My Valentine Date
Today Henry and I had our special Valentines date. We went to the Sweetheart Dance here in town--the event he's been talking about for days. He's been so sweet about it, and so excited, but it almost didn't happen. In the midst of preparing the house for an open house and a showing and getting ready for church this morning, I mentioned to him that the navy blue pants he was wearing weren't the best choice with his black and green sweater. It led to a prolonged discussion that ended with him sitting in the corner, adamant that he didn't want to go to the dance anymore. I gave him some time, then came back and asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to go? You've been talking about this for days, and you're saying you want to miss it?" Micah took him into our room and told him he wanted to talk man to man. I smiled when I heard him say it, but when he relayed the conversation later I got a little choked up. He really did talk to him man to man! He sat Henry down and told him that being a man meant keeping his word. He had given me his word that he would go to the dance with me, and a man would honor that promise. Besides that, he said, you don't invite a girl to a dance and then disappoint her by not going. Henry came to me a little later and whispered, "We're going to the dance, Mom."
[I don't need to say how grateful I am that he has a dad who would take a scuffle over a sweater and a six-year-old's dance with his mom and make it a chance to teach him what it means to be a man!!]
From then on, he was all smiles and hand squeezes and winky eyes over our little date. He wanted to pay for our entrance, so he handed the money to the cashier. He was in awe when we entered the room: red and pink balloons and hearts everywhere, several different crafts, snacks on the tables, and music on the dance floor. He took it all in. We found our way to a table where he immediately reached for a chocolate mint patty. I had to laugh when he told a friend about it a little later: "I just ate a chocolate mint! It had chocolate and mint--I couldn't believe it! When I first opened it I was a little disappointed because it just looked like chocolate, and I thought I read it wrong. But then I bit into it and it really was mint inside!"
We went first to get our "keepsake photo," the thing he'd been most fixated on in the flyer. He clung to my hand (in fact, I don't think he let go of my hand the whole afternoon) and smiled for the camera. I taped the picture up beside his bed after we got home and he was making plans, as he fell asleep, to hang it by his bed with duct tape after we move, "Because, Mom, we'll be in that house forever." Next we made some crafts: a little owl for a local seniors' home, a card he gave to me, and a little picture of his hand print making the sign for "I love you." He loves crafts, and he beamed when he handed each one to me. After a quick break for a treat at our table, we hit the dance floor. We'd practiced all our dance moves yesterday per his request, but today all he wanted to do was spin. I managed to twirl for a few minutes, but I'm pretty sure my head is still spinning! I danced on the spot as he spun around and around me, trying out every fancy move he could think of. He swung from my arms and then suddenly pulled my hand in, kissed it, and went on dancing. That little moment is frozen in time forever.
It was such a sweet little outing with him. This son of mine, especially, has so little time alone with me. I soak up every second of it! I know all too soon I won't be the girl he asks to these dances...
[I don't need to say how grateful I am that he has a dad who would take a scuffle over a sweater and a six-year-old's dance with his mom and make it a chance to teach him what it means to be a man!!]
From then on, he was all smiles and hand squeezes and winky eyes over our little date. He wanted to pay for our entrance, so he handed the money to the cashier. He was in awe when we entered the room: red and pink balloons and hearts everywhere, several different crafts, snacks on the tables, and music on the dance floor. He took it all in. We found our way to a table where he immediately reached for a chocolate mint patty. I had to laugh when he told a friend about it a little later: "I just ate a chocolate mint! It had chocolate and mint--I couldn't believe it! When I first opened it I was a little disappointed because it just looked like chocolate, and I thought I read it wrong. But then I bit into it and it really was mint inside!"
We went first to get our "keepsake photo," the thing he'd been most fixated on in the flyer. He clung to my hand (in fact, I don't think he let go of my hand the whole afternoon) and smiled for the camera. I taped the picture up beside his bed after we got home and he was making plans, as he fell asleep, to hang it by his bed with duct tape after we move, "Because, Mom, we'll be in that house forever." Next we made some crafts: a little owl for a local seniors' home, a card he gave to me, and a little picture of his hand print making the sign for "I love you." He loves crafts, and he beamed when he handed each one to me. After a quick break for a treat at our table, we hit the dance floor. We'd practiced all our dance moves yesterday per his request, but today all he wanted to do was spin. I managed to twirl for a few minutes, but I'm pretty sure my head is still spinning! I danced on the spot as he spun around and around me, trying out every fancy move he could think of. He swung from my arms and then suddenly pulled my hand in, kissed it, and went on dancing. That little moment is frozen in time forever.
It was such a sweet little outing with him. This son of mine, especially, has so little time alone with me. I soak up every second of it! I know all too soon I won't be the girl he asks to these dances...
