I was snug in bed, minding my own business, dozing actually, when GUSH! . . . . . . . .I was rudely awakened to a wet bed.
A few hours later, my baby boy was whisked from me to NICU to have tubes and needles inserted and placed in a baby cooker until done. He was slow about it, taking a whole 15 days, but I was finally allowed to take my baby home. Where I promptly panicked at the idea that I alone was responsible for keeping this kid alive. Clearly, no one had bothered to check my experiences or references when assigning me this job.
However, 10 years later, my baby boy has survived and thrived, in spite of his mama’s inexperience. Thank you, Lord.
Here’s my manchild, opening his first gift which is a very manly Leatherman tool with a leather holder.
Lincoln bounces up and down, flapping his arms in anticipation as he waits for Sidney to read the “birthday card” Lincoln made.
Ah, he backs off, giving Sidney room, waiting, waiting, waiting for his brother to notice that he is standing to the side, just waiting for a word of praise (all my men, big and little, thrive on words of praise).
“Any minute now . . . . . . .Sidney is going to turn around and show his appreciation for the bee-you-tiful card I made for him. . . . . . . .any minute . . . . . .any . . . . minute . . . . . now . . . . .”
“Thank you, Lincoln.”
“Awwww, shucks, now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside, bro.”
Lincoln’s card for Sidney
“This tape on my present is a little stubborn. Hold on! I got just the tool for that tough tape.”
“A card from Grandma Sandy . . . . . .well, I’ll just use my new tool to open this letter. . . . . . . .how did I ever live without this thing?”
I finally, finally, FINALLY got around to sewing a hanging sleeve on the back of Sidney’s quilt so he could hang it on the wall. It only took me five years.
Sidney’s rocket cake, courtesy of Aunt Bree.
And no, we didn’t get confused and forget how old our ten-year-old is. Can anyone figure out why we represented 10 with 4 candles, 2 lit and 2 unlit?
Another birthday card to open . . . . . . . . .good thing he has that tool.
Prairie Sings 
There are 10 types of people in the world – those who know binary, and those who don’t.
Yeah, I was about to call you a bunch of computer nerds. But I guess Sandra took care of that for me. 🙂
Thank goodness somebody replied with the answer. After all, “I” didn’t want to have to fumble through an explanation. Being one of those who don’t know binary and all.
And Carla, this struck me as particularly funny —
“Yeah, I was about to call you a bunch of computer nerds. But I guess Sandra took care of that for me.”
I distinctly remember moving from West Virginia back to North Carolina eleven years ago. Multiple family members either assumed, thought or hoped that we would move to the Raleigh area and join the ranks of Gaskins computer nerds. (They actually hoped that about Sid. No one would mistake ME for a computer-y person.)
But nooooooooooooo, Sid had to break the mold and go into sewage. But he is probably the only wastewater installer who actually uses a computer to run his business. At least around these parts.
I am so thankful you did not move to Raleigh. I wanted at least one of my kids to live close, for when I get “old.” I even had talked about moving to Raleigh/Durham to be close to someone when I retired. In fact, Sandra had made me promise that I would not do this before she got out of high school.
I love our house and land here in Lenoir. And when Sid and Tina decided to settle locally, I did not have to choose between the land and my wish to be close to family.
Thank you.
MOM