The Elusive Male

You may notice that there aren't a lot of posts about the boy around here. It's not for lack of trying. I have a lot of blurry pictures where he is fleeing as soon as he sees the camera. He's at that age where stopping for a picture isn't cool. If my husband is any indication, he won't grow out of that for the next 15 years.

He has a bit of his mama's soul. We share a melancholy and a need for solitude. He's quiet and yet still goofy in that nine year old boy way. He's an observer (unless he's correcting his sisters). I love all of these things about him, but it doesn't give me a lot of blog fodder, unlike the girls who are complete camera hams and say anything that comes to mind.

There are two things though that brighten his eyes and bring out his lively side. One is the first cold day of the year. Like me, he lives to wear sweat shirts. The other is snow. He comes alive in the snow. His quiet sometimes makes him seem older than his years. Snow brings out the little boy in him. Snow makes him seem like he's only nine, which he is, but sometimes it feels more like nine is the equivalent of twenty. He was outside yesterday for six straight hours. I took his lunch out to him. He built a whole fort for his army men who were attacked by the abominable snow man but saved themselves with their pet dinosaurs. It was awesome.

He's back outside today. He loves the snow. He doesn't seem to feel the cold. Waking up to snow is more exciting to him than Christmas morning. He actually pauses for the camera! I get more pictures of him during snow days than any other time of the year. He fades back to the quiet as the snow melts. I like quiet, but it's fun to see this brighter side of Chris for a few days. I think we'll eventually have to take him skiing. I think he'll love it. For now our pitiful little covering is enough to give him a nice snow fix. I'm sure he'll be out there until the last flake melts.