Dementia back up plan- Levi edition

I just spent some time re-reading a bunch of old blog posts. I love reading blogs, but I especially love reading my own. Mostly because I am narcissistic like that:)

I like reading back on things and thinking "Geez, I sure was a sarcastic ranter..." or even "Good gravy, how did we survive those years?"

But my favorite thing is when I grin at my own penned words and think, "I forgot he used to do that." Which happens a lot because I have a terrible memory. Like terrible.

I already have a plan for when I get early-onset dementia and can't remember who I am. Cory is supposed to tell the speech therapist to teach me to yell, "CANAAN GET BUCKLED NOW." And then the memories should all come flooding back to me. :)

But if that little trick doesn't work, I'm creating this post to be my back up plan. Yes, you could say I am "Notebook-ing myself."  That' s a thing, right?

The first post in my dementia back-up plan series, the little red head baby that made me a Momma.

Dear senile Christina,
Right now your oldest son, Levi, is 11 and wrapping up his last year of elementary school. As in,  he will be youth group age next year. He is the leader of the pack of brothers and has become familiar with the phrase "with great power comes great responsibility" and "use your power for good" mostly because you say it to him every time you feel him bucking against the reigns that you, yourself, are holding tight. It's hard to loosen the grip when you know that controlling him inadvertently also controls the others. Yes he has that much influence. He is the cool kid the other five want approval from.

And really you are slowly learning to let go because he is getting older and he is for sure trustworthy, but also because you are learning that controlling any child is pretty much a myth...Silas has helped you understand that one:)

Next year starts the new homeschool adventure for him. The intention was to pull each of the boys out one at a time and homeschool them for their 6th and 7th grade years. Partly because 6th and 7th graders can be "butt-faces" and so having him congregate with large groups of "butt-faces" for 7 hours a day at a middle school did not sound appealing. And also homeschooling will be an awesome chance to separate him from the mob of brothers and give the freedom to schedule things for him individually that he would never otherwise get to do. He is most excited about taking art classes and volunteering at your work. This past year he got to shadow you for a career day and loved interacting with the kids with disabilities.  You can easily see him as a therapist some day, probably a PT.

The best way to describe Levi is the same way his assistant Kindergarten teacher described him five years ago when she beamed to me, "He is the good kind of bad."  I know exactly what she meant. He's not your typical goody goody teacher's pet and he's not a rebel child. He's a good kid with just enough sass and spunk to keep him perfectly walking the line between vanilla and whatever the unruly ice cream flavor is...maybe mint chocolate chip???

 No one in our family is a bigger ham than Levi.


The biggest compliment you can give him is to laugh at his antics. He can make you laugh harder or cry angry tears more than any of the other little XYs. But in fairness to him your tears are mostly because you expect too much from him.

He is one of those kids that is not the super star at any one thing but instead is pretty good at a lot of things. He is smart, athletic, artistic, and confident. He can throw in witty quotes from his favorite TV shows with an ease that makes you proud.  Hearing he and Titus huddled together on the couch laughing at "Kicking It" episodes during their stay-up-late night is one of the best sounds. You love watching him play soccer and the leadership role he takes on the field.

Lest you begin to think he is basically grown already, remember that this momma's boy still sleeps in your room when he is scared because all the other brothers already fell asleep or how he comes for a kiss every night before bed. The freckles that used to be confined to his nose are now expanding their borders across his face and he is starting to look like a legit red head. Their is no color as vibrant as this boy's hair glowing in the sun.

This year he began riding shot gun in the van which to all you Momma's of littles out there is as monumental of a milestone as his first steps. When he jumps in the front seat after school he immediately begins talking. Last week he started in with a "Momma I will never understand girls." And after I laughed he continued "Girl A was crying today and when I asked her why, she said because Girl B is not her friend anymore. And I was like I never thought you were friends."

He will be a force to be reckoned with someday because with this one, every age has been a favorite. You love him something fierce.

Dementia be darned, Christina. Now do you remember who you are?

You are batman's Momma.