Bryson's Birthday Fun

The last week and a half have been busy as our summer comes to a close.  Although there are several more weeks left of the season, Bryson is starting Kindergarten in just a few days, so we'll be tied down more than we ever have.  With that in mind, we went to Indiana last week, since it was Phillip's weekend off and Bryson's 6th birthday.  We felt the need to have one last "hoorah!" before school starts.

We asked Bryson what he would like to do for his 6th birthday.  His response:  "Mr. Gatti's!"

Mr. Gatti's is basically Indiana's version of Chuck-E-Cheese's, except they have a pizza buffet.  So my mom stayed home with Avery, and we took Bryson and Grace off to eat endless pizza and play games.  Of course, we adults joined in the fun as well.  I have to say, I'm not so bad at Skee Ball! :-)

I also took Bryson to the store and let him pick out a toy.  I told him to take his time going down the aisles and deciding, but I should have known.  He was drawn to the trains like a magnet.  Of the many things I will always remember about Bryson's childhood, his obsession with trains will be one for sure!  He picked out a Percy electric train and a drawbridge set claiming loudly, "It's my dream come true!"  Bryson does have a dramatic flair, so he clutched that toy box through the store and shared with anyone who would listen that it was his birthday and he had a new train.  The check-out clerk wasn't that impressed and said to Bryson when told that he was now 6, "Then why aren't you in school?"  Bryson looked a little caught off guard, so I explained that we lived in Ohio and school hadn't started there yet.  He let us off the hook but still didn't smile at the birthday boy.

I have to admit, there was a time when I thought Bryson was going to get the best of me or I was going to have a nervous breakdown trying to control him.  He was so active (to say it nicely) and had such a mind of his own.  He still is both of those things, but he follows directions a LITTLE better and has matured some.  Phillip and I often look at each other and say, "Is he normal?  Are there other kids out there that do this kind of thing?" ...like the incessant sound effects and mood music with his toys, the obsession with Bible stories to the point where we have to tell him, no, you can't take your Veggie Tales Bible in Walmart with you because you'll just put it down somewhere, his complete lack of modesty (it's not uncommon for me to catch him outside in his underware and mud boots if his clothing gets wet or dirty while he's playing), his WILD imagination where he says regularly, "Do you want to listen to my story?"  or "Congratulations, Mommy, you've won a video clip!" and then he proceeds to tell me a story like one of his games would.  Yes, this kid is unusual for sure.  Yesterday while I was cooking dinner he said, "Do you want to have church, Mom?"  I said, "Not right now, Bryson."  He replied, "But Mommy, we're always supposed to have church, and he grabbed a bar stool for a podium and a whisk for a microphone and started preaching.  We spend many evenings having church in the living room and our bedtime prayers turn into church in his room.  Phillip preached at a church about a year ago that not only audio records sermons, but also video records them on DVD.  So Phillip came home with the CD and DVD of his sermon.  Bryson puts that DVD on the monitor in his room and watches his daddy preach for hours.

(If you think I"m joking about the sound effects and music as he move his trains or whatever toy he has at the time through the air, I"m NOT!  About a year ago, we were in a store, and Phillip was a couple aisles over from Bryson and me.  I've really just gotten so used to Bryson's sounds that I tune them out.  He was doing his thing walking along side me, and Phillip said the guy next to him said, "Man, listen to the kid!"  Phillip just nodded and said, "Yeah."  Then the guy said, "That's so annoying!"  Phillip agreed, "Yes, it is."  Then the guy said, "Aren't you glad he's not your kid?"  Phillip replied, "He IS my kid."  The guy about died of embarrassment, but I'm sure he's not the only one who has ever thought that!)

Here's Bryson at 2.  Where, oh where, does the time go??

What a crazy, unique, challenging, and wonderful little boy I have!  God must have BIG plans for him!   And what an enormous responsibility for us as his parents to try to guide him and instill in him godly principles and values.

Here he is at 6.   So big!

This week was Indoor Campmeeting at Dryden Road.  I only attended a couple of services since one of us needed to stay home with Avery, and I felt guilty making Phillip stay home since one of his favorite preachers ever was preaching.  But Bryson attended pretty much every service.  Of course, his favorite part was eating in the fellowship hall, and now all of his recent sermons have announcements of food in the fellowship hall after church,  but I hope one day he learns to love the moving of the Spirit as much as he looks forward to the fellowship hall!

Well, that's all for now, folks.  Lots to do!
Bethany