Caleb - Who is this kid?

The other morning as Caleb and I were walking into school together, he turned to me and asked,

"Mom, are you ready to be a grandma..."

and then he paused while counting out loud,

"I'm 7 now and if I add 10 then I would be 17 and then 4 more years I would be 21 ...so... 10 + 4 is 14".

Then he turned to me again and said,

"In 14 years".

I smiled at him, this funny kid of mine, and said,

"Yes, if you met a girl who was good enough for you. One who was pretty and kind like Giselle in Enchanted. One who would be able to handle the fact that you are, and always will be, my firstborn child. If you met a girl like that then you could get married and then finish college and then

you could supply me with some grandchildren."

Just kidding. What really happened was I smiled at this funny kid of mine and said,

"Sure."

But that's a far less exciting way to end the story.

I want to talk about this child of mine. He is getting taller by the day and a little gangly-looking since he's so skinny. Before I know it, he's going to be taller than me. He is smart and an excellent reader. Over the break he lost another tooth, right in the front, and is now looking a little silly with all the gaps in his mouth. He loves, loves, loves Star Wars and is very imaginative no matter what he is playing. He is sensitive and kind and concerned with being healthy. He is so many things but what I love the most is that he is himself. 

His favorite color is camouflage and his favorite toy to play with is his new Star Wars 4-legged walker. His favorite fruit is pears and his favorite TV show is ...you guessed it...Star Wars the Clone Wars cartoon. 

When he gets to choose our lunch he always chooses grilled cheese sandwiches with granola bars. He is obsessed with playing Cars Monopoly right now and he and Owen play for hours over and over.

He is wanting a goldfish and he loves to tell jokes.

His best friend? When I asked him, he thought about it for a couple of seconds and then said "Owen".

His favorite cereal is Lucky Charms and he loves soccer above all other sports. Every once in a great while I will let him buy a drink from the store and he always chooses root

beer.

Christmas is his hands-down his favorite holiday and when it's his birthday and he gets to choose the menu, the last two years he has chosen the same thing - corn dogs with my strawberry/pretzel jello salad.

When he grows up he wants to go into the National Guard until Owen has graduated and then the two of them will become police officers and work with their Dad.

I tried to sell the highlights of teaching to him but since I don't get to carry a gun or arrest anyone, he wasn't buying it. 

Plus he said Dad has a cool duty belt. 

I agreed that the belt was pretty cool. 

Then I told him that his teeth better grow in soon or he won't be able to find a girl to marry him. One who was pretty and kind like Giselle in Enchanted. One who would be able to handle the fact that he is, and always will be, my firstborn child. One that he could marry, finish college with and then

together, supply me with some grandchildren.

Just kidding. What I really said was that teachers are tougher than they look and they are smarter than police officers too. 

Who gets summers off?