Quit being a cartoon, Luke!"
The child is good at everything he does. He has a hard time with himself if what he does isn't as good as he thinks it should be. The challenge with Luke is to keep him from being too hard on himself. This is the child who would throw up in the floor and the first thing he thinks of is he needs to get a towel to clean up the mess. His Uncle Ben says, Luke is all alligators.” (A is for Alligators.) He was born for academics. He loves to learn.
I told Luke one day that he is such a good teacher. This puzzled him. He doesn't understand why he is teaching when he feels it is him who has so much to learn.
When Luke was born, I always felt like I was raising him for other people. I have learned so much about relationship from such a good little teacher. I've never seen a child value people the way he does. He makes friends everywhere he goes. He is comfortable to be around. He is a great peace maker. He enjoys life and he enjoys sharing life with people. He is always respectful and kind, but secure so that he doesn't feel like he has to play with people who "bother" him.
A couple of years ago while thinking about Luke, the Lord told me to tell Luke how he is a prince. I knew this was perfect timing because He-Man had become very popular in our house. Luke was very aware of Prince Adam and his role as He-man. Luke would "get" this.
We are super proud of such a golden little boy. Can't believe it has been seven years this week, but so happy to be recipients of this fine little man.
Happy 7th Birthday to
The Amazing and Fearless Mr. Magnificent Awesome, Prince Luke Mitchell of Blaylock Mountain
We named you well, our little "Bringer of Light."