You're welcome

I have a lot of favorite things about Braeden.  One of them is that one of his goals in life is to make me laugh.  (It is pretty easy to make me laugh--I still appreciate his efforts though.)

Last weekend Braeden and Emma, who have been terribly busy lately, stole a little time and spent it together watching old family videos.  They tried to get Mark interested but he was building--and still is--a Lego creation in his room that was/is all encompassing.  He found plans online.  He's using hundreds of Lego bricks.  He has no time for old family videos.

I watched some of the videos too.  They make me happy.  I love seeing us.  I love hearing Braeden and Emma's little kid voices that are achingly familiar but no longer to be found in the world.

Braeden knew it would make me laugh (he was right) when he said, "You know what I would love to do, Mom?  I would love to go back to that Braeden and say, 'Here's what you have to look forward to kid. You're welcome.'"

I wish he could have walked up to me back then and said, "Here's what you have to look forward to."

I would have said a big thank you to the universe because despite the myriad ways he makes me crazy every day of his life, I like the way he is turning out.

Then he could say, "You're welcome."

(He's far from perfect but I love that kid.)