Number Three

 You know all those theories and descriptions of siblings according to birth order?  They seem to ring pretty true in our house.  Jeremiah is the middle child.....literally smack dab in the middle.  According to some sources (on the internet of course) middle children have strong friendships and relationships.  Jeremiah has had the same friends since pre-school.  Middles are the peacekeepers.  Definitely true here.  Earlier this week I was hysterical about something that one of the younger kids had done and was shreiking and maybe even yelling......and he came in the house on his lunch break and saw what had happened and surveyed the situation and my response.....and he started to laugh.  Eyebrows raised, weird look on his face.....laughing.  At me.  And at said child.  Middles go with the flow rather than being stubborn....Also true.  They are open and willing to try new things.  Jeremiah will eat absolutely anything I make for a meal.  And he usually likes it.  Except olives.....he really doesn't like anything with olives.  But he will.....I'm sure of it.  Someday.  Middle Children tend to be successful.  Man oh man I hope that's true.  Jeremiah has had Isaac his whole life to tell him when he needs to get in the car, where he needs to be when, what he needs to bring......and Isaac moved away to college today.  

Jeremiah is on his own.  He told me the other day he didn't know when to leave for football because if he left too late and they were handing out stuff he missed all the good stuff......and I thought, well yeah, you've always had your brother shoving you out the door and moving you along.  Things could get interesting here.  Thank goodness Middle children tend to be successful!

Jeremiah is a fun, silly, sweet and very tender young man.  He is 16 and just starting to stretch and spread his wings a bit and sometimes I look and him and am filled with awe and wonder that he was once the last baby I carried in my womb, and that in about 3 short blinks, he has grown to be this man-cub that works and plays and has friends and drives a car and makes me laugh all the time.  I'm so lucky I get to be his mom.  

Jeremiah will start his junior year of high school on Monday.  Actually, he wasn't sure which day they started so I had to look it up.  oh my word.....his older siblings would have known that for sure!  He will hopefully not oversleep most days and get in his car and drive to early morning lifting and I will pray that there isn't ice on the road, that the car runs well, that he is safe and has everything he needs...and then quite likely will come the call that he forgot his football cleats or a notebook he needs or money for something....and I will glady and gratefully drive to his school to help him out.  Because I can.  and because I'm his mom.  He is playing football and he was telling me that one of the positions he has practiced is the one that causes the most injuries (I can't tell you the name because I'm not super smart with football) but I said, well, Jeremiah, maybe you can learn to just juke the guy coming at you and get around him and he said, well mom, then the guy will get to the quarterback and that will ruin the play so its kind of the point that I take the hit and stop him and so I said, well, I guess your brother Isaac has been tackling you and tossing you down your whole life so I guess you are ready for that.....and then I said to myself, mama, you better start praying before the game next week......

I love this boy so much.  When I look at him I still see the boy and not yet the man....but because I know what is coming and how quickly that will change, I want to really savor the boy that remains before the man takes over.  It happens so fast.....and its coming.