Two sides of Weston
Weston, as I may have mentioned, has been by far my most challenging child.
At one turn he can be abrasive and off-putting, the next he is sweet and kind. Much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.
Lately though, he has been mellowing. The more time I spend with him, the more I can get a hopeful glimpse of the man he is becoming. Now that the soccer/baseball season has begun we find ourselves together more than ever, and most of the time, I am realizing how much I enjoy his company (when he's not being sour, that is). He is incredibly funny and witty - he gets what makes me laugh and his humor is stealth and worth waiting for. What makes him a bit of a wild card in the negative sense, is starting to show itself in positive ways far more often.
Soccer season is entering its final stretch and I have to say, even though Weston has been playing since he was five and has always been great at the sport, he looks like a brand new player out there. He is aggressive in all the right ways - determined, strategic, and fast. Like crazy fast. During every game I've noticed people pointing him out for his speed. Today, the guy next to me kept calling Weston out to his family every time he got the ball, "Watch this kid - he's a thoroughbred!" I have to say, hearing someone say something nice about your child is always great - but hearing it about Weston is somehow even sweeter.
After the game we had several errands to run. I had Kellan's 7th birthday party to prep for, and at the last minute (is there any other kind with kids???), Weston decided he wanted to attend his 8th grade dance. This meant I had to cross my fingers and pray that I could get an entire semi-formal outfit for a 14-year old boy in one fell swoop.
Thank God for Kohl's and thank God for Weston gracing me with one of those aforementioned moments of cooperative affability. Even with Kellan and Larissa in tow, we managed to get shoes, pants, belt, shirt and tie all in less than one hour!
On our way home I cruised past our local construction businesses hoping to find a piece of cardboard or plywood big enough to accommodate a birthday party project I wanted to complete. Unprompted, Weston volunteered to get out of the car and do this:
Several hours later, he transformed into this:
Believe it or not, this was the first time I've seen Weston dressed up since he was very small. Isn't he handsome? He was totally open to my color suggestions and I'm so glad because there aren't many guys who can look this good in purple.
Later on I channeled my inner Napoleon Dynamite and texted Wes to ask if he was having a "killer time."
His response?
"I'm dancing."
There's hope for this kid yet...especially if he can someday find a woman who can tolerate love him like I do.